How Brooks & Chie Addington Built a Non-Alc Mainstream Brand

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📢I talk🎙️with Chie, Chief Administrative Officer & Brooks Addington CEO of TOST. 👏🍷 🎇 🎉 ✨ 👏 🥂 😁 YouTube: https://youtu.be/0zelyx78hH8
The word is out! Check out their PRESS page of everyone saying so!
As an ending to "Sober October" we have a wonderful couple on to talk about the brand they are managing now called TOST (pronounced TOAST) and in PROST or cheers in other languages.
This dynamic duo from Hiroshima, Osaka andTokyo, Japan and Chicago have a great perspective and experience that they each brought to the brand building of a popular non-alc bubbles alternative.
Conversations started as early as 2014 and since 2016, they have building this TOST brand from a plethora of cultural experiences living all around the world from Tokyo, London, Toronto and now Vermont.
ALthough they are not the founders, they have been majority owners and running it since 2017 back when there was not a plethora of premium non-alc options. And our culture was to eliminate going out period if you weren't drinking.
This brand has gone through at least 50 iterations since 2016 which was their soft launch. They quickly got distribution in 50 stores and asked Brooks to help from there.
TOAST fully launched in April 2017 and the why stems from the classic saying There's a problem, so how do we solve it?" question. They wanted to create a beverage that could be widely liked and great with or without food.
100% sourced and made in the USA and has a 2 year shelf life
This is a High-Quality brand!!!
Tasting:
TOST Original
A blend of white tea, white cranberry (mouthfeel stringency), some extracts: ginger, citrus plus a secret blend of 80-90 spices and flavors in it! Great acidity as my mouth produced a great amount of saliva. Sweetness with agave.
Good nose, mouth feel and relatively dry finish
Pairings with anything!
Rose
Dryer than the original and has elderberry vs cranberry. A bit less acidic and is softer with a longer finish. Sweetened with cane sugar.
I like them both for their different styles and they can be enjoyed for different occasions.
Product Offering:
Comes in Slim Cans - Limited to Arenas, Resorts, Pool Side, Cruise Lines
4pk Mini 250ML bottles $13.99
750ml Bottles $8.99 - $9.99 may be at $12.99
DSD wasn't interested. But the Athletic Brewing team helped make it more mainstream as they grew over the years. So, this widespread acceptance has evolved their distribution network.
They started with specialty grocery, mom and pop stores, and independents that gave early trial through 2020. Once we demoed it really took off.
Off-Premise
Now we are in Walmart, Albertsons, Total Wine, ABC, Bev MO, HEB, Sprouts, Fresh Ma

NOW ON YOUTUBE!!! Thank you for Listening! Join us on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter!
Host Jessie Ott's Profile on LinkedIn

Chapter

1. How Brooks & Chie Addington Built a Non-Alc Mainstream Brand (00:00:00)

2. Welcome (00:00:29)

3. Where are you calling in from today? (00:01:26)

4. Chie, where in Japan are you from? (00:09:04)

5. How did this project come about? (00:17:11)

6. Have you made any changes sience 2017? (00:23:24)

7. Is it made here in the US? (00:24:30)

8. What is the shelf life? (00:24:38)

9. Tasting (00:25:48)

10. What do these retail for? (00:26:11)

11. Do you want to talk us through the ingreidents? (00:27:06)

12. What kind of parrings do you recomend with this? (00:28:18)

13. What other sizes does it come in? (00:30:44)

14. What do the 750's retail for? (00:33:18)

15. Second Tasting (00:33:50)

16. What was it like trying to sell in 2017 compartively to now? (00:37:24)

17. Any sales trends post pandemic? (00:57:12)

18. How did you get into the industry? (00:59:34)

19. Mentors (01:02:25)

20. Resources (01:05:46)

21. Pain Points (01:09:56)

22. Have you thought about doing kegs? (01:12:25)

23. Out look on 2024 (01:13:21)

24. Passoins outside of work (01:19:56)