With the arrival of his first child, Avnish Babla knew he wanted to transition to a healthier lifestyle—but he found that difficult to do in London’s booze-fueled banking industry. So, after 14 years in finance, he decided to make the leap and create a non-alcoholic cocktail brand: the Savyll Beverage Company. In this Q+A, Avnish discusses the challenges of crafting non-alcoholic cocktails that don’t compromise on flavor or complexity. He also reflects on the rewarding moments of seeing Savyll gain momentum in the UK and US, and dives into his brand’s commitment to inclusivity.
What inspired you to start Savyll, and how did the arrival of your first child play a role in this journey?
It all started as a curiosity. My wife and I moved to London from Canada 10 years ago. We noticed the drinking culture in the UK was very different from that in North America. In North America, drinking is more or less reserved for the weekends, whereas in the UK it’s all day, every day. It’s not uncommon to find people enjoying a pint at the pub at 11 AM on a Monday morning.
We enjoyed our new vibrant social lives in London for a number of years, but the desire to start a family prompted a change. We decided to live healthier lifestyles, which included cutting out alcohol. Aging, working longer hours, and the fear that I wouldn’t physically be able to handle the demands of a newborn child were also factors that influenced my decision to cut out alcohol.
My wife had an easy time cutting out alcohol, but I found it very challenging, particularly since I worked in the fast-paced banking industry in London. Everything we did seemed to end up at the pub: team events, client meetings—even playing sports a couple times a week ended up with rounds of beers. Back then, there weren’t many great options on the scene. Brands from Diageo were just emerging, but they weren’t flavors I enjoyed.
As a self-proclaimed “dinner-party” mixologist, I loved creating new cocktails for friends and family whenever they came over. This passion turned into a curiosity to see if I could recreate the cocktails I loved without the alcohol. I experimented in my kitchen with hundreds of different ingredients from around the world. After 12 months of trial and error (and feeding dozens of samples to my supportive, pregnant wife) I created an array of incredibly delicious non-alcoholic cocktails. The Savyll brand took shape shortly thereafter. I left my stable, well-paying job in late 2019 and officially launched Savyll in January 2020. For obvious reasons it was not the best time to start a business, but we’re still here, standing strong.
Can you share the story behind the name “Savyll” and what it represents for your brand?
The name Savyll is derived from the phrase “Savored By All”. It’s our reminder and commitment to always remain an inclusive brand for all.
We believe drinks have the power to bring people together, but they don’t need to contain alcohol to do so. Our motto is “Celebrate Different.” This means we celebrate diverse tastes. We celebrate diverse cultures. We celebrate the occasions where we can all be one, together. No matter who you are. Where you’re from. Or what you choose to drink.
We want everyone to be able to enjoy the complex flavors of popular cocktails whether you choose to drink alcohol or not.
Can you describe the process of selecting all-natural ingredients for your drinks and why this was important to you?
Mocktails have been around for a number of years. They tend to have the connotation of being bright, bold, and overly-sweetened drinks that are aimed at younger audiences.
We don’t use the word “mocktails” at Savyll. From the onset we positioned Savyll as a premium, non-alcoholic cocktail brand; it’s a distinction that significantly influenced the brand’s quality and aesthetics.
My year of personal experimentation taught me that it is incredibly difficult to recreate authentic cocktail flavor profiles without alcohol and sugar. Alcohol and sugar tend to mask the impurities of low-quality, cost-effective ingredients.
In order to allow the subtle flavors of fruits, herbs, and spices to come through in our drinks, we use some of the highest-quality natural ingredients available from bespoke flavor houses across Europe. We also use just a touch of cane sugar and natural juices to recreate complex and dry cocktail profiles. It was important for us to avoid artificial sweeteners and artificial preservatives so we can maintain the full, natural flavor profiles of our drinks.
What makes Savyll’s cocktails stand out in terms of flavor and complexity compared to other non-alcoholic options on the market?
We believe Savyll non-alcoholic cocktails are arguably the closest recreation to their traditional alcoholic counterparts available. Alcoholic cocktails have many nuanced flavors that we aim to reproduce in our drinks.
We integrate up to 12 complex and layered ingredients to add depth and create an evolution of taste in every sip, from the sharp citrus bite on the tip of the tongue, to the explosion of rich fruit flavor on the palate, through to the warmth that follows on the back of the throat. All stages are carefully considered and uniquely balanced for each of our drinks.
What were the key challenges you faced in creating non-alcoholic drinks that weren’t overly sweetened or artificially flavored?
