A Toast to Alcohol-Alternatives: Apothékary Enters Ulta Beauty
Wellness brand Apothékary has been crowned Ulta’s first sober-curious product, as alcohol alternatives continue to take center stage
Apothékary, a female-founded health and wellness brand backed by Solidcore founder Anne Mahlum and Bonobos founder Andy Dunn, is rounding out 2024 with a strategic investment from Japanese beauty giant Shiseido and has entered Ulta.com as the beauty retailer’s first alcohol alternative product.
The health and wellness brand says it plans to grow this year by 40% with a revenue goal of $30 million.
“Ulta Beauty’s partnership with Apothékary speaks to the larger convergence of beauty and wellness that’s happening right now in our industry,” Apothékary founder and CEO Shizu Okusa said. “For centuries, my Japanese ancestors have used ancient wellness practices to de-stress and enhance beauty from the inside out. Bringing our products into a major retailer like Ulta Beauty confirms there is more to beauty than topicals, and tinctures should be a part of our everyday self-care routines.”
Six tinctures are now available for purchase on Ulta.com’s Wellness Shop and app: Wine Down, Take the Edge Off, Rosé-Tinted Glasses, The Honest Youth, Blue Burn and Never Been Bitter.
Each product is crafted with a specific intention — Take the Edge Off serves as a non-alcoholic white wine alternative, featuring nervine herbs to ease stress, while Rosé-Tinted Glasses is rosé-inspired and formulated with herbal ingredients like Lion’s Mane, rosehip, and Siberian ginseng to enhance mood and improve mental clarity.
Lisa Tamburello, Ulta’s vice president of merchandising, says the plant-based tinctures are a unique addition to The Wellness Shop.
“We foresee that our guests will love how these products make self-care feel both simple and meaningful,” Tamburello said.
The deal with the beauty retailer follows Apothékary’s collaborations with Disney and Marvel, as well as its launch in 400 Sprouts Farmers Market stores.
Mahlum, who sold Pilates-inspired fitness brand Solidcore last year and has since co-launched A. Jaybird, a fitness and wellness advisory firm alongside wellness real estate pro Jay Siano, told Athletech News earlier this year that she is bullish on the longevity space and predicts a pivot towards sober lifestyles in the name of health and wellness.
“The mocktail industry is going to continue to become more robust,” Mahlum said in an exclusive interview in April. “People are really waking up — especially for those folks who work out — about how much alcohol is undoing all of the progress that they’re trying to make with the food that they eat and the work that they’re putting in the gym. I think I got into Apothékary at a great time, and I think they will continue to skyrocket over the next several years.”
Sober Challenges Are Changing the Conversation
Apothékary’s Ulta debut comes right ahead of Dry January – a term coined for a month-long challenge to avoiding the consumption of alcohol. The bigger picture, however, could prove even more fruitful for the health and wellness brand, especially among Gen Z consumers.
One recent study supported by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) examined participation in temporary alcohol abstinence challenges (such as Dry January or Sober October) and the sober curious movement among those aged 18–29 in the United States. Researchers found that half of the participants reported drinking less after the month-long challenges, with 15% stating they continued to abstain from alcohol after the challenge ended.
Athletic Brewing, a popular non-alcoholic beer brand, also scored a major win this year, having completed a $50 million equity financing round led by General Atlantic to expand its West Coast brewing capacity to meet consumer demand.
“We are passionate about transforming the way modern adults drink and converting critics into believers,” Athletic Brewing co-founder and CEO Bill Shufelt said. “We’re at the start of a long-term trend, and we couldn’t be more excited to have General Atlantic by our side as Athletic begins its next phase of growth.”
