fciwomenswrestling.com, femcompetitor.com article, Mocktail Beverages Inc. photo credit
Driving over the San Francisco Bay Bridge at night surging towards famous brightly lit skyscrapers with the incredible dance song I’ll Fly With You by GiGi D’ Agostino blasting can’t help but make you feel that life should be one big party, filled with beautiful girls.
So often in large vibrant cities it is.
Too often in the past, vibrant parties have been associated with oceans of alcoholic beverages being served, often with disastrous results from drunk driving to sexual assault.
Fortunately there is a new trend emerging where you can still have the master blaster party complete with gorgeous women in motion but the difference here is that very colorful and non-alcohol filled drinks are being served.
That is a societal improvement to shake and drink to.
Would you like a Mocktail?
Alcohol free, or non-alcoholic drink or beverage, is a non-alcoholic version of an alcoholic drink.
These may take the form of a non-alcoholic mixed drink (a “virgin drink”), non-alcoholic beer (“near beer”) and “mocktails”, and are widely available where alcoholic drinks are sold.
Labels that state the actual alcohol by volume help citizens from unknowingly becoming inebriated or drunk drivers.
Cocktails rose in popularity during the 1980s, but they have become increasingly popular over the past few years.
Those who did not drink alcohol found themselves in a situation where other drinks, by comparison with cocktails, were generic non-alcoholic drinks.
Because of the demand for more visually and aesthetic appealing drinks than normal soft drinks, the concept known as “Mocktails” was born.
Mocktails, an abbreviation for “mock cocktails”, are festive, non-alcoholic party drinks.
The word “mock” implying a facade of the alcoholic cocktail without any of the alcoholic content.
In last few years it has become so popular that it even finds its place in the cocktail menu on many restaurant and bars.
The Wall Street Journal speaks to this trend. “Now a fixture of fine dining, alcohol-free mocktails may well be the most interesting option on the drinks menu these days. Pair them with a multicourse restaurant meal, or mix them at home with these nine refreshing recipes.”
The informative site .fooddive.com adds, “Of course many millennials drink alcohol, but mocktails fit in a growing trend toward moderation and sobriety among this demographic. Emerging leisure activities include mindfulness retreats, “juice crawls” and “conscious clubbing,” with participants enjoying the energy and community of dance parties without drugs or alcohol.”
Mocktails can be described as a smooth blend of only non-alcoholic drinks, which could be fresh fruit juices, syrups, cream, herbs and spices.
Mocktails are designed specifically for those who do not take alcoholic drinks or need to refrain from them, which means these blends can be enjoyed by people of all ages. They are particularly favored over cocktails by drivers, pregnant women, and others who choose party drinks that are alcohol-free.
One loving mother of four is a driving force is bringing these safer and tasty drinks to life.
The global business publishing leader Forbes speaks to her story. “It is often a void in the marketplace that sparks an entrepreneur’s ingenuity to create a solution. When Sharelle Klaus, a single mother of four, was searching for a sophisticated non-alcoholic beverage that wasn’t cloyingly sweet or made with artificial flavors she realized that the ultra-competitive beverage market lacked one so she decided to make one of her own—starting in her kitchen.
In 2005, Klaus launched DRY Soda Co., which has quickly become a disruptor in the sparkling beverage sector proving that it is never too late to reinvent yourself or a marketplace when you create a top-notch product.”
One evening in 2004 while scanning a short menu of sugary nonalcoholic options, Ms. Klaus realized her frustration was pointing to her an incredible business idea.
Understandably many have become fascinated with her story.
It’s also understandable that no one tells your story better than you. Let’s visit her home at drysparkling.com. She and her business family truly have a story to tell.
We’d love to hear it. They smile, “What inspired a mom of four kids under the age of seven to enter the ultra-competitive beverage industry in 2005?
Well, a lack of sophisticated non-alcoholic options, for one.
This PacNW native wanted a flavor-forward beverage that could compete with a great glass of wine or a premium cocktail, so she decided to create it herself, starting in her own kitchen. In 2005, after several experiments with home carbonators, extracts, syrups, and brix levels, and with help from a few chefs and friends in F&B, Sharelle launched DRY in flavors that were both nostalgic and supremely interesting: Lavender, Lemongrass, Rhubarb and Kumquat.”
Sounds perfect. The essence of so many great business ideas is that they solve a problem that society has been clamoring for, even if they haven’t realized it quite yet.
They continue, “A clean ingredient panel was always important to Sharelle. She didn’t have complicated ingredients in her kitchen when she created DRY, so there was never an opportunity for them to enter her recipes. She intentionally varied sweetness and acidity levels so each flavors’ unique characteristics shine through.
DRY initially was offered in some of the nation’s finest restaurants and then expanded to retail distribution very shortly after that. Over the years, DRY has grown and changed a bit. DRY Sparkling is now available throughout North America.”
It is a very competitive industry but DRY has clearly found their niche and a loyal audience.
What we loved in viewing her myriads of product options was the sumptuous variety in flavors and organic compositions.
At her site she explains why. “Oh, I love talking about flavors. I was really stuck on pairing chocolate with Lavender – and always loved the Lavender that grew in my back yard growing up – so that one was an instant favorite for me. Rhubarb is a complex flavor with lots of layers, like a great red wine. It can really stand up to a nice cut of red meat or barbecue. Lemongrass just paired really well with the Asian-inspired cuisine that is so prevalent in Seattle and has this wonderful crisp taste. And with kumquat – I knew the bright citrus would be versatile, yet intriguing.”
Thankfully for us, Sharelle is an endless source of many wonderful, colorful and fluid ideas.
Because of exceptional and innovative entrepreneurs like her, the highways and people’s health are driving to a better place.
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OPENING PHOTO fciwomenswrestling.com, femcompetitor.com article, Mocktail Beverages Inc. photo credit
https://www.fooddive.com/news/mocktails-shake-up-beverage-industry-with-a-craft-makeover/447335/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Beer
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-alcoholic_drink
http://www.drysparkling.com/our-story/
http://www.drysparkling.com/2015/05/whos-that-lady-dry-ceo-and-founder-sharelle-klaus/
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/laura-dunn/women-in-business-qa-shar_b_12909990.html
http://imbibemagazine.com/sharelle-klaus/
