How Katy Perry’s Nonalcoholic Cocktail Brand Conquered a ‘Sober Curious’ Market

(Photos: De Soi)

Celebrities and booze brands. It’s a combination as tried and true as peanut butter and jelly. The trend, which emerged in the early 2000s before dialing into overdrive in 2017, has dominated nearly a decade of liquor sales in the United States, reshaping how and why we drink along the way.

But the market became oversaturated. And preferences changed. Though A-listers are still coming out with alcohol ventures at a breakneck pace, their products have slowly grown out of line with what consumers are gravitating towards on shelves. Drinkers, particularly in younger generations, are demanding healthier options; they’re looking for the buzz minus the bad, a new kind of branding that speaks to an emergent wellness attitude proliferating food brands, drinks and podcasts of the day.

Alcohol — one of the most notoriously unhealthy staples in our diet — was bound to get a shakeup.

At the onset of 2022, pop star Katy Perry became an early adopter of a new direction, now variously known as functional, alternative or nonalcoholic beverages. Her brand, De Soi (pronounced doh-swah, “like the French word for ‘composed'”), embodies just about every up-and-coming craze that’s projected to dominate the market in years to come. It’s a ready-to-drink cocktail and adaptogenic elixir wrapped into one, a bubbly, eye-grabbing package with an ethos of sustainability and healthier living to boot. If you were to distill a grab bag of everything hip and happening, then remove the alcohol, it’d probably look something like De Soi.

We sat down with CEO Scout Brisson for an inside look at the process.

A recent addition to the Forbes 30 under 30 list, Brisson has steered De Soi through over $13 million in funding and major deals at the likes of Target, Total Wine and Publix. Even with a celebrity face to back up the brand, she says it’s been an uphill battle. There is no blueprint for this kind of product; no recipe to piggyback off of, startingly few distribution channels nor an established strategy to court consumers. According to Brisson, a new perspective and a willingness to listen are what can make or break the business.

“I am the customer. My friends are the customers. I don’t have to work that hard to understand our audience,” Brisson told us. “When you have someone with 20-plus experience building spirits brands, they’re going to apply a playbook that they’ve seen work in existing categories. But that’s just not going to work here.”

Designing De Soi

In hindsight, it’s impossible to separate the rise of nonalcoholic alternatives from the aftershocks of COVID-19. As restaurants, bars and clubs shuttered their doors the world over, the liquor industry braced for a downturn the likes of which hadn’t been seen since Prohibition. Alas, consumers in the 1920s didn’t have the option to order online from their local moonshiner. The months and years after lockdown orders took effect unexpectedly proved one of the most lucrative eras in alcohol history. Bourbon and wine collectors built out their shelves, buyers traded up for premium options and social media fueled interest in colorful, home mixologist-friendly cocktails.

The bar reconfigured itself within the comforts of our living room. For some, that ease of access began feeling a little too comfortable. Brisson says her “a-ha” moment came after she reimagined her nightly glass of Sauvignon Blanc minus the negative effects.

“I think being isolated really affected people’s mental health,” Brisson said. “We all wanted comfort — we were eating things that felt comforting, drinking things that felt comforting. Then we got out of that, and suddenly, ‘Oh, I want to travel, I want to go back to workout classes.’ There was this renewed focus on holistic wellness. A resurgence of socializing where alcohol is often that common ground, but with a twist, where people were seeking healthier alternatives. It laid the perfect groundwork for nonalcoholic options.”

Following a management and consulting stint at McKinsey and the founding of an adaptogenic snacks brand (more on that later), Brisson’s career path led her to Katy Perry and Morgan McLachlan. The former, a Grammy Award-winning pop star who requires no introduction; the latter, a master distiller who has helmed vodka, gin and nonalc spirits for premium botanics venture, AMASS. The unlikely duo was putting together a product that sought to answer all those existential COVID-era questions about moderation and sobriety.

By January 2022, that product had hit shelves with Brisson as its CEO.

At the time, nonalcoholic beer was the biggest mover and shaker in the category. Established names like Guinness and Sam Adams cashed in on the hype early in a way that spirits brands still haven’t quite managed to figure out. The bitter, hoppy profile of ale proved a natural fit for zero-proof renditions, doubly so since its inspiration already came at a low alcohol content. Zero-proof spirits faced tough hurdles. It is no easy feat to imitate a silky mouthfeel, a scorching throat burn and, in some cases, the nuanced flavors of barrel aging. Anyone who’s ever tasted a nonalcoholic spirit can attest that these characteristics get lost in translation more often than not.

