How Non is changing the zero-alcohol wine-alternative game

Although the non-alcoholic beverage category has existed for some time, more sophisticated zero-alcohol offerings have only entered the mainstream in the past five years. 

One of these purveyors, Non, presented and served much like wine but did not mimic wine flavours. Instead, the Melbourne beverage company, which has launched nine labels, bears culinary flavours such as caramelised pear and kombu (No. 2, seasonal), stewed cherry and coffee with a sprinkle of garam masala (No. 7).

One of its latest seasonal releases, Non 8 delivers torched apple and oolong notes and is recommended to pair with poached lobster, creamy pasta and spicy Asian cuisine. 

In Singapore, Non can be found in fine-dining restaurants such as the two-Michelin-starred Thevar and more casual spots such as the event and food hall Southside Sentosa and Asian smokehouse Cherry and Oak. It is also retailed at the beverage store Temple Cellars. Over the past year, there has been growing demand for non-alcoholic beverage options from consumers and restaurants.

Non’s founder and CEO, Aaron Trotman, is becoming used to being a hype man not just for his brand but for the nascent, sober-curious industry at large. He sees it as a service for people like his wife, Miranda, who doesn’t drink (but may sometimes feel pressured to).

In fact, while adventuring into fine-dining around the world with Miranda in 2016, the serial entrepreneur noticed a need for a wine alternative. After tinkering in his Melbourne kitchen and testing the idea, Non was launched in 2019.   

Trotman took inspiration from his training in the cosmetics industry when creating Non. Following the approach of blending essential oils to create scents and fragrances, he started freestyling by literally cooking up his beverage blends using verjus as a base with fruit, spices and ingredients to create different flavour profiles. Kombucha wasn’t a consideration as he didn’t like its taste (“All I taste is kombucha,” he grumbled). 

Verjus, a high-acid juice made from pressed unripe grapes, was chosen because he knew he wanted something grape-based. The addition of salt balances the sweetness of fruit, much like what happens in a salted caramel. This process led him to his pillars of fruit, tannin, salt, and acid, which are the building blocks of each non-release that makes it to the market. 

He does not compromise on quality, from the verjus made from Chardonnay grapes in the Barossa to the best seasonal fruit and herbs, which reflects his vision for Non to be an aspirational product. 

In addition, to ensure that no one is excluded from this inclusive category, Non is also vegan, gluten-free, and halal. It uses green energy and carbon-neutral shipping because it is the right thing to do.

“We want to give people better ingredients and products, and in the process, we created a new category. It’s so unique that there’s no book in the library that you can refer to,” he muses. 

It’s been quite a journey for the serial entrepreneur Trotman, who started in 2019 with his first order of 36 bottles, to 36,000 cases today, representing almost half a million bottles. Along the way, he became a dad and was diagnosed with level 1 ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder).

“I’ve always been hyperactive and looked at the world differently, but didn’t know why until then,” he muses. It probably explains why terms like unconventional and rebellious have often been applied to him. 

Trotman also went from being a lone wolf to managing an ever-growing team of staff, including 10 new hires in the US ahead of its nationwide launch in the largest non-alcoholic one in the world earlier this year. 

Perhaps the most challenging aspect so far has been running out of money constantly during the manufacturing process, which requires a lot of cash flow. “Starting Non has been like jumping off a cliff and building the plane on the way down; I’m still building it and kinda have one wing now,” he reflects.