Katy Perry is the latest celebrity to join the growing alcohol-free movement with the launch of De Soi, a French-inspired botanical-based brand of aperitifs.
Interest in nonalcoholic euphorics and aperitifs took off in 2021, and wellness continues to be a top trend as we head into 2022. For millions, that means Dry January—a month without alcohol. But there’s also an emerging interest in functional, natural botanicals that support immune and brain health, among other health considerations long after the end of the month. For singer Katy Perry, all bets are on De Soi, the new botanical-based aperitif brand she just launched.
“Just in time for SOBERUARY! Excited to announce @drinkdesoi a line of sparkling nonalcoholic aperitifs I’ve created w/ my fellow new mama/botany babe Morgan McLachlan,” Perry tweeted earlier this week. “Our apéritifs are full of feel-good adaptogens for a drink that helps you create, relax & ease into the night.”
De Soi was co-founded alongside Morgan McLachlan, former chief product officer, and master distiller at Amass, a beverage and personal care brand that focused on botanicals.
The roster of non-alcoholic drinks continues to grow with brands such as Recess and Rebbl earning shelf space.
But the category leader is Kin Euphorics. The botanical-based brand that saw supermodel Bella Hadid join as co-founder last September.
Elsewhere, the non-alcoholic category is seeing celebrity support. Academy Award winner Brad Pitt co-founded Enroot, a sparkling small-batch tea company formulated by James Beard chefs.
Actress Blake Lively is the founder of the non-alcoholic mixer line, Betty Buzz, which she launched during Covid.
“For me, I don’t drink because I don’t like the effects of alcohol, but I like being a part of it. I like being social, I like people coming together,” Lively told InStyle last November. “Interestingly, I found that sometimes not drinking — it was a little alienating… maybe it’s just in your own head, but you don’t feel a part of it.”
What are adaptogens?
De Soi isn’t kombucha or fancy soda—it’s using adaptogens to create mood-altering experiences. De Soi features the Indian shrub ashwagandha, reishi mushrooms, passionflower, the Peruvian tuber maca, and lemon balm. All of the sparkling drinks come in a base of green tea.
The adaptogens in De Soi, namely ashwagandha, reishi mushrooms, and maca, are believed to help the body regulate its stress levels, particularly by adjusting the impact of external stressors. Consuming adaptogens is linked to stabilized mood and improved focus.
Researchers have identified connections between adaptogen intake and changes to the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis—our glandular system that regulates hormone production. It plays a key role in homeostasis, stress response, and energy. Adaptogens work by adjusting levels to help achieve the homeostasis the HPA needs.
Adaptogens may also play a role in supporting immune function by balancing the body’s use of energy so that it can maintain proper immune defenses.
Katy Perry investments
De Soi is not Perry’s first foray into supporting a healthier food system. She invested in the popular Bay Area plant-based meat brand, Impossible Foods in 2019 alongside Jay-Z, Jaden Smith, Trevor Noah, and Serena Williams. Perry even dressing up like one of the vegan burgers. Impossible has launched vegan burgers and vegan chicken nuggets with Burger King. It says its plan is to replace all meat by 2035.
In 2020, Perry joined Oprah Winfrey as an investor in Apeel, a company aimed at solving the food waste problem. It created a special, biodegradable type of coating to preserve produce, specifically avocados, apples, and citrus.