BusinessBerlin · Europe
nüchtern Non-Alcoholic Drink Sticks: Where to Buy, Prices and Reviews After German TV Pitch
Founder Isabella Steiner offers 12 percent of her Berlin company on Monday in the season finale of VOX's "Die Höhle der Löwen." The drinks come as a concentrate in a 12-milliliter pouch and are mixed with tonic.
By MarcelUpdated:
Automatically translated from German · may contain errors · Read the original
The Berlin-based start-up nüchtern will present its non-alcoholic drinks on Monday, October 26, on the German VOX founders' show "Die Höhle der Löwen" (Germany's version of "Shark Tank"). According to the magazine Gruenderfreunde.de, founder Isabella Steiner appears in the finale of the show's 20th season and is offering investors a 12 percent stake in the company for 300,000 euros (about $336,000).
The show is the German edition of an international TV format in which founders pitch their business ideas to investors. Dagmar Wöhrl, Judith Williams, Ralf Dümmel, Frank Thelen and Andreas W. Herb will decide on a possible deal.
Concentrate in a single-serving pouch
Steiner has spent years exploring how to enjoy a drink without alcohol. Drawing on her own experience and the question "What do I drink when I'm not drinking?", she first launched an online shop for non-alcoholic beverages in 2020.
Under the nüchtern brand, Steiner is now developing highly concentrated non-alcoholic drinks in liquid single servings. A pouch containing twelve milliliters of concentrate is torn open, poured into a glass and topped up with tonic or water. According to the company, the concept is light, space-saving and has a long shelf life. The brand is operated by Null Prozent Ventures UG of Berlin.
For the investors, it is not only the taste that will spark discussion. They are also likely to debate how non-alcoholic enjoyment should look and feel. According to Steiner, she does not simply want to offer an alternative, but to establish a new way of drinking.
Six flavors in the online shop
The first drink was a non-alcoholic Italian Spritz. The company's online shop now also carries Pink, Yuzu, Sun and Hugo Spritz, as well as a juniper base that, according to the manufacturer, contains no sugar and no calories.
A pack of ten pouches costs 14.90 euros (about $17), or 1.49 euros (about $1.67) per drink, according to the manufacturer's website. Shipping is free for orders of three packs or more, and the company gives delivery times of three to four business days.
To coincide with the broadcast, the German shop is advertising discounts of up to 40 percent. As of October 24, three packs of Italian Spritz with 30 drinks cost 34.90 euros instead of 44.70 euros (about $50). A Spritz set with 40 drinks is offered for 39.90 euros instead of 59.60 euros (about $67), and a sampler set with 60 drinks in all flavors for 54.90 euros (about $61).
Reviews: praise and criticism from buyers
In Germany, the drinks are also sold through Amazon. In customer reviews there, several buyers praise the bitter-fruity taste and the packaging, which they say is easy to take along. One customer calls the price fair, while another writes that the Italian Spritz comes surprisingly close to the original.
There is also criticism. One buyer gave one out of five stars: to get a taste and color similar to an Aperol Spritz, she said, you need two pouches per drink, and then it gets expensive. Another customer complained: "1 portion for 200 ml with ice is too little and tastes watery."