TOST Beverages

Increasingly, beer and wine companies are hoping to entice consumers with non-alcoholic options.

Since 2015, the no- and low-alcohol beverage sector has grown by more than 500%. Globally, the non-alcoholic beer and wine market is projected to jump from $20 billion in 2018 to $30 billion by 2030.

These numbers explain why, in 2019, Time Magazine noted, “Alcohol Companies are Betting on Non-Alcoholic Booze.”

For example, Anheuser-Busch has committed to making 20% of its beer volume no- or low-alcohol by 2025. And Heineken recently rolled out a non-alcoholic beer.

TOST is targeting this market with its line of sparkling non-alcoholic beverages. This company launched in 2017, and is quickly becoming a recognized brand in the beverage industry.

It received the 2018 New Product Cold Beverage Sofi Award. And it’s been featured in more than 50 media outlets:

Business Insider called TOST’s beverages “elegant and celebratory.” Refinery29 said the brand was “sophisticated” and “crafted with foodies in mind.” And the New York Times said “Tost is the ideal bubbly when you want a delicious drink minus the alcohol.”

TOST has been featured at catered events at venues including The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, and has been included in gift sets for clients at companies including HBO, Google, Disney, Netflix, and Porsche.

TOST sells its sparkling beverages in more than 24 states and seven countries. Notable retailers include Whole Foods, Wegmans, and BevMo.

The company generated $1 million in revenue in the last 10 months. And revenue in Q1 2021 was 400% higher than in Q1 2020.

TOST offers its sparkling beverage in two flavors: TOST and TOST Rose. Both are non-alcoholic, vegan drinks, and have fewer than 50 calories per serving. The company promotes its beverages as being suitable for fine dining or a casual refreshment.

TOST believes it has a significant advantage over its competitors because it’s created a first-to-market product within the non-alcoholic sector. Its product combines sophisticated taste with elegant branding (designed to give off the same luxurious and celebratory qualities of sparkling alcoholic beverages) with lower calorie and carb count.

In 2021, TOST is projecting to bring in $3 million in sales. With funds raised, the company will hire and deploy sales teams to target strategic markets.

Team Background

Mark Hyatt - Chief Marketing Officer

Mark has created campaigns for some of the world’s largest beverage brands.

Prior to starting TOST, he founded a creative agency that worked with Fortune 100 companies. He earned an MBA from a joint program affiliated with Columbia University and the University of California, Berkeley.

Brooks Addington - Chief Executive Officer

Brooks is a serial entrepreneur with 25 years of experience in global business. He has a proven track record of building companies from the ground up and experience investing in consumer packaged goods businesses.

In addition to his role with TOST, he’s spent the past 10 years as a founding partner of Ondo Ventures, a private equity firm investing in early-stage companies. Prior to that, he was Co-President of Realtimes Products, which designs dinnerware for children.

Before that, he was an advisor with BarTule, a company manufacturing a branded line of home bar accessories. He held this role after spending four years with E*Trade, a financial services company, as a branch manager.

Brooks studied at Denison University.

Co-Investors