Why are we renaming?

As many of you know, we had to go through a name change due to a trademark conflict (more context here). While we loved Beny—short, friendly, and easy to say—we realized this was a chance to do something more ambitious. Instead of choosing a name that blends in, we wanted one that stands out on the shelf.

We had a few criteria:

1. Easy to pronounce: let’s be honest, no one knows how to say “Fage” correctly.

2. Memorable: we don’t want to become another brand that’s solely described by its packaging.

3. Educational: we want the name to say something about what the product is.

And we found something that checked all of those boxes…

Why Sourmilk?

Historically, sour milk has had an association with “spoiled milk”, which is why many people initially have an adverse reaction to the name. Ironically, this reaction is what actually makes the name more memorable and “sticky”.

While I wouldn't say Sourmilk is as in-your-face as Liquid Death, it has a similar effect by forcing people to think "why?".

As it turns out, yogurt was originally discovered by allowing milk to sour - nomadic herders stored milk in animal stomachs which naturally contained enzymes and bacteria. When cultures are fermented in milk they break down lactose, producing lactic acid, which is what gives yogurt its signature tang. In fact, the word for yogurt in Chinese, 酸奶 (suān nǎi), literally translates to “sour milk.”

Sourmilk is a reclamation of what yogurt is meant to be: alive, cultured, and good for your gut.

Top of Mind 💙 

🥛 Sourmilk feedback: We’ve already gotten awesome feedback on the name from our launch video, here are a few highlights:

👩‍🌾 Soho Farmers Market: Swing by Shopify in Soho for a popup farmers market May 28 - June 1. We’ll be serving Sourmilk yogurt alongside Locanut’s homemade granola :) RSVP here.

💻 NY Tech Week: We’re demoing yogurt at a bunch of tech week events the first week of June. If you’re hosting an event and want us to come sample Sourmilk, reply to this email!

Thanks for all your patience and support during the renaming!

Elan and Kiki (The Yogurt Girls)