Articles
What It Actually Takes to Get Into Whole Foods
Many beverage founders treat a Whole Foods buyer meeting as the finish line. The reality is the opposite: the meeting is roughly the midpoint of a process that can run three to five years from first contact, and the common
Sustaining: Non-Alc’s Overlooked Occasion
The term “alcohol alternatives” assumes the job of these products is to reduce how much alcohol someone drinks. Swap the cocktail, moderate the intake. Indeed, most of the category has organized itself around the premise that these beverages are direct
Non-Alc Wine Brands Are Adding ABV—and Splitting on How
Two non-alc wine brands, years into operating exclusively <0.5% ABV, both decided to add alcohol. Wednesday’s Domaine recently launched a 6.5% ABV range under its existing brand. In 2024, Brandon Joldersma, CEO of Surely, launched Arlow as a separate low-ABV
To Survive in Non-Alc, Invest in Product
The alcohol alternatives category has produced more launches in the past five years than the alcohol industry produced in the previous twenty. Many of those won’t be around in another five, and some are already gone. This is normal for
Hydration Is the New Functional Play. The Occasion Is Missing.
Three launches in the past month have anchored themselves on hydration rather than occasion. Lucky Saint launched a Lime & Sea Salt lager in late April, built on magnesium, potassium, and sodium. Heineken UK launched Outd00r Brewing in early May,
The Scientific Case Against Imitation in Dealcoholized Red Wine
Dealcoholized red wine is the hardest technical problem in the alcohol alternatives category. White and sparkling formats have closed more of the gap with their alcoholic counterparts, but red continues to be a challenge. Consumers often describe it as thin,
