Hudson Yards resident and entrepreneur Alessia Vettese reveals how training for a marathon inspired her to launch a zero-proof cocktail company.
For Alessia Vettese, it started with a goal to run her first marathon two years ago. Vettese was a social drinker, but with early morning long runs and the need for new energy reserves, she quickly found herself giving up after-work cocktails, mimosas at brunch and other alcoholic drinks altogether.
“Training for a marathon raised my consciousness of what I was putting in my body, how I was taking care of my body,” she recalls of what led her to abstain from alcohol.
But her temporary ban on alcohol didn’t mean she wanted to give up socializing with a cocktail in hand. Zero-proof cocktail (i.e. elevated non-alcoholic drink) options “were lacking,” she says. “It was either sparkling waters that weren’t sophisticated or complex, or they were too artificially sweet, like someone had poured too much sugar in them. I just thought, ‘Why isn’t there something that speaks to me, that I would want to consume?’”
Already in the startup space–Vettese earned her MBA at Harvard and had worked at fellow alumni startup Rent The Runway, as well as ThirdLove–she decided she would be the one to launch an alcohol-free cocktail that would appeal to a growing market of consumers cutting back on or eschewing alcohol.
With that, she launched Pari.
The first in a collection of cocktails to come, the Modern Mule from Pari, mimics the semi-sweetness of the popular Moscow Mule cocktail, using just three fresh ingredients of carbonated water, agave and natural flavors, including ginseng, ginger and citrus extracts.
The name Pari means “equal” in Italian and is a nod to Vettese’s Italian heritage and is a subtle recognition of the idea that whether drinking an alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverage, it should taste just as good and create a celebratory atmosphere.
Pari is now available at over 50 stores across in 13 states, with more expected soon. The rapid growth of the three-month-old brand aligns with the growth of the sober curious movement.
Studies continue to show that Gen Z drinks 20 percent less than Millennials, and Millennials were already drinking significantly less than their Gen X and Boomer counterparts.
Vettese points to Gen Z’s focus on both physical and mental health for the decline in drinking.
“While Millennials are revisiting their relationship with alcohol, Gen Z never drank it to begin with,” she says. “From the get-go, they have a greater awareness that alcohol isn’t good for you. They also have a greater emphasis on mental health, elevating that to the same level as physical health. And they know drinking alcohol can impact their sleep and anxiety.”
But Pari isn’t just for those abstaining completely. She says the drink has also been popular as a mixer and for those simply cutting down their alcohol intake.
“We say, ‘moderation is the aspiration,’” explains Vettese of how Pari can fit into a sober curious world.
Cheers to Sober October and beyond!
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