Energy Drink Company Prime Mate Shutters After Accusations Levelled at Co-Owner

Montreal-based producer of yerba mate energy drink Prime Mate is set to be liquidated, following an accusation of sexual assault directed at one of the company’s owners in recent weeks.

A couple of weeks ago, an accusation of sexual assault surfaced against Prime Mate co-owner and party organizer Patrick Mocan on social media. As announced on Twitter and reported on Eater, an owner of Village restaurant Agrikol then announced that Prime Mate would no longer be sold at the venue.

In response to the negative attention, Prime Mate’s other owner, Xavier Lapointe-Gagner announced that Mocan would be suspended from any work at the company, with a Facebook post from Lapointe-Gagner noting, “I will not tolerate any kind of aggression or violence against women.”

However, a few days later, Lapointe-Gagner went one major step further, announcing that he would be leaving the company (which he co-founded) and having it liquidated — in short, killing off Prime Mate. The explanation offered did not directly invoke the allegations against Mocan, but did obliquely hint at the negative attention focused on Mocan and the energy drink company, stating, “under the circumstances, I am no longer willing to work towards building this company.”

The same day, Mile End bar Datcha may have joined the Agrikol-led boycott of Prime Mate, making an announcement via Facebook that they were aware of “allegations against a former regular DJ at our establishment” (Mocan hosted DJ nights at Datcha in the past) and would no longer carry “an affiliated energy drink”, while not actually invoking the names of Mocan or Prime Mate. Datcha's description could apply to Mocan and Prime Mate, given his status as a former DJ there, and the fact the bar has carried Prime Mate. Datcha confirmed to Eater that their statement was referring to Prime Mate and that they will no longer carry the drink (although the drink is presumably soon to be unavailable anywhere, due to Prime Mate’s liquidation).

• Agrikol Owner Encourages Energy Drink Boycott Over Sexual Assault Claims [Updated]