It was 2022 and Rudy Pham had been politely declining drinks all night at a party. That is, until event host Felix Chen finally convinced him to try the night’s signature drink: cognac, green tea and honey.
The beverage—a combination inspired by a karaoke bar staple first popularized in Asia—was a first for Pham. One sip from that red Solo cup sparked an idea that eventually took Pham and Chen from friends to business partners, co-founding Golden Triangle Beverage Company and launching their signature cognac green tea cocktail, Triple X.O.G.
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Despite having no prior experience in the beverage industry (Pham was in life insurance sales, Chen in engineering), the pair bootstrapped their vision with no outside funding. They quickly realized they were onto something innovative. “We’re making our own market space right now, because it’s not a beer, it’s not a seltzer and it’s not a cider.” Produced and manufactured in East Vancouver, Triple X.O.G. launched in September 2024 and is promoted as a first-of-its-kind canned cognac green tea cocktail. The duo gained significant traction thanks to an appearance on CBC’s Dragons’ Den in fall 2025, securing a deal with investor Manjit Minhas.
Within its first year, the business sold over 75,000 units and within its first six months it secured over 100 retail and hospitality partners in B.C. and Alberta. Over the next few years, the brand hopes to expand into an additional 5,000 retail locations nationwide while also exploring international markets like the U.S. and Asia. “We want to create the most recognizable Asian-based beverage company globally,” says Pham.
On work ethic
“You have to sacrifice what you have now for what you want later on.”
See the full list of our 2026 30 Under 30 winners here.
