Philadelphia founder Shaakira DeLoatch brings a bold, real-ingredient ginger beverage to the Summer Fancy Food Show
PHILADELPHIA, June 2026 — It started with a sore throat.
When Shaakira DeLoatch was in college and struggling to find relief for a persistent sore throat, a friend suggested she boil fresh ginger root. That first sip—simple, warming, and unmistakably real—stuck with her.
She couldn’t find a ginger beverage on the market that delivered that same experience, so she decided to create one herself.
“I noticed that most ginger beverages were carbonated, overly sweet, or artificial,” says DeLoatch. “Ginger was being used as flavor, not as the ingredient itself. I wanted a taste that you can feel.”
Ginja Snap is her answer: a non-carbonated ginger water made with five ingredients—water, ginger root, honey, lemon juice, and lime juice. In her words, “the real version of ginger ale.”
From a Vintage Store Cooler to a Retail Shelf
Ginja Snap didn’t begin with a pitch deck. It started small—when Shaakira began selling her homemade ginger water through her brother’s vintage shop in Philly. She filled bottles in her apartment and brought them into the store to share with customers.
Over the next five years, DeLoatch transformed a product with a two-week shelf life into a shelf-stable beverage lasting up to two years, without preservatives or changes to the original recipe. What began as a homemade remedy evolved into a commercially scaled product ready for retail.
The Retail Case
Shelf-stable yet equally at home in the refrigerated case, Ginja Snap offers retailers flexibility across multiple sets—from grab-and-go coolers to wellness and non-alcoholic sections.
Consumers drink it chilled, warmed as tea, blended into smoothies, or used as a cocktail and mocktail mixer—creating multiple usage occasions and merchandising opportunities for retailers.
Built around real ginger rather than ginger flavoring, Ginja Snap meets growing consumer demand for ingredient transparency and simple, recognizable formulations.
What the Industry Is Saying
BevNET noted Ginja Snap’s “unmistakably wholesome quality” and highlighted its simple ingredient list as a marker of credibility.
Customers have echoed similar sentiments.
One customer described it as “superior” to other ginger beverages due to its authentic flavor and lower sugar content. Another said, after discovering it could be warmed:
“It feels like somebody’s hugging you from the inside.”
Recognition for the brand includes participation in Santander’s Cultivate Small Business Accelerator, Etsy and Accion’s Creative Momentum Accelerator, semifinalist placement in Pharrell Williams’ Black Ambition competition, and features on Good Day Philadelphia, Philadelphia Business Journal, and PA Eats.
Summer Fancy Food Show
Summer Fancy Food Show attendees are invited to visit Booth #7031A to experience Ginja Snap firsthand and discover a beverage that reimagines ginger in its most authentic form.
“I want people to leave saying there’s nothing like this on the market right now,” says DeLoatch. “And I want to turn some people into ginger fans.”
About Shaakira DeLoatch
Shaakira DeLoatch is the founder of Ginja Snap, a modern ginger beverage brand bringing a traditional remedy into today’s grab-and-go lifestyle.
She started the company in 2020 selling homemade ginger water through her brother’s vintage shop in North Philadelphia and has since grown it into a shelf-stable product carried in retail locations across the region.
With a background in operations, project management, and creative brand building across publishing, marketing, fashion, and film, she brings a systems-driven yet highly creative approach to entrepreneurship. She continues to build Ginja Snap at the intersection of culture, product, and everyday ritual.
Press Assets & Photos
Please credit Photographers Foster K. White and Mochi Robinson depending on the file name. Thank you!
High-resolution images and brand assets available here: PRESS KIT
Media Contact
Shaakira DeLoatch
[email protected]
www.ginjasnap.com
@drinkginjasnap