Ghia is taking a step further into the nonalcoholic beverage space by launching Le Fizz, its first ready-to-drink aperitif in a 750mL bottle. This expands Ghia’s overall NA lineup of two large-format aperitif concentrates and a line of single-serve aperitifs known as Le Spritz. Le Fizz launches with a Strawberry & Orange Blossom flavor.
“Le Fizz is unique in that it doesn’t have a bitter flavor profile and it’s tannic thanks to the berry juices we use in the formula,” Ghia founder Melanie Masarin exclusively tells Forbes. “I found that the tannic aspects of wine were something I really missed when I gave up drinking, so being able to recreate that in a non-alcoholic formula was a fun feat.”
The beverage is fruity, gingery and very carbonated, almost like a soda. But the infused botanicals make it feel appropriately like an aperitif or a bubbly wine to be paired with food. “All of our formulations are unique in that they are made with pure juices and extracts, yet they stay really dry,” says Masarin.
Le Fizz complements Ghia’s roster by expanding its offerings without straying from its branding of cool sophistication. “It can appeal to a guy who smokes cigarettes and hangs out in Europe, and it can also appeal to a feminine wellness enthusiast,” says Brianda Gonzalez, Founder and CEO of The New Bar, a nonalcoholic beverage shop with locations in Los Angeles and San Francisco. “[Le Fizz] feels like something that you recognize as Ghia, but in a different format with some different flavor profiles.”
The addition of a large-format RTD allows Ghia, which launched in 2020, to compete more precisely in the wine alternative category. Although labeled an aperitif, the format of Le Fizz provides consumers an opportunity to stick with Ghia as their NA beverage brand of choice for an additional type of occasion. Most consumers mix Ghia’s original aperitifs with sparkling water, and its Le Spritz cans are convenient for travel. “You can absolutely still enjoy [Le Fizz] during aperitivo hour, but even just the look and format of it more maps to the occasion of sitting down at the table,” says Gonzalez. “I definitely think it expands their ability to reach new customers.”
According to a 2023 IWSR Drinks Market Analysis report, the global nonalcoholic adult beverage industry is worth over $13B, and growing. Gonzalez says sales at The New Bar are increasing about 300% year over year, and that Ghia is a top three seller in the ready-to-drink category.
Le Fizz is available online in packs of two ($40) or six ($108) as well as in select retailers. Ghia plans on releasing additional flavors, which would set them up to compete more with brands like Proxies, NON and Kally, which each have several varieties of large-format RTD sparkling wine alternatives.
“[Ghia] has found a way to make their products feel really accessible and easy to adopt for a lot of consumers,” says Gonzalez. As one of the most recognizable nonalcoholic adult beverage brands, Ghia asserts its dominance in the category with the release of Le Fizz.