EP11 Jon Hwang - An entrepreneur who built the drink he couldn't find

Jon Hwang spent a year turning his kitchen into what looked like a Breaking Bad lab: bags of white powder, mystery ingredients, and a food scientist who had never tasted milk tea in his life. The result is MAKO, a boba-inspired high-protein milk tea designed to do what no ready-to-drink protein shake has done before: actually taste good. We talk about leaving a tech career behind, bootstrapping a CPG brand from scratch, navigating supply chains, trademarks, and co-manufacturers - all as a team of one. Plus, why the Asian fitness market is about to explode and why milk tea protein might be exactly what it's been waiting for... here on the Drink of Choice.

What is Drink of Choice?

Drink of Choice is the pod/vodcast where every conversation starts with a simple question: what is your drink of choice?

Hosted by Sid Kim (@withsidkim) and Han Kim (@han.jddj), we kick things off the same way every time — we ask our guest what drink they chose and what it means to them. The drink is prepared right there in the studio, we raise a glass together, and that's when the real conversation begins.

From there, we let things flow naturally — talking about life, the journey, and what got them to where they are today. Along the way, we ask every guest the same two questions:

What is the best choice you've ever made?
What is the worst choice you've ever made?

No agenda. No script. Just good people, honest stories, and a drink worth toasting to.

🎙️ New episodes dropping soon — subscribe so you never miss a conversation.