Oprah Winfrey is about to open the biggest lemonade stand ever. The 62-year-old media mogul has filed documents to trademark a new line of bottled drinks and food items, according to TMZ . Oprah’s forthcoming brand will include bottled water, energy drinks, coconut water, and lemonade. And that’s just the beginning.
Oprah Winfrey previously got into the beverage business in 2014 with a partnership with Teavana , so this isn’t her first time putting her name on a drink. The Oprah Chai products were sold at Teavana and Starbucks, with a portion of the sales going to the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy Foundation. Oprah was quoted as saying tea helps her to focus.
“As the tea steeps, my head clears; as the flavors develop, my thoughts get into focus. I get centered. I get calm,” Winfrey said.
Oprah Winfrey’s new product line won’t be limited to beverages, though. The New York Daily News reports that Oprah will develop a variety of products under the name Oprah’s Kitchen. Winfrey’s merchandising application filed last month reveals that in addition to drinks, she has plans to launch a line of dairy, meat, fish, and preserved foods products, as well as spices, baked goods, fresh fruit, and vegetables. There could also be specialty items such as cut flowers and beer, and Winfrey is even considering a line of Oprah bacon, baked beans, sorbet, pickles, fruit leather, and even caviar. It sounds like Oprah has enough product ideas to open her own gourmet food store.
Last year, Oprah Winfrey made headlines for buying a 10 percent stake in Weight Watchers, but her plans for her new product line are even bigger. According to the Daily News , federal law requires “a bona fide intention to use the (trade) mark in commerce,” so Oprah’s application is no joke.
Oprah Winfrey will join an already crowded celebrity food market that includes everyone from Paul Newman to Rachael Ray. But fans know Oprah has a particular knack for turning here ideas into gold. The lemonade idea, in particular, is already getting a lot of buzz, as it comes on the heels of Beyonce’s headline-making Lemonade visual album. Of course, Beyonce invested in a new watermelon water product and not lemonade, so go figure. But Oprah’s bottled water probably won’t be boring either. In a Q&A with fellow Weight Watchers members earlier this year, Oprah revealed that she hates drinking plain water.
“I don’t like water,” Oprah revealed. “I trick myself into drinking ginger-vanilla infused water.”
Oprah Winfrey has long shared some of her favorite food and beverage brands and recipes with her fans. During her talk show heyday, Winfrey regularly gifted audience members with gourmet Garrett’s popcorn and Centerville chicken pot pies. During one Favorite Things extravaganza, there were multiple products infused with truffles. She also shared the recipe for her all-time favorite cocktail, Moscow Mule. And it’s no secret that bread is one of Oprah’s favorite things of all time.
Nearly 30 years ago, Oprah Winfrey famously lugged a wagon full of 67 pounds of fat to demonstrate how much weight she lost on an all-liquid diet. The stunt garnered her the highest ratings in the history of her daytime talk show, but these days, Oprah is focusing on eating real food — and it sounds like she has a lot of plans to bring it to the masses under the Oprah’s Kitchen label.
There is no timeline for when Oprah Winfrey’s new food and drink products might roll out, so stay tuned.
Take a look at the video below to see Oprah Winfrey talking about her favorite breakfast recipe.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vptD0huO5ZQ
[Photo by Ben Gabbe/Getty Images for Tribeca Film Festival]
