Sacramento-born Tuk Tuk Box partners with Netflix star to ‘spread Asian joy’

Sacramento resident Beatriz Aurelio-Saguin is celebrating the Lunar New Year through the release of a new collaboration with a Netflex star for her company, Tuk Tuk Box.

Tuk Tuk Box provides packages of traditional Southeast Asian specialty foods and refreshments to customers through the mail.

One of the items it plans to include in its Lunar New Year package is the first Asian-inspired non-alcoholic beverage, SANS.

SANS is a product of Taejin Beverage Inc., founded by actor, model, and activist Kevin Kreider.

Kreider, who has practiced sobriety for seven consecutive years, wanted to use Dry January as a means to share the message behind his drink. He wanted to create a drink that empowers and normalizes a sober lifestyle.

“Creating SANS means bringing recognition to an underrepresented group and transforming the stigma around sobriety from something lame to something that can be seen as sexy and at the forefront of popular culture,” said Kreider.

Kreider is known for his role on Netflix’s “Bling Empire,” where he stood out to many for how he represented Asian Americans.

“We’ve enjoyed watching Kevin grow as a person and activist on Bling Empire and we couldn’t be more excited to showcase SANS,” said Tuk Tuk Box co-founder Christy Innouvong-Thornton. “We love the flavor, but what really stuck out to us was the message.”

Tuk Tuk Box is known for its slogan “Spread Asian Joy”.

The latest Tuk Tuk Box contains two 12-ounce cans of SANS, a Lunar New Year tote bag designed by Hmong American artist Adora Vang, a 1-ounce Pocket Latte chocolate bar, Pocket Latte Matcha or Vietnamese Coffee almonds, a Lunar New Year Red envelope with chocolate gold coins, assorted Asian cakes and cookies, locally farmed dried mandarin slices by Dardimans and a Spread Asian Joy sticker.

Kreider said he spreads Asian joy by giving back to the community through his lived experience and connecting people. Each purchase comes with Kreider’s story card and a special gift.

A portion of the proceeds go to CAPE USA, a non profit organization that champions diversity by educating, connecting, and empowering Asian American and Pacific Islander artists and leaders in entertainment and media.

“It’s an honor to share Kevin’s story because we know it will resonate with so many. Mental and physical health is often overlooked in the AAPI community and we hope to shed light on such an important topic,” said Aurelio-Saguin.

Visit www.tuktukbox.com or www.doyousans.com to learn more about the collaboration or purchase a Tuk Tuk box.