Prelude

Dec 31 2019 - Santa Monica

Ok story time. Dec 31 2019 was the last time I went out binge drinking. NYE in LA. Was a blast. A few months prior I was asked to be on a dating show for HBO and I wanted to get in shape for it. Diet, exercise, the whole deal. Thinking maybe it'd be a good idea to stop firing back 14 coors lights on a Friday. When I stopped it totally unlocked more time/energy/money for me and I was ALL IN on cutting back drinking. 3 months after that a guy had some bat soup, the world got flipped, and I really didn't see a reason to pick up the bottle again while we were in lockdown. At least that's what I tell people. I think deep down I knew binging booze was horrific and I needed a push to stop. A *reason*, and now I had it.

May 2021 - Manhattan

Fast forward to May 2021. The world was starting to get back to semi normal with vaccinations. I'm back out with my friends in the park, smaller social gatherings, not drinking for over a year at that point. In the best shape of my life. Not going back, (extreme Stephan A Smith voice) *HOWEVER* I would like to maintain social life. Going out to bars/backyard parties I was always getting seltzer waters, sodas, redbulls. If you weren't drinking at these things you were a second class citizen. There had to be something out there for people who were cutting back. I was SHOCKED to see the limited options. A lot of anti-alcohol branded mocktails. Companies trying to *mimic* alcohol with spirits, or making questionable claims about ingredients giving you a natural buzz. I just needed something healthy to have in my hand that wasn't a water or a gatorade. Why does this not exist?

August 2021 - Manhattan

I had saved up a couple bucks, and really felt that people needed a healthy option that wasnt like shoving the anti-alcohol message down your throat. Just like a healthy discreet drink you can grab at the beach or picnic and no one will look twice. So how do you go from 0 to 1? Lot of early mornings on trains to the lab, testing formulations. They all stunk at the beginning. I honestly don't think the move is to try to replicate alcoholic drinks.

Why are companies trying to compete with booze in the drunk arena? We're making healthy sophisticated flavour and putting the emphasis on health. Make boozy drinks compete in the health arena. They cant. Luckily my old roommate in Gramercy was an incredibly talented package designer who knew *exactly* how to go from concept to finished design (check her out here). Found some sweet can manufacturers and co-packers who answered all my q's. This is how you go from sitting in a cave with a box of scraps to a finished product.

^ Actually me in the lab

February 2022 - Brooklyn

That brings us to today. Cans were just finished. Formula complete. YUM. BIG YUM. Going to fill the first run later this week. Firing from the hip. LFG. I have no idea what to expect, how to sell, if this will even work. What I know is that people dont have the options they deserve and that sitting in bed all morning ordering a $27 bagel from doordash is a 0 IQ move and if you scale back booze a bit this will unlock massive benefits. So here we go. Will try to keep blogging about the experience and keep you updated! More Life!

"Hey Siri, play 'Isn't she lovely'"

^ Execs in a board meeting after reading this blog post