TEMPLE, Texas — Since COVID-19 led to shelter in place orders, alcohol sales have skyrocketed. But there's an emerging market of non-alcoholic beverages focused on better wellness.
In this week's Your Best Life, 6 News Anchor Leslie Draffin chats with the co-founder of Kin Euphorics, the first-ever functional and nourishing alternative to alcohol that boosts mood and reduces stress while it keeps people social.
"There's so many drinking occasions because so many of our social rituals are centered around that one ingredient. And so, Kin really exists to give you an option across the board on all of those opportunities to connect, so that you can actually do so consciously," Jennifer Batchelor said.
Jennifer Batchelor is the CEO and Co-founder of Kin Euphorics, a new non-alcoholic beverage category that uses herbs from eastern medicine to balance hormones and neurotransmitters which can regulate your mood.
"Kin Euphorics is a first of its kind, evolution, I should say, of the adult beverage as we know it," Batchelor said.
According to Batchelor, alcohol only makes you feel one type of way, and if you drink too much you'll likely regret it in the morning. She wanted to feel good, without sacrificing a good time. That's when Kin Euphorics was born.
"What can I turn to because I still want to drink at the end of the night, but I want to be able to preserve my energy. I want to be able to feel great. And so that's how people are getting the benefit of this," Batchelor said. "It's tasty and it just helps you feel good and have you know moments that you can actually remember and not regret. We're not like an alternative to vodka, an alternative to gin, an alternative to rum, all of those things exist and they have their rightful place, but for us what we're trying to do is spark a new energy, a new ritual around winding down at night."
Kin Euphorics is a big player in the sober curious movement on social media. Their page is beautiful and their drinks are too. Batchelor said they have three different options, designed to help you feel relaxed but also alert.
"You know there are certain things that you drink when you're trying to numb things and quiet the mind, and there are certain things that you drink when you're not drinking. And this is truly something that you drink when you want to heal when you want to rise up. You want to energize. It's actually just bringing you back to yourself that’s what we mean by choosing your mood. Most of us want to feel focused and energized so we use ingredients that are intended to support that," Batchelor said.
With over a million drinks sold, Batchelor's mission is to build a conscious connection while she helps people live their best lives, booze-free.
"So often we actually call Kin like ‘Brain Candy’ for adults, because it's something that you can sort of enjoy with this reckless abandon, not worrying about transforming into someone else after four or five drinks. You actually walk away in the morning feeling like, ‘Oh my god I feel amazing right now.' And that's all we hope for. We just, we want to be additive to, we never want to create something that's taking away your ability to just live how you want to live," Batchelor said.
You can buy Kin Euphorics online. They're already in stores and bars across the Dallas metro area. Batchelor said they'll be coming to Austin soon.