Having a few drinks during the holiday season isn't unusual for many of us. But there are plenty of reasons why some choo...
Problem
The emerging no- and low- alcohol category continues to see rapid growth
The top spots for non-alcoholic beer, wine, and spirits are taken. Who will be the market leader for zero proof RTD cocktails?
A relatable story...
Nate and Danielle Goss were overjoyed when they found out they were expecting their first child. As a couple who took pleasure in socializing over cocktails, they began seeking non-alcoholic options for Danielle.
In the process, they quickly realized that booze-free cocktails and ready-to-drink mocktails were hard to find or non-existent in stores, bars and restaurants. The “non-alcoholic” beers and wines they were able to find still didn’t meet Danielle’s needs as many of these options still contained small amounts of alcohol. Likewise, other options including soda and sparkling water didn’t fill the void of having social cocktails with family and friends.
For all of these reasons, Danielle—also a Registered Dietitian by trade—spent the summer and fall of 2019 creating her own mocktails from scratch.
Danielle relates, “All I wanted was for Nate to be able to head to the local store, grab a 6-pack of beer for him and a pack of something that tasted great and gave me the same social experience I’d get from drinking a cocktail, but without the booze. Time and time again I said to Nate, 'How isn’t there anything out there like this? Is it too much to ask?'”
After conducting extensive market research, doing focus groups and consulting beverage industry experts, they found the demand for 100% booze-free options extended well beyond pregnant women. In fact, they learned that the world’s continued focus on health and wellness has created a new group of consumers who classify themselves as “mindful drinkers," fueling the demand for low- and no-alcohol beverages.
These findings validated Nate and Danielle's business concept. With the support of close family and friends, they began formulating beverages for the KUL MOCKS brand—just months before becoming a family of 3.
Solution
KUL MOCKS
We believe that cutting back or passing on alcohol shouldn’t make you feel like you can’t have a great time. We worked with some of the best flavorists and food scientists in the country to turn the scratch-made mocktails from our kitchen into an emerging craft mocktail business.
KUL MOCKS capitalizes on consumer preferences that have been overlooked for far too long:
- 0.00% alcohol by volume (ABV)
- Great taste
- A healthier alternative
- Convenient—RTD (ready-to-drink)
- 12 oz. sleek can
Product
The KUL MOCKS experience
Hand-crafted with simple ingredients and natural flavors, KUL MOCKS ready-to-drink alcohol free cocktails are flavorful and fun! Each mocktail comes in the popular 12 ounce sleek can and is infused with spirit notes that mimic the classic cocktail experience. Uniquely created with health and wellness in mind, KUL MOCKS are gluten free, non-GMO, caffeine free and contain nothing artificial.
Our award-winning lineup comes in 3 delicious flavors!
How it's made
We turn scratch-made mocktails from our kitchen into ready-to-drink cocktails you can enjoy anywhere, anytime. Here's how we make that happen:
- Strategic partnerships
We have strategic partnerships with co-packers in the United States. We work closely with them to scale our hand-crafted mocktail recipes for high quantity production and then we batch. (We have NDAs with the co-packers we work with to keep our recipes a top secret.) - Premium ingredients
We use high quality ingredients, flavor infusions like fresh lime and spirit notes to bring our boozeless, NOT BORING drinks to life! - 0.00% ABV? You bet!
Our unique Zero Proof Process (ZPP) incorporates the use of non-ethanol containing flavor carriers to keep our beverages 100% alcohol free.
How to serve
Well, that’s easy! Serve up our MOCKS straight from the can or fancy it up and serve over ice in something fun like a copper mug or a margarita glass. You do it your way—there are no rules.
When to drink
Perfect for weekends on the lake, tailgates, music festivals, hanging with friends and family, or spending time relaxing at home. Convenient and ready-to-drink so you can enjoy on any occasion.
Traction
1,000+ stores & 10 states in just 1 year
KUL MOCKS can be found in over 1,000 stores, 10 states, and numerous on-premise locations—and we have a rapidly growing direct to consumer business.
