· By Harsimran Sekhon
How a Migraine Sparked a Soda Revolution: Crazy D’s Featured in Canadian Grocer
We’re honoured to be featured in the February 2025 issue of Canadian Grocer—a leading voice in Canada’s retail and food industry. The article dives deep into how our founder, Darren Portelli, turned a personal health journey into the creation of Crazy D’s Prebiotic Soda, now found in 200+ stores across the country.
From Health Struggles to Health-Focused Soda
Darren’s story began with a diagnosis of visual snow syndrome, a rare neurological condition that causes chronic visual disturbances, static, migraines, tinnitus and more. In an effort to improve his overall well-being, Darren began making major lifestyle changes, reducing sugar, eating cleaner, and exercising more.
One night in 2013, he treated himself to a sugary ginger soda… and was hit with a debilitating migraine. That experience led to a bold idea: what if soda could actually be good for you?
Enter: Yacon Root & Prebiotic Power
Years of research and experimenting led Darren to yacon root, a naturally sweet root vegetable high in prebiotic fibre. Unlike traditional sodas, Crazy D’s uses plant-based ingredients that don’t spike your blood sugar, making our sodas a functional beverage that supports gut health and overall wellness.
“Yacon has a sweetness to it,” Darren shares in the article. “But it’s also high in prebiotic fibre, which is great for your probiotic gut bacteria and also mitigates inflammatory glycemic spike”
That discovery laid the foundation for our first flavour: Ginga’ Kick, which Darren began selling at Toronto’s Withrow Park Farmers’ Market in 2016 under the name Crazy D’s (a playful nod to all the wild ingredients he wanted to put in soda).
From Farmers' Markets to Major Retailers
From chaotic kitchen explosions (yes, literal explosions!) to small wins like trade shows and early café partnerships, Crazy D’s has grown steadily since its humble beginnings. Over the years, we’ve been picked up by:
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Goodness Me!
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Whole Foods Market
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Metro
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Sobeys
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Longo’s
… and many more.
Now with international expansion into Panama and soon Mexico, Crazy D’s is proudly disrupting the beverage industry with every fizz.
A Smarter Way to Scale
Scaling hasn’t been easy. As Darren shared with Canadian Grocer, working with early co-packers came with steep learning curves—think spice and pulp clogs, manufacturing backfires, and ingredient costs that hurt the bottom line.
So we reimagined our recipe for mass production without compromise—keeping the flavour and prebiotic benefits intact. We also switched from glass bottles to eco-friendlier cans, reducing our carbon footprint while making our sodas more accessible.
More Than a Beverage—It’s a Movement
Today, Crazy D’s offers four nostalgic yet health-forward flavours:
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Ginga’ Kick
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Thrilla in Vanilla
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Rockin’ Rolla Cherry Cola
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Twisted Citrus
Behind every can is a mission: to help people thrive through better-for-you soda options that support real health goals.
As Darren says in the article, “I have a lot of great supporters and they’re buying it for a reason. There’s definitely a very special place for this beverage and I’m very proud of the drink.”
Read the full Crazy D’s story in Canadian Grocer
Try the Soda That’s Changing the Game
Join the gut health revolution and see why more Canadians are switching to Crazy D’s Sparkling Prebiotic Sodas. Shop now or find us in a store near you.
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