Using natural ingredients to enhance flavors without resorting to artificial flavors and sweeteners can be a challenge. Natural flavors can be subtle and volatile. They may not take too kindly to carbonation or pasteurization. Finding the right combination to create a distinct taste without relying on synthetic additives is a delicate process that takes years to refine.
In addition, alcohol often contributes to the body and mouthfeel of a beverage. Replicating the mouthfeel without using alcohol can be difficult. The absence of alcohol may lead to thinner or less satisfying textures, which need to be compensated for without relying on excessive sugar. We use a small amount of vegetable glycerin to improve the texture of our drinks and allow the flavors to remain on the palate longer.
How do you ensure that Savyll’s beverages maintain a balance between health-consciousness and indulgence?
It’s a tall order. Consumers who cut back on alcohol also tend to want to cut back on other less desirable ingredients, such as sugar and artificial additives. We need to strike a balance between a healthy refreshing seltzer and a satisfying adult soft drink while delivering the complexity of an alcoholic cocktail.
Being a small company, we were able to adapt our recipes quite easily. In the early days, we quickly identified our core customers, and we listened attentively to their feedback. Flavor was a top priority, followed by sugar content. We slowly adjusted the sugar levels while maintaining or improving the depth of flavor.
Our drinks are a favorite among the wellness community in the UK, including recent brand collaborations with Sweaty Betty and Superhuman.
What feedback have you received from consumers, especially those seeking non-alcoholic alternatives, and how has it influenced your brand’s evolution?
“I’ve tried just about every non-alcoholic drink out there and these are in a different league. By far the best I’ve ever had”.
“I can’t drink for religious reasons but I’ve always been tempted when I’m out with friends. These drinks are a lifesaver. They’re so good. I take them everywhere”
Comments like these are what keep us going. Not only do we strive to be the best tasting non-alcoholic cocktail on the market, we also want to offer something different to those who have often been overlooked by drinks brands—those from religious or cultural backgrounds that prohibit the consumption of alcohol.
We work closely with catering groups, event planners, and operations managers to ensure that guests from all backgrounds can enjoy proper drinks at celebratory occasions, not just juice and soda. We’re a brand that’s born in the melting-pot of London. We’re truly made for everyone.
As a founder, what have been some of the most rewarding moments in Savyll’s journey so far?
Having worked in the banking industry for 14 years prior to launching Savyll, I had never created a physical or tangible consumer product before.
As someone who’s not from the drinks industry, some of the most rewarding moments of starting a CPG brand were simply seeing Savyll physically on the shelves of our local supermarket. Hearing my four-year-old daughter yell out: “those are Daddy’s drinks!” whenever she spots them in the wild. Having friends send me pictures of themselves enjoying our cocktails at random weddings. It’s validation that what we’re doing is trending, is in demand, and is making a difference in people’s lives.
Listing Savyll in Mariano’s in Illinois and being featured on ABC News only two months after our US launch this past summer were also surreal highlights.
Can you share any insights into new flavors or products that fans of Savyll can look forward to in the near future?
We’ve been working on a few things in the background. You’ll have to wait until Summer 2024 to see what we’ve been up to…
Finally, what is your vision for the future of the non-alcoholic beverage industry, and where does Savyll fit within that vision?
We’re still in the early days of the non-alcoholic movement, but it’s here to stay. The largest demographic of non-drinkers, those 18 – 24, have yet to enter the workforce and spend their disposable income on indulgent nights out with friends. The big wave has yet to come.
In terms of product development and category growth, there has been a lot of experimentation with different, unique flavor profiles over the past few years, but we believe that growth in the category will come from brands that focus on delivering familiarity of taste and offering convenience of serve.
The closer non-alcoholic beers, wines, and cocktails taste like the real deal, the more we’ll see mainstream consumers switching over to the category. There will still be a market for niche, discerning flavor profiles, but we believe a majority of the category volume will be driven by brands like Savyll that provide consumers with non-alcoholic beverages based on accurate recreations of the alcoholic drinks consumers already know and love.
2023 has also been the year of the ready-to-drinks. RTDs offer a quick, convenient, and consistent way for consumers to enjoy non-alcoholic drinks. We’ve seen a dramatic increase in non-alc RTD sales across DTC and retail channels over the past twelve months. In the UK, Savyll is the leading non-alcoholic cocktail brand in the food services sector.
Going into 2024, we’re starting to fulfill demand for non-alc RTDs within the US food services industry (hotels, golf clubs, stadiums, resorts, cruise lines, etc.). We also envision many bars and restaurants will soon swap out expensive non-alcoholic spirits in favor of premium yet convenient non-alcoholic RTDs.
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