Sales
We are on track to hit $350,000 for 2021, and plan to double our revenue for 2022 and 2023. We are in hardcore growth mode: building relationships with distributors and retailers to support our national brand expansion.
Retail partners
KUL MOCKS is sold across the following 10 states as of Fall 2021. In 2022, we will be further penetrating these markets and also expanding into new markets.
As revenue grows, brand awareness increases and we gain distribution relationships in new states, KUL MOCKS will become more appealing to larger retailers like Kroeger, Meijer, Target, Whole Foods, and Wegman's where many consumers are already asking for KUL MOCKS.
Placement
Our beverages can be found on display in the cold box next to non-alcoholic beers, and on the shelf in both grocery and liquor stores. Most recently KUL MOCKS has been introduced to on-premise locations, golf courses, festivals and stadiums (like the new Austin, Texas Q2 Stadium).
We are in talks with several event planners, stadium managers and festival buyers. As many of their customers are now drinking in moderation or are wanting to socialize over drinks without the effects of alcohol, they understand the opportunity—and are welcoming increased check averages and the promotion of consumption with open arms.
Award-winning
Each of our craft mocktails received high-scoring awards at the 2020 and 2021 PR%F Awards. We also received recognition both years for our uniqueness as a Women-Owned beverage brand.
WBENC-Certified WBE
KUL MOCKS is certified as a Women’s Business Enterprise by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), the nation’s largest third-party certifier of businesses owned and operated by women.
We recognize the commitment to supplier diversity that is embraced by corporations and government agencies today and we can add diversity to distributors and retailers nationwide.
Customers
Mindful drinkers want an adult drinking experience from non-alcoholic beverages
Consumers are continuing to prioritize wellness, and being conscious of alcohol intake is an extension of that trend. According to Nielsen data: "Health-conscious Millennials are driving the mindful drinking movement, with 66% making efforts to reduce their alcohol consumption.”
KUL MOCKS has attracted mindful drinkers, people cutting back on booze, and expectant mothers, as well as others who simply can’t or prefer not to drink alcohol.
Taking the night off? Planning to be the designated driver? Big meeting in the AM? Got responsibilities? Want to socialize without the effects of alcohol? Whatever the occasion, KUL MOCKS is breaking down the traditional drinking habits of consumers and keeping the party going.
From the 12oz sleek can to the high quality ingredients and spirit note infusions, the aim is to give consumers all the experience of having a ready-to-drink adult social cocktail—just without the alcohol.
Raving fans
Launching a brand during a pandemic meant we needed to adapt. We've engaged with consumers across the United States to spread the word about our zero proof cocktails through kulmocks.com, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
Cu
Business model
Multi-channel distribution
We work closely with wholesale beer, wine & spirits distributors to bring the KUL MOCKS experience to retail, hospitality, and beyond.
As a non-alcoholic beverage company, we have the advantage of selling direct-to-consumer (DTC) to anyone in the United States through Amazon and kulmocks.com.
We've invested in multi-channel distribution because of its many benefits, including:
- Improved customer perception
- Increased customer base
- Diversity risk
- Growing into untapped markets
- Greater control over our future
Market
Tapping into a $30B market
“The global market for non-alcoholic drinks is expected to grow to $30 billion by 2025," according to Global Market Insights. As the no- and low- alcohol category continues to thrive, market leaders in beer, wine and spirits are quite clear. With the RTD spot still up for grabs, we are on pace to fill that spot in the category as one of the first ready-to-drink 0.00% ABV craft mocktails on the market.
The moderation movement is picking up speed!
The 2021 IWSR report on the "nolo" category (nolo" meaning no- and low- alcohol) further supports our marketing efforts to appeal to both drinkers and non-drinkers, finding that: “68% of people consuming "nolo" beverages also drink full-strength alcoholic beverages on the same occasion.” What does this mean? We have tremendous market opportunity with people looking to moderate their alcohol intake (a.k.a. "mindful drinkers").
