Victoria Watters

Co-Founder at Dry Atlas

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dryatlas.com

Articles

The Rise of Non-Alc Retail: Reinventing Drinking Culture, One Bottle at a Time

1 month ago | dryatlas.com | Victoria Watters

In New Orleans, a city known for its boozy traditions, an unexpected development is taking root: non-alcoholic bottle shops. The latest addition, Cali Sober Market, offers a curated selection of alcohol alternatives, both THC-infused and not. But while non-alc retail has seen rapid growth in the past five years, it also faces challenges‚ÄĒas any new category does. Certain early movers have even closed their doors.
Mockly: Bringing Bold Flavors to the Big Easy’s Non-Alc Scene

2 months ago | dryatlas.com | Victoria Watters

Partner Content: MocklyWith a mission to bring indulgent, non-alc options to one of the country’s most cocktail-obsessed cities, Aimée Sedky is shaking up New Orleans’s drinking culture with Mockly. Rooted in the city’s bold flavors and festive spirit, Mockly isn’t about imitation. It’s about creating vibrant mocktails that stand on their own.
The Future of Alcohol Alternatives: Innovation Over Imitation

2 months ago | dryatlas.com | Victoria Watters

The nascent alcohol alternatives category is evolving, moving beyond imitations of traditional alcoholic drinks toward more innovative creations. Two factors seem to drive this shift. First, in a rapidly expanding competitive set (we track nearly 100 non-alcoholic gins in our database, for example), new brands need to differentiate themselves. Second, as younger consumers step into their spending power, demand for alcohol dupes seem to be dropping.
A Non-Alcoholic Spirit Made from Wood? Here’s How

2 months ago | dryatlas.com | Victoria Watters

For centuries, barrel aging has been essential to developing the complex flavors of dark spirits like whiskey and rum. But what if wood itself could be the star of the show? That’s the idea behind Sylva, the latest venture from Ben Branson, visionary founder of Seedlip and Seasn. Sylva isn’t a replica of any alcoholic drink. Instead, it’s a new kind of non-alcoholic dark spirit built from wood and grain.
What Makes a Non-Alc Brand Successful with Heidi Dillon, CEO of Distill Ventures

Jan 29, 2025 | dryatlas.com | Victoria Watters

As the non-alc category continues to grow, few people have had a front-row seat to its evolution quite like Heidi Dillon, CEO of Distill Ventures. With a career that spans health-focused consumer brands and beverage industry innovation, she has helped shape how brands meet the modern consumer’s demand for balance, moderation, and quality. In this interview, Heidi shares how her experience in wellness-driven marketing informs her approach to helping build the next generation of beverage brands.
Tips on How to Build a Business from Heini Zachariassen, Founder of Vivino

Jan 15, 2025 | dryatlas.com | Victoria Watters

Heini Zachariassen launched Vivino in 2011 with one simple idea: help casual wine drinkers answer the question, “Is this wine good or not?” Just over one decade later, Vivino has grown into the world’s most downloaded wine app, boasting over 65 million downloads and a thriving community of users.
Diving into Sylva with Visionary Non-Alc Entrepreneur Ben Branson

Jan 8, 2025 | dryatlas.com | Victoria Watters

We sat down with Ben Branson, the founder of Seedlip, Season, and now Sylva, a novel non-alcoholic spirit brand that’s reimagining non-alc dark spirits. Branson shares his insights on why the future of non-alc lies in innovation, not imitation, and explains Sylva’s unique focus on sippable products to be enjoyed neat.
AI in the Non-Alc Consumer Experience

Jan 1, 2025 | dryatlas.com | Victoria Watters

Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming a tool for innovation in the non-alcoholic beverage space, offering brands opportunities to engage consumers in novel ways. Several have dabbled in AI-driven tools like recipe generators, enabling consumers to create personalized non-alc cocktails. While these tools showcase the potential of AI, their long-term impact on consumer engagement remains unclear. Are these efforts providing meaningful value, or are they more of a passing fad?
Exploring the Evolving Non-Alcoholic Beverage Industry with John Craven

Jan 1, 2025 | dryatlas.com | Victoria Watters

The broader non-alcoholic beverage industry is evolving rapidly, and few have observed its trajectory as closely as John Craven, Founder and CEO of BevNET. In this interview, Craven reflects on BevNET’s early days, the rise of direct-to-consumer models, and how the retail landscape has shifted from convenience stores to grocery-first strategies.
AI in the Non-Alc Space

Dec 4, 2024 | dryatlas.com | Victoria Watters

Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming a tool for innovation in the non-alcoholic beverage space, offering brands opportunities to engage consumers in creative ways. Several have dabbled in AI-driven tools like recipe generators, enabling consumers to create personalized non-alc cocktails. While these tools showcase the potential of AI, their long-term impact on consumer engagement remains unclear. Are these efforts providing meaningful value, or are they more of a passing fad?