The no and low beverage alcohol industry continues to skyrocket as consumers seek out healthier drink alternatives.
The industry is growing so fast that the global alcohol-free beverages market size was estimated at $1,223.93 billion in 2023. It is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.4% from 2024 to 2030, according to Grand View Research.
Laura Taylor didn’t anticipate this kind of market growth when she launched her own alcohol-free canned cocktail brand, Mingle Mocktails, in 2017. After quitting alcohol herself in 2015, she decided to launch her own brand and has continued to advocate for the alcohol-free industry ever since.
“When I was finally done with alcohol, I explored the different options that were available, and identified a huge gap in the market,” Taylor says. “I was anticipating some drinking that would take place during a girl’s weekend, so I decided to make my own mocktail and take it with me on that trip.”
That homemade mocktail inspired Taylor to learn more about the market and share her beverage with others. Thus, Mingle Mocktails was born.
The Building of Mingle Mocktails
Taylor’s background in industrial engineering and CPG packaging helped prepare her for certain aspects of the beverage industry, such as learning the disciplines of business from manufacturing and supply chain sales levels.
“My first job was as an industrial sales engineer where I was calling on production facilities,” Taylor notes. “From there, I went into sales consulting, working with companies and getting visibility into their back-office functions. So, while I didn’t have core beverage experience, I was able to learn the disciplines of business from a manufacturing and supply chain sales perspective.”
Having a firm understanding of how a business works is crucial to making your own brand succeed. Not only did Taylor have some of this under her belt already, but she also ended up finding The Tory Burch Fellows Program, which helped her overcome her own fear of starting a business.
“The program is really all about supporting women in business and entrepreneurship, and one of their key features is giving women the tools they need to feel empowered in order to launch their own business,” says Taylor. “So, I ended up using those tools that they have available online, which allowed me to proceed with more confidence.”
The Best of Both Worlds
When Mingle Mocktails first launched back in 2017, “there were only a few other non-alcoholic products on the market,” according to Taylor. “So, the only channel available to me at the time was the natural foods channel.”
Since its launch, Mingle has secured distribution in some of the nation’s top retailers including Whole Foods Market, Walmart, Publix, Albertsons Safeway, CVS, Total Wine & More, Wegmans, Amazon and soon Target. Earlier this year, the brand partnered with Republic National Distributing Company (RNDC) to be distributed across 30 new markets.
“Now, we’re available in 35 states, so we are tackling the country by both the natural foods and spirits channels ─ which, to me, is the best of both worlds,” Taylor says.
On January 1st, Mingle Mocktails will also be launching nationally with Whole Foods, according to Taylor.
“Currently, we’re in about 250 Whole Foods stores that are designated to carry spirits,” she says. “The spirits buyer for the chain is another individual who’s been a huge champion for Mingle, and we are even launching an exclusive flavor with them called Pineapple Paloma.”
Continued Education and Growth for the NA Category
Taylor’s advocacy for the zero-proof industry didn’t stop with the creation of Mingle. In fact, she was just recently appointed as a board member of the Adult Non Alcoholic Beverage Association, a voice for adult alcohol-free beverage producers, partners and allies.
“I’m really passionate about the mission of the association,” says Taylor. “I had not originally known about it, but I knew Marcos Salazar, who launched the association, and I was like ‘Marcos, why didn’t you tell me about this?’ I just launched Mingle around the same time, so I immediately joined the association and got involved.”
When Taylor saw the opportunity to become a board member, she immediately went for it.
“I make sure to give as much as I can to the organization, and it’s been really cool to see how it has grown from just a couple of brands to now building partnerships with distributors and retailers,” explains Taylor. “It’s gotten a lot of traction and I think it’s really helped the category get taken more seriously, overall.”
