The founder story: Why do you make an alcohol-free alternative to gin?

The crazy idea without liquor

“How did you come up with the idea of ​​developing an alcohol-free alternative to gin?” This is probably the most common question we get asked and we'll answer it for you. We like to call it the schnapps idea without the schnapps, because the idea came about in a bar. Our founder Stella was sitting with friends in a Berlin bar one evening and didn't want to drink alcohol. The alternatives were too sweet and boring for her with soda, non-alcoholic juice cocktails and water. "I just want a Gin & Tonic without alcohol" she exclaimed, but there was no such thing. The idea couldn't let her go and she started distilling in her own kitchen.

Experiment in your own kitchen

Countless experiments later showed that it is not that easy to develop an alcohol-free alternative to gin. The conventional processes did not produce the desired result and the whole thing had little to do with gin. It was clear to Stella: she needed further support and a new process was needed!

Fortunately, she met Christian and was able to convince him to join Laori. As a qualified food technologist, he has the know-how to develop something really tasty together. Their goal was clear: a drink that tasted just as good as gin. Therefore, they have rethought the process of production and developed an innovative process.

Traditional perfume distillation meets food tech

Stella and Christian rely on years of experience in traditional perfume distillation from France. Seven different herbs and spices are grown in Provence in France, processed fresh and individually steam distilled without alcohol. Thanks to the particularly gentle processing, the full aroma can be extracted from the botanicals and the smell and taste of gin can be recreated in a natural way. Laori is then processed into a delicious drink in a secret process in the area around Berlin.

Laori Juniper No 1 was developed so that its full taste develops in a drink. The classic is Laori & Tonic, our team favorite at Lagroni. In Salon, our magazine for alcohol-free drinking culture, you will find more delicious recipes to try out.

Teamwork makes the Dream work

Stella and Christian founded Laori together at the end of 2019. They initially started with a crowdfunding campaign via Startnext and have been selling Laori Juniper No 1 through their online shop and various stores since the beginning of 2020. Why do the two harmonize so well? Stella and Christian couldn't be more different. Stella is more of an extroverted type. She studied business administration and could spend hours learning how to bring delicious drinks into the world. As a Swiss, Christian is a bit more reserved and, as a food technologist, he is the food nerd in our team. The easiest exercise he can do is to spend hours philosophizing about different preparation techniques. What unites the two is their sense of enjoyment and delicious food and drinks. The desire for enjoyment drives both of them and further products are already in development.

Delicious drinks with Laori No 1

Do you really want to find out what Laori Juniper No 1 tastes like? Then you can easily order here.