2 weeks Ago
Molly Fienning met her friend Lauren Hakmiller for coffee. They started discussing their respective relationships with alcohol. Hakmiller stopped drinking two years ago — “a case of Dry January that won,” she said.
For Fienning, co-founder of Red Clay Hot Sauce , her nightly glass of wine was starting to cover up some of the heavy emotions she was experiencing at the time. She didn’t want to stop drinking altogether, but thought she could do so more thoughtfully. Out of the Ordinary: Cracking open the history of a King Street oyster eatery “As a mom, as a CEO, being able to be on and balanced and good during the day is more important than a glass of alcoholic wine at night,” said Fienning, who leads Red Clay with chef Geoff Rhyne, who previously helmed the kitchen at The Ordinary.
Sipland partnered with The Charleston Place for a September residency pop-up featuring low- and no-alcohol beverage options. Together, Fienning and Hakmiller launched Sipland , a lifestyle brand that curates events and sells low- and no-alcohol beverages in Charleston and beyond. Sipland’s website is chock-full of products available for purchase and guides for nonalcoholic drinking at restaurants in Charleston.
The new businesses also hosted its first few gatherings this fall. Sipland partnered with The Charleston Place in September for an espresso martini-themed pop-up. Throughout the month, the temporary Sipland bar served nonalcoholic and low-alcohol options made using products from partner brands Body Vodka , Seedlip and El Guapo Bitters .
In October, Fienning and Hakmiller traveled to Boston to create the city’s first-ever nonalcoholic beer garden for an event called Notoberfest . From Hot Little Biscuits to Blenheim Ginger Ale, taste of SC delivered to doors nationwide “Inclusive bar event activations” such as these will be a core component of Sipland, which is looking to capitalize on the growing sober curious trend of recent years. Molly Fienning (left) and Lauren Hakmiller The hottest beer in the U.
S. is nonalcoholic, and the booze-free drinks market — worth about $13 billion worldwide — is expected to grow by 7 percent annually through 2027. More than 40 percent of Americans are trying to drink less, one study shows.
That group — those who buy nonalcoholic beverages but also drink alcohol — can benefit from attending a Sipland event, Fienning said. “We think that there’s a lot of opportunity,” said Fienning, who envisions a world in which nonalcoholic options earn the same prominent displays as their boozy companions. “We’d love to be a part of that journey to get there.
” With Red Clay Hot Sauce, Fienning has proven her ability to lead a company through expansion. Its peppery sauces are consistently counted as some of the best in the country , and new products like Red Clay’s Southern Chili Crisp are expanding the company’s reach. Sipland, she hopes, will share similar success.
Charleston hot sauce brand looks ahead to 2023 after $3M capital raise.
