Winter is a Time to TÖST

While taking a lunch break from your winter activity or after a full day on the mountain, imagine taking a sip of bubbly with your friends. Why not? The nose, the mouthfeel, the finish all suggest a crisp prosecco: a hint of ginger. Some peach. Some citrus flavors. Sophisticated. Fresh. It’s alchohol-free TÖST.

This is just one of many perfect situations for TÖST, CEO Brooks Addington says. In Manchester, Vermont, during an interview at the company’s headquarters, he says that to celebrate a special occasion, “people want something that is elevated and special, but they don’t necessarily want any alcohol. What options are out there? TÖST fits really nicely into that.”

If you’re going to a party and don’t know if the host is drinking alcohol, bottles of TÖST are a welcome gift. “They can be served to a wide range of ages and palates,” Brooks says. And, at 45 calories, TÖST is less than a third of the calories of a glass of wine. It’s more flavorful and complex than sparkling water and seltzers.

The origins of TÖST go back to 2017 in the Hudson Valley, where it was created “as a fantasy beverage”—not as an alcoholic beverage with the alcohol removed. “It has the nose, mouthfeel, and finish of a wine—without the alcohol,” Brooks adds.

Creating TÖST was not simple: “Over 50 renditions” passed scrutiny before achieving this flavorful balance of sweetness and astringency, which comes from white cranberry juice. The brand has created a rosé variety, too—with hints of elderberry and tea. Additional flavors are in the works.

To take the brand to market, TÖST creators worked with a New York City design wizard, who first suggested the spelling (toast to töst), the upright positioning of the letters on the bottle and the umlaut, which hints at bubbles bursting to escape, as well as European sophistication (along the lines of what Häagen-Dazs brought to ice cream).

“People want something that is elevated and special, but they don’t necessarily want any alcohol. What options are out there? TÖST fits really nicely into that.” –Brooks Addington

TÖST sparkling beverages are a stylish option at any gathering, day or night. Photo courtesy Töst Beverages

In just six years, TÖST has spread across the country—from mom-and-pop stores to markets to Walmarts—from the Biltmore and North Star Resort on the West Coast to Guido’s Fresh Marketplace in the Berkshires. TÖST is popular in Korea, Canada, Iceland, and other countries, and distribution may soon include Norway and Greece. In addition, to reach out to people on planes and at sporting events, the company is looking in to distributing TÖST in cans.

People who don’t drink anymore partly drive demand, along with pregnant women and those making different lifestyle choices. They are seeing headlines such as this one in The New York Times: “Alcohol Might Be Ruining Your Orgasm.” (Yikes!) Still, people who do drink, according to Brooks, buy more than 80 percent of purchases of nonalcoholic beverages. Many buyers are motivated by moderation, thinking, I’m not going to drink during the week; it’s Tuesday night.

Bartenders “are excited about the versatility of TÖST,” says Brooks. They have created many alcohol and alcohol-free cocktail recipes. He suggests that even simply tossing raspberries in a champagne flute and topping them with TÖST makes a simple, elegant drink.

With snow falling and logs crackling in the fireplace, it’s time to TÖST a new winter tradition. 

• tostbeverages.com