Smiling Wolf was launched last September by the power trio of Alberto Gavazzi (who spent 27 years with Diageo, including his role as President of Diageo Latin America and Caribbean); ‘liquid guru’ Steve Wilson (creator of Tanqueray 10, Bailey’s and Purdey’s to name a few) and entrepreneur and drinks industry expert Hamilton Lowe.
Smiling Wolf contains a blend of nootropics and active ingredients. The functional ingredients found in Smiling Wolf include Beta Alanine, Arganine, Glyceine, L-theanine, Caffeine, B3, B5, B6 - ingredients known to promote an increase in alpha brainwaves, serotonin, dopamine as well as regulate the mood and decrease anxiety.
Founder and CMO Hamilton Lowe tells us about the brand’s journey to date.
Introduce us to Smiling Wolf!
Smiling Wolf is a portfolio of mood enhancing non-alcoholic spirits which includes Aperitivo, Rum, Agave, London Dry and Vodka.
We wanted to create a brand that had the flavor profile of a spirit, but instead of alcohol, our mission was to create drinks that could enhance moods, by creating contentment and uplift, just like the good effects of alcohol.
Based on my own experience working in the drinks industry, I personally wanted to find a way to moderate and yet spend the night feeling good and drinking the cocktails I love, without the hangover the day after.
We launched in Autumn 2024 and since, we’ve been rapidly growing throughout the on-trade in London and nationwide in the off-trade.
Tell us about the functional ingredients in Smiling Wolf
The Smiling Wolf Proprietary Blend is a mix of natural nootropics and vitamins that enhance your mood. Specifically, these include Beta Alanine, L-Arginine, L-theanine, L-glycine, B3, B5 and B6. The nootropics give you a sense of contentment and the vitamins provide the uplift. Effectively, this buzz can lead to evenings where one may feel more positive, social and alert, similar to the positive effects of alcohol.
What does Smiling Wolf taste like?
Each product in our portfolio should taste like their alcoholic counterpart, so Dry London will have the flavor profile of gin; Agave will taste like tequila; Vodka should have a similar mouthfeel; Rum will taste of a spiced cane rum; and Aperitivo will taste of a refined Italian aperitivo.
Each product is made from the same natural ingredients that produce the original spirit, and that’s why it tastes so great in your preferred cocktail. Creating this Proprietary Blend took a fair bit of trial and error working with scientists alongside Steve Wilson who perfected the flavor of each.
Where and how should we consume Smiling Wolf?
Each Smiling Wolf product is great in cocktails, so on a night out if you’re ‘zebra striping’ or abstaining from booze for the evening it’s great. Any occasion where drinks are being served is an excellent one to opt for a Smiling Wolf cocktail.
Smiling Wolf is featured on menus at The Cocktail Club’s, River Cafe, STEREO, Laki Kane, ECC, Sweet Thursday, Beaverbrook Townhouse & Estate, Henri, Love Shack, Milk Beach and others. How do you explain what Smiling Wolf is?
As a new brand, and working within a relatively new category, the on-trade must be a primary focus. Our team works very closely to ensure bar teams know what Smiling Wolf is, how to serve it and educate them on mood enhancing drinks and functional spirits. People are curious to learn, and a bartender who knows about the brand and category overall is instrumental to helping guests understand and build brand awareness.
After much thought and feedback, we’re focusing on [describing] Smiling Wolf as a ‘Mood Enhancing Spirit’. We wanted to focus on the effects that our ingredients are known to have. So ‘mood enhancing’ is easy to explain when people’s time is limited, and we found it is a concept that is much easier to digest. Mood enhancing encourages people to ask more questions, particularly on what it can do for them, the health benefits and how it works.
As the alcohol alternatives category becomes more crowded, where does functionality fit in?
I think that the functional category fills a big gap in the market. Alcohol gives drinks a fourth dimension, which is an effect and to our mind the best no compromise option needs to also provide an effect. In this case a positive one that can seamlessly slip into the drinks rituals that consumers already know and love. We don’t see this as a sacrifice, but a new way of drinking your favorite cocktails without compromising on any element.
The category can also weave health benefits into products, which people have become much more mindful of in the last few years.
Smiling Wolf launched in 2024. What’s been the most challenging thing about getting the brand off the ground – and how have you addressed this?
It absolutely is educating people about the category, and helping them understand that even though we’re non-alcoholic, Smiling Wolf still does offer a buzz. To accomplish this, we’ve worked alongside bar teams to place cocktails on menus and ensure they can get our message across. We’ve also selected key retailers, like Club Soda, who can really champion our brand, to stock Smiling Wolf from the early days.
Why did you choose the name Smiling Wolf?
We wanted a name that was memorable and evokes an image of there being ‘something more than meets the eye’. In our case it tastes like a great cocktail, but it’s non alcoholic but still gives me an effect.
What will January look like for Smiling Wolf?
For now, we’re continuing with what worked in 2024 and pushing forward with getting more menu placements and off-trade listings. We’ve refined our messaging, and our Gin will become Dry London, with Rum, Vodka, Agave and Aperitivo keeping the same name.
Although we’d like to work on big stunts and campaigns, it’s important that we lay the groundwork first. So January will be spent working with bar teams, helping them understand Mood Enhancing Spirits and designing drinks which offer consumers a no compromise chance to moderate not just in Dry January.
What’s coming up for Smiling Wolf in 2025?
We have a few things up our sleeves – a few menu listings we’re very excited about and further down the line, some new product launches.
What’s your favorite Smiling Wolf product and why?
That’s like picking your favorite child - I love them all!
What inspires you on your journey in the alcohol-free alternatives category?
Before creating Smiling Wolf, I struggled with the concept of going out without drinking. I love alcoholic cocktails, but I didn’t want to have alcohol every night and I couldn’t find a tool in my arsenal to replace it. It’s such a delicate balance, and what drove me to create this brand was to find an alternative that was still fun, but didn’t have the downside.
Through the development period, I was so inspired to hear similar stories. Especially from people who have worked in the industry for a long time, telling me how they wanted to go out, but didn’t have the time or energy to spend a day recovering or suffering from the mental health issues that alcohol can encourage.
