Sartaj Singh
Non-alcoholic versions of one’s favorite cocktails often seem to fall flat compared to the real deal, typically being too sweet or flavorless without any of the associated giddiness. Taking the stage for the season 16 premiere of ABC’s ‘Shark Tank,’ Megan Klein presented Little Saints, which offers a promising alternative to both intoxicating drinks and their pale imitations. Little Saints’ range of flavorful mocktails, packed with organic stress-relieving medicinal ingredients, seems to be revolutionizing the sober-curious and wellness markets.
Little Saints: Who Are They and What Do They Do?
All historical brands of alcohol have their elaborate production traditions and interesting histories of their founders, and so too does ‘Little Saints.’ A hard partier with a group of friends who took her to clubs on weekdays, Megan Klein attempted to curb her drinking habit by participating in Dry January 2021. The challenge was the latest in a long series of attempts to reduce her regular alcohol consumption, which had left her feeling increasingly terrible each subsequent morning. Yet, she could not imagine fully committing to sobriety or finding new friends.
After successfully completing Dry January for the first time that year, Klein decided to quit drinking completely and began trying out non-alcoholic drinks to maintain a similar lifestyle without the negative repercussions to her health. To her surprise, none of the drinks seemed to mimic the taste of the cocktails she loved, believably, let alone induce the change in mood that came with alcohol. It was then that she conducted her own research into this glaring market gap, looking to develop a drink with a similar taste and mood-enhancing effect as popular alcoholic beverages. Klein’s career experiences and affinity for mushrooms gave her some ideas.
Working as an attorney since her college days, Klein ditched the paperwork in favor of hydroponic farming when she became the president of FarmedHere in 2014, creating the largest vertical farm in the country at one point in time. In 2017, she founded Field + Farmer, creating succulent, non-GMO plant-based food that wouldn’t sacrifice taste or convenience on the altar of health and moral causes. When Klein’s drinking reached a high point during the COVID-19 Pandemic, she wondered if the same approach could be applied to liquor. Adaptogenic blends and medicinal mushrooms helped Klein improve her mental health, and she thought along similar lines for the drink’s secret ingredients.
Reishi, known for its calming qualities and used in traditional Chinese medicine, was the right mushroom for the job. CBD, a hemp-derived cannabinoid that reduces anxiety without intoxicating effects, became the second ingredient. To make the right blend and simulate the effects of alcohol, Klein hired a food scientist with a master’s degree specializing in adaptogens as well as a good friend who taught sacred plant medicine. In addition to reishi and CBD, the duo added botanical terpenes for an added sensory experience. Klein started Little Saints in May 2021, bootstrapping operations and serving their first batch of mocktails at Detroit’s Movement Music Festival. Finding success and a positive response from their customers, the team continued to experiment with and develop new flavors.
These included mocktails such as Negroni Spritz, Spicy Margarita, Paloma, Ginger Mule, Espresso Martini, and Spiced Old Fashioned. The blends replicate the rich flavor of their alcoholic counterparts with organic reishi mushrooms, aromatic terpenes, and no sugar. The drinks provide a mild happy high that relieves stress but does not intoxicate or have a psychedelic effect. This means that consumers can also drive home without worry after a night of drinking Little Saints’ beverages. Besides becoming an alternative to alcohol, the mocktails ironically also serve as a wonderful cocktail mixer and were marketed toward bartenders as well.
Little Saints: Where Are They Now?
Within a short few years, Little Saints has become a national non-alcoholic beverage brand that caters to customers through its e-commerce website and wholesale partners like retail stores, bars, cafes, and restaurants. At the time of writing, Little Saints has nearly 800 registered stores across the country that sell its mocktails. They are also expanding their product line with new flavors like the Spiced Old Fashioned, which launched in October 2024, creating a flavor reminiscent of sweet bourbon with notes of orange peel, fall spice, and cloves in addition to reishi mushroom and damiana. Little Saints has also launched the world’s first non-alcoholic spirit called St. Ember, which contains organic lion’s mane mushroom, known for multiple health benefits and stress relief.
For retail customers, the starting range of mocktail cans can be bought from their website in packs of 12, 24, and 36, with the cost of each can varying from $5 to $4.17, depending on the quantity. These include the Negroni Spritz, Spicy Margarita, Paloma, and Ginger Mule. For the same three quantity options, a can of Espresso Martini or Spiced Old Fashioned ranges from $7.25 to $5. Finally, St. Ember tops the price list at $49 per bottle, with the price decreasing by nearly $10 per bottle when purchasing four bottles. The website offers free shipping and further discounts upon subscription.
Megan Klein has been the company’s CEO since day one and continues to market the products personally with stalls at music festivals. Their distribution network continues to expand rapidly, and a major breakthrough came in July 2024, when Sprouts Farmers Market began stocking their mocktails in all 400 of their stores. As Little Saints successfully taps into the growing consumer demand for non-alcoholic alternatives, it is well-positioned to become a key player in the wellness beverage market, offering an increasing variety of unique, health-focused options.
Read More: Card.io App After Shark Tank: Latest Update on the Cardio Game
