By Kristin Holtz, Staff Writer

Inspiration sometimes comes in the strangest guises.

For two local scientists, its disguise was a hangover.

In July 2008, Dan O’Connor of Shakopee and Todd Smith of Eden Prairie imbibed just a little too much. They awoke with hangovers and were looking for something to take the edge off a night of too much drinking.

O’Connor and Smith, both 31, got to work on a new energy drink aimed at curbing the hangover. Plasma Energy is not only the first Minnesota-based energy drink, it’s also one its neuroscientist creators believe can stymie the painful aftereffects of the occasional alcohol excess.

“We’re not really your classical scientists in the lab all day,” O’Connor said. “We like to have a good time.”

“I always say he and I are nerds by day and rock stars at night,” Smith said.Todd Smith and Dan O'Connor

O’Connor, a 1996 Shakopee High School graduate, said drinking Plasma Energy with alcoholic beverages can help prevent a hangover because it protects the liver from toxins found in alcohol. It can also be drunk the morning after to curb sickness or as an energy boost at any time.

Since Red Bull was introduced mid-1980s, taurine has been a common ingredient. The amino acid was once believed to provide extra energy, but recently it’s been discovered to be more responsible for the crash many people have after their energy drink wears off, O’Connor said.

“We kind of broke down the energy drink market and looked what’s in every energy drink and basically asked ourselves, ‘Why?’” said Smith, a Michigan native.

O’Connor and Smith removed taurine from their mixture and pumped in a patent-pending formula of acai berry, milk thistle, prickly pear and zeolite that removes toxins, protects the liver and helps curb a hangover.

Acai berry, O’Connor said, is one of the newest dietary supplements to hit the market. Acai berries are high in B vitamins and antioxidants.

Milk thistle is a plant believed to protect the liver; it’s been used for years to treat liver cirrhosis and chronic hepatitis. Prickly pear, which comes from the cactus, can help digestion, reducing inflammation and nausea, O’Connor said. It’s reported to help with hangovers.

Zeolite is a mineral from volcanic rock that helps absorb toxins, he said.

Unlike some energy drinks that use fake sugar to boost the healthiness of its product, O’Connor said Plasma Energy uses real sugar cane, not high-fructose corn syrup. It has about the same amount of caffeine as a cup of coffee.

Last April, D-PLASMA Corp. launched two flavors. The original is a low-carb mixture with just a hint of real sugar to help avoid a nasty aftertaste. It has a fruity mango/peach flavor.

Fusion, on the hand, is completely real sugar but is more citrusy. It is designed to be mixed with alcohol.

Both are brewed at Cold Spring Brewing Co. in Cold Spring, Minn.

O’Connor considers Plasma Energy a safe, healthy alternative to other energy drinks on the market. It also tastes much better, he said, since it was formulated to reduce the harsh aftertaste associated with most energy drinks.

“It tastes better than anything else and it’s healthier than anything on the market now,” he said.

O’Connor and Smith are just starting to get their products into Holiday Stationstores. Customers can also purchase the energy drinks online at shop.drinkplasma.com.

So far, D-PLASMA Corp. has nearly 500 accounts at local bars and liquor stores. As the first energy drink company in Minnesota, part of the challenge is getting its name out. It’s competing against hundreds of national energy drinks — most of which are just copies of the original Red Bull, O’Connor said.

While Smith works with D-PLASMA Corp. full time, O’Connor continues to co-own and operate his scientific research sales company, North Central Instruments. Therefore, the duo has relied on contracted employees, many of whom were laid off from their regular jobs, to sign up accounts for the business.

Innovation is a key principle at D-PLASMA Corp. The team is currently developing a few new beverage products using the patent-pending formula of acai berry, milk thistle, prickly pear and zeolite.

For O’Connor and Smith, the freedom and challenge of building “the next generation of energy drinks” from the ground up has kept these two self-proclaimed party guys busy.

“It’s been fun,” O’Connor said about getting the business off the ground. “Even if we don’t make a dime in this, it’s going to be fun. That’s what we’ve always said. It’s not worth doing it if you’re not going to have fun.”

Learn more about its Plasma Energy drink at www.drinkplasma.com.

Kristin Holtz can be reached at (952) 345-6678 or kholtz@swpub.com.