Here are some other important statistics to keep in mind:
- "Nolo" consumption is up in the US despite the pandemic, registering +30% increase in 2020. - IWSR
- “Dry January” movement is a sign that health and wellness trends are “gaining traction across the world." - Forbes
- The largest low/no-alcohol gain in the US will be ready-to-drink products, with a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of +38.8% by 2022. - IWSR
- Only 60% of U.S. adults drink alcoholic beverages, down from 65% in 2019. This puts current alcohol consumption on the low end of the range Gallup has recorded over the past two decades. - Gallup 2021
- Approximately 6 million women are pregnant in the US each year. – CDC
- Health-conscious Millennials are driving the mindful drinking movement, with 66% (44.7 million consumers!) making efforts to reduce their alcohol consumption. - Neilsen
Competition
Sipping and scanning what’s available? KUL MOCKS stands out as the obvious choice.
We are the only RTD 0.00% ABV mocktail that is infused with spirit notes, and contains a fraction of the calories and sugar found in traditional mocktails.
Traditional mocktails are loaded with sugar; not KUL MOCKS! We blend just a touch of real cane sugar with natural sweeteners made from stevia and monk fruit—which makes our craft mocktails 50 calories or less without sacrificing any taste. Uniquely created with health and wellness in mind, KUL MOCKS are gluten free, non-GMO, caffeine free and contain NOTHING artificial!
Vision and strategy
North American brand leader for RTD mocktails by 2023
Imagine heading to your local tavern, grocery/liquor store or showing up at the stadium to cheer on your favorite team. In just a couple of years, guess what... you'll continue to purchase and enjoy your favorite adult beverages. So what will change?
Our vision is to be the North American brand leader for RTD mocktails by 2023. That means regardless of the occasion, and whether you have to watch how much alcohol you drink or you're are skipping on booze completely, KUL MOCKS will be available as an adult social beverage for you to enjoy—anywhere, anytime!
We appreciate your time and consideration and invite you to join us. Invest in KUL MOCKS, and let’s help everyone feel a part of the social drinking experience.
We need working capital to achieve our goals
2021 goals
- Gain distribution in at least 10 states (Check!)
- Receive retail chain authorizations (Got some. Time to go get more!)
- Variety packs launching December 2021 (Check!)
- Begin development of 2 new SKUs (Check!)
2022 goals
- Increase margin!
- Buy printed cans
- Strategic sourcing
- Launch 2 new SKUs by the summer selling season
Long-term goals
- Become the North American flagship brand for ready-to-drink alcohol-free cocktails
- Gain interest from beverage industry conglomerate(s)
- Achieve a company buyout within 3–5 years
Leading with purpose
Our passion extends well beyond the beverages. As we continue to grow and get into the hands of more consumers across the country, we are committed to sharing our success to make a difference.
We're just getting started
We are proud to have been a GOLD SPONSOR of the Sober Mom Squad (SMS). SMS is a Squad of Moms who are exploring an alcohol free lifestyle, already sober, and everything in between!
SMS started during the 2020 pandemic. As a GOLD SPONSOR, we supported Group Coaching Sessions and provided Membership Scholarships to support women on their motherhood journey nationwide.
Anyone can be challenged to have a family, and approximately 1 in 8 couples are affected by infertility in the United States. We’re committed to doing our part. During 2021 National Infertility Awareness Week, we sold Mother’s Day Gift Packages. 7% of the net proceeds from Mother’s Day Gift Packages sold were donated directly to the non-profit organization RESOLVE, The National Infertility Association.
Beyond the beverages, our appetite for making the world a better place is strong—and that is what our KUL MOCKS Kares program is all about.
Funding
We conducted a family and friends capital raise back in February of 2020 to help get us through our first production run. Since then, co-founders Danielle and Nate Goss have been bootstrapping the business.
KUL MOCKS is now seeking working capital to achieve growth goals for 2022 and beyond.
Founders
The KUL MOCKS team has been busy. Nate and Danielle recently welcomed their second child into the family and have been working closely with their team on national brand expansion while mixing up new and delicious craft mocktails!