Sector: Food and drink, sales and retail, events and catering.
Principals: Jamie Gerus, Jeff Wright
Number of employees: Four
Unique selling proposition: Curated beverage experiences that allow all consumers to engage, whether or not they drink alcohol.
Target audience/market: Hosts, restaurants and organizations seeking premium non-alcoholic offerings for every occasion.
Website: fizzbottleshop.com
In the boutique-esque atmosphere of a Johnson Street storefront, bottles with sleek, paper-white labels and bold, colourful fonts against dark glass seem, at a glance, like a wine collection. However, each and every product is a thoughtfully curated non-alcoholic beverage (NA) in Fizz Non-Alc Bottle Shop.
A mutual love for hosting and search for beverages suiting their sober lifestyles brought together Jamie Gerus and fellow cofounder (and brother-in-law) Jeff Wright, whose marketing background is in alcohol-focused businesses such as Vancouver Island Brewing and Cascadia Liquor. When Fizz began, the NA industry was still developing. “I knew that there was a market. I knew that it was small, but it was definitely growing,” says Wright. “All of a sudden, this whole new world opened up to me. … I started learning more about it, and I realized, holy smokes, there is actually a legitimate product here that people can bring into their life.”
Gerus adds: “It’s overwhelming to be like, ‘I don’t know what a wine proxy is versus a wine alternative versus what is a functional spirit,’ so early on we knew that the educational component of it would be a cornerstone of the business.”
In-store consumer discussions evolved into NA menu and pairing consultations with cafés, bars and restaurants, then catering and programming that demonstrate how NA beverages support and enhance special occasions. “It’s not a boring, lesser product and experience,” says Wright. “We can help educate and show that, and then the HR department isn’t dreading the day after the Christmas party.”
Gerus says that they taste everything they bring in, but she notes that taste isn’t the only consideration when selecting products. “It has to satisfy. … When I drink it, do I feel good? When I see it on the shelves, is it beautifully presented? And when I’m having a dinner party, am I proud to have this on my table?”
With annual alcohol sales declining across the country, companies like Fizz are in a position to take advantage of the shifting beverage market. “Now you’re associating these cultural moments with these elevated non-alc products, and it’s creating this cultural association, which is new,” says Gerus. “We’re having a ton of fun in this space of being able to show up in ways that alcohol, historically, has not been able to get in the room.”