De Soi aimed to find a middle ground. Browsing the brand’s catalog, you’ll find that all its offerings take not-so-subtle nods from established favorites. The Spritz Italiano is a pointed riff on the Aperol Spritz, the Purple Lune a recreation of a tart, dark fruit-forward red wine. The Haute Margarita… explanation not necessary.

Brisson says that the approach is crucial for courting different kinds of consumers, especially those who have grown to expect one-note offerings from the fast-growing, though admittedly uneven, nonalcoholic category.

“All of our products are made with botanical extracts, fruit juices, teas and vinegars. It’s really about creating that layered experience; we talk about having a nose, a midpalate and a finish journey. I describe it as the craft cocktail experience.” 

Brisson — like many in the burgeoning liquor alternative market — is quick to clarify that she isn’t anti-booze. Rather, she says it’s about finding a “healthier balance” and understanding the options. A tricky task in an industry rife with misconceptions. At some point in their lives, everyone has heard a twist on how red wine is good for heart health, or maybe that tequila is the only liquor that acts as a stimulant. As a spirits writer with a boundless love for agave, it breaks my heart to remember that both are woefully untrue.

This is where the not-so-quiet advantage of nonalc beverages begins to take shape. In a culture dominated by wellness podcasts and protein maxing, drinks like De Soi can proudly advertise themselves as a healthy option, plus the perks.

In this case, Brisson is talking about adaptogens. Though the exact definition of that word can vary quite a bit depending on who you ask, De Soi’s take on the concept includes a combo of lion’s mane, L-theanine and reishi mushroom in every can. From a branding standpoint, think of it like CBD with a holistic, all-encompassing tilt. Lion’s mane — a species of tooth fungi that resembles an opaque bundle of beard hair — is said to soothe stress. Reishi mushroom purportedly boasts brain boosting qualities, and L-theanine (derived from green tea) promotes relaxation. Aided in no small part by the zero-proof movement, these ingredients have exploded onto the scene over the past few years, finding their way into myriad drinks, butters, vitamin pills and chocolates.

Whatever their substance, these products are usually billed for their “functional” properties. It’s a vague term, no doubt, but one that Brisson believes has already staked itself as a force to be reckoned with.

“Functional beverage — what does that really mean? When people look at a beverage, they’re looking for an additional layer now. And I think that’s why we’re seeing Poppi and Olipop being as massive as they are. Not only do you want a ‘better for you’ option, but you want something that goes above and beyond… with adaptogens, they’re giving calm, relaxation and focus,” she said. “I’d say it’s still on the earlier end of adoption. But awareness is growing fast.” 

Brisson says California, Illinois and Texas have emerged as some of De Soi’s hottest markets. Placed right alongside its alcoholic counterparts at major retail chains like Total Wine, the brand benefits from a degree of cross-shoppability that makes it easy to pick up a case for the first time. Its packaging leans bright and approachable, bustling with pastel hues and a minimalist, Gen Z-inflected font.

As with any nonalcoholic beverage, however, there’s still a good deal of education left to be done. Add to that a difference in regional tastes. Imagining the stereotypical New York City drinker, holding a martini in one hand and a dangling cigarette in the other, it feels like there might be a slight disconnect with De Soi’s abundantly fun and colorful persona.

It’s a challenge that Brisson is approaching head-on. Arguably the most talked about divide within this market is that of the sober consumer versus the “sober curious” consumer, typically used to denote younger drinkers who dabble back and forth between abstinence. This mentality appears to be the biggest driver of the current zero-proof boom, especially as rallying cries like Dry January and Sober October gain momentum.

Brisson argues that the dichotomy has slowly been retired for good reason. In its finer details, she says, De Soi doesn’t have to choose any one approach.

“Sober-curious. It’s a phrase I don’t hear people talk about as much these days,” Brisson said. “We started from a place where sobriety signified something that maybe you didn’t want it to signify. Not drinking felt very taboo, as if, ‘I have a problem.’ I think that’s something that existed. De Soi plays an important role for people who are completely sober, or people who are alcoholics.”

Throughout our conversation, the De Soi CEO kept coming back to this idea of moderation with an asterisk. If I were in her position, I’d probably feel much the same. These days, trends are about as fickle as an endless scroll of TikToks, with new flavors, attitudes and products popularized on a day-by-day basis. Perhaps the only way to cut through the noise is to adopt a simple mission statement and go with the flow.

“We’re speaking to everyone — whether they don’t drink at all, or they’re trying to pull back,” Brisson said. “That’s the position that I find myself in. It’s just about being more selective and intentional.”