Portrait photo by Ben Biondo, Product photo by Dave Cooper
Interview by Jennifer Cooper

“I’m on a mission to destigmatize the perception around being alcohol-free and help create social environments where everyone can feel welcome and included, regardless of what’s in their cup.”

Melanie Masarin knows a thing or two about a good drink. She grew up in France after all. Her childhood was spent in the Mediterranean where adults would gather with apertivos. Drinking with friends and family was a cultural way of life, much like it is here in the States.

But Masarin noticed something as she grew up. As she told the Cut, “People talk a lot about being hungover if they have one too many drinks, but I was foggy the next day even after two glasses of wine, and I really thought there was something wrong with me. Apparently, it’s everyone. I was just like, I don’t want to live like this.”

So she did something that I credit a lot of millennials with doing: She built a brand that celebrates a healthier alternative to a beloved tradition without sacrificing the beauty and joy around it. Enter Ghia. It’s a bitter aperitif built on the flavors of the Mediterranean—an adult beverage with none of the alcohol. And with the spritz coming in at only 40 calories, it’s a lighter way to indulge.

I’ve seen their advertising on Instagram and fell in love with the brand. I asked Melanie to tell us a little bit about Ghia, the challenges facing the sober curious movement, and what her plans are for the future of it.

I know one of your missions is to take back the word “drinking” from alcohol. Can you tell me why you want to do that? Is it for health reasons or is it something more?

Over the last few years, I realized that alcohol wasn’t for me and there weren’t many non-alcoholic alternatives on the market that were easily adaptable to people with different lifestyles and comfort levels with drinking. I don’t drink because alcohol doesn’t make me feel good and I want to wake up every day rested and with a clear mind. I’m on a mission to destigmatize the perception around being alcohol-free and help create social environments where everyone can feel welcome and included, regardless of what’s in their cup.

What do you see as one of the biggest challenges for the sober curious movement?

The biggest challenge is breaking down decades of marketing that have framed our thinking to believe that alcohol is the life of the party. It’s really encouraging to see how the sober curious movement has started to shift the way people think about drinking. Not drinking has been considered taboo for so long, and that is finally starting to change—giving people the freedom to (not) drink in a social setting without feeling othered. My hope is that this conversation will continue to gain momentum to the point that it’s just as “normal” to opt for a non-alcohol option at a bar as an alcoholic beverage. The desire for a drink that fits into that movement is precisely the reason we created Ghia and it has definitely impacted our business for the better.

My hope is that the community we are creating can not only be a support system but also help to destigmatize sobriety. The goal is to shift from actual consumption of alcohol to instead enjoying the ritual of drinking itself—making yourself a drink and allowing yourself to press pause on the day and enjoy.

“The goal is to shift from actual consumption of alcohol to instead enjoying the ritual of drinking itself—making yourself a drink and allowing yourself to press pause on the day and enjoy.”

The packaging and branding are gorgeous. Why was it so important to get those right (and have them be beautiful)?

The visual aspect of Ghia was really important to me and I think it’s become one of the keys to our brand success! We worked with the firm Perron-Roettinger on the visual identity for Ghia.

I wanted something that was both elevated and approachable, honoring the past, relevant to today. We knew we had to get Ghia’s visuals just right to build brand adoption from consumers—the idea was to create something unapologetically loud and fun, an approach similar to that of traditional spirit brands.

What are your future hopes for Ghia?

We actually just launched Le Spritz, which is our single-serve 8oz canned drink that’s perfect for warm-weather and on-the-go activities like outdoor dinner parties, picnics, and beach trips. The cans feature Ghia’s signature bitter and herbal flavor profile and are balanced with a splash of sparkling water and an additional twist of yuzu and rosemary—a preparation that’s become a favorite at-home recipe among customers. We do have some exciting things coming up, but we can’t say too much right now. Stay tuned for updates on what’s next!

--------

Many thanks to Ghia founder Melanie Masarin for being here!

A couple more thoughts before I let you go...

In her interview with the Cut, Masarin mentioned reading Quit Like a Woman. It had a huge impact on her, just like it did on Kristin Fuller who you met in our previous story: It’s a Colorful Life! Sobriety After the Storm. I’ve heard from many women who found that book incredibly powerful. So I put copies in our bookshop.

There’s also something Masarin told the Cut about alcohol that I think is important, and it concerns shame. She said, “I really try to not preach for other people to stop drinking because I don’t think that that’s the way to actually enable change, but I think it’s really important that if people don’t want to drink, they don’t feel excluded. It’s really about breaking down the social stigmas around not drinking.”

It reminds me of the stigma we discussed in our article Women and Weed and also our interview with Rynda Laurel about mental wellness. Those of us who grew up in the DARE era can have a difficult time with shame. My hope is that we work together to change this so we can all enjoy healthier, happier, even more fabulous lives in the future.

And that’s something I’ll raise a glass of Ghia to any day!

Ghia's Melanie Masarin & the Future of Drinking

Home

Contact Advertise Subscribe