RÜFÜS DU SOL and mates introduce Mate Maker Natural Laborious Kombucha

This week, co-founders together with their lifelong mates throughout the music and drinks business, and (ex-), introduced their new exhausting kombucha model: .

We sat down with Medcraft to speak concerning the story behind what’s concerned in introducing a brand new model of drink into the Australian market.

It’s been an natural course of constructing Mate Maker. We went to high school collectively in all probability twenty years in the past. We’ve been mates for fairly a very long time, however clearly went on to do very various things. Completely different worlds actually. They clearly went on to kind  and I immersed myself on this planet of drinks and advertising and marketing.

Our different co-founder Tom, I met after I was at chopping our enamel collectively. I used to be studying advertising and marketing and Tom was rising by means of the ranks extra within the industrial and gross sales facet. We’ve all been mates or colleagues for a protracted, very long time.

So, a pair years again this entire thought for Mate Maker form of emerged. On the time I used to be residing in LA simply down the street from the fellows in Venice. There was an enormous shift there, and there continues to be a large shift in how persons are ingesting and the alternatives that they’re making.

That every one occurred in America 5 or 6 years in the past. Alcoholic Seltzer got here on the scene, and folks had a selection. They’d one thing completely different from only a beer or a sugary RTD or glass of wine. I suppose that basically kick began this entire motion; similtaneously individuals had been acutely aware about what they had been consuming and ingesting. Folks need to take pleasure in a drink that’s “much less unhealthy” for them. We didn’t simply need to launch one other alcoholic seltzer as a result of we may see that that was already taking place.

We had been on the guys’ home after they had simply launched their album . John handed me a tough kombucha. I assumed “what the hell is a tough kombucha”? They had been like, it’s best to attempt it. It’s good, it’s gentle and refreshing. I used to be within the technique of fascinated about what was subsequent for me and pondering that onerous kombucha can be a factor in Australia. I believe Aussies would like it, one thing that’s refreshing and stuffed with fruit. I may see the place seltzer was taking place in Australia however felt like this was the subsequent factor. I informed Danny that I needed to launch this tough kombucha model in Australia and he stated it’s so humorous it’s best to say that, we had been pondering the very same factor, so it occurred.

So, Tom’s been in Australia and had completely different roles at Diageo however he additionally labored at which is a tremendous gin firm. It’s so humorous, the primary time I known as Tom to inform him I needed to launch a tough kombucha enterprise in Australia – he checked out me and was like, what is tough kombucha? That began the entire course of about two years in the past. We’ve been on that journey ever since to create a product that we’re happy with and a group that we’re happy with as properly.

Completely, persons are searching for new alternate options. They’re wanting one thing completely different. I believe that’s the rationale exhausting seltzer has come out of the gate so robust. If you concentrate on the alternatives that we’ve had for the longest time, craft beer would have been the final huge shift within the choices accessible fifteen years in the past. I’ve labored in craft beer and that’s been an enormous a part of my profession, however aside from that you just’ve acquired premixed RTD’s, which exploded in early 2000s; like Smirnoff Ice.

You’ve nonetheless acquired the standard Aussie beers, it’s nonetheless huge however probably not getting traction with the subsequent era viewers. They’re searching for one thing that’s extra aware and higher for them. Alcohol hasn’t saved up or accelerated as a few of these different classes have. Take into consideration easy components. Take into consideration transparency when it comes to what’s within it and even issues like sustainability.

Not solely will we consider that this new product can be what persons are searching for right now as a result of they’re curious and wanting new selections, however we additionally noticed the chance to create a enterprise and a model that embraced these larger beliefs and function. Simplicity, transparency, and sustainability are on the core of it. It’s not simply Laborious Kombucha, however we are able to additionally introduce new merchandise as customers search for new issues. That’s primarily the entire thought behind Mate Maker: it’s a tough kombucha product right now, however we’ve already acquired different merchandise within the pipeline which are drawing inspiration from what’s taking place in America.

For us, sustainability is one thing that’s within the material of all choices that we make. It comes by means of in each a part of our enterprise. From the packaging, we use 0 plastic, and it’s all 100% recyclable, to being created from natural components that aren’t sprayed with chemical compounds or dangerous pesticides, fertilizers of GMOs that influence ecosystems.

We’re additionally a member which is a non-for-profit group began by the founding father of which suggests we donate 1% of our prime line gross sales yearly to local weather change organizations. We’re additionally working with native local weather change companions and dealing in the direction of certifying our whole enterprise and provide chain to be carbon impartial with many extra bulletins coming over the subsequent few months.

Good query. Plenty of nights and a whole lot of stress; but it surely was simpler stated than finished to launch a tough kombucha model and produce it to Australia. What we didn’t realise was simply how exhausting creating this sort of product was gonna be, for thus many causes. I believe the primary purpose is creating one thing that’s all natural is difficult from the availability chain perspective.

Having access to natural components throughout COVID was extremely difficult. From day one it was an enormous focus for us that we needed to make use of solely the very best components, we needed to make use of natural components. We didn’t need the industrial facet of getting nice components to influence the product. Having access to these sorts of components throughout COVID when the availability chain was extremely strained.

The provision chain challenges had been when it comes to having access to these components. The data wanted when it comes to find out how to create a product with these components was a problem. Laborious kombucha isn’t even in Australia but. You set all of that collectively and it’s an enormous hurdle.

There are individuals which are brewing nice merchandise in America. There are brewers on the market that know the way to do that. It’s simply that we couldn’t discover them regionally in Australia as a result of it’s such an undeveloped class right here. I spoke to completely different individuals and requested who’re the brewers which are main this area, and who’re the very best ones on the market. That’s the place I met Dan and Josh who lived in San Diego and are two of the foundational staff that led the exhausting kombucha enterprise within the States. I believe it simply organically acquired right down to the half the place I stated to them, would you guys be interested by changing into our brew masters and companions within the enterprise? Assist us create one thing within the Aussie market that you just’ll be happy with.

It was a whole lot of deliberation, however I believe the problem with these new sorts of merchandise is to get individuals to grasp the way it’s going to style. The flavour profile is the largest problem.

We had a bunch of various flavours that we had been form of working by means of, however I believe that the top of the day we needed to essentially make exhausting kombucha approachable for individuals. We began with the . Everybody loves a , proper? It’s a form of globally understood as a refreshing cocktail. Citrus ahead flavours had been fashionable in exhausting kombucha within the States, so we thought that individuals would get it shortly.

With we at all times attempt to seize summer season in a can and produce that profile ahead. I believe for Aussies mango and peach are very summery tropical sorts of fruit. They had been two of the early favourites and we now have a bunch of different ones that we’re working by means of that we’ll be releasing as we get additional on down the observe.

It’s undoubtedly an enormous focus for any unbiased model that’s making an attempt to launch. How do you get to promote these things? That’s the place I believe Tom’s background is so helpful when it comes to understanding the market, realizing buyer relationships, and navigating that atmosphere. Within the early phases we’re focussing on distribution with a whole lot of unbiased retailers. We’ve acquired a tremendous staff of salespeople which have already began promoting it and are having wonderful responses from individuals. We’re gonna be constructing it primarily with unbiased retailers throughout NSW Queensland and Victoria to begin. Then we’ll actually give attention to the touring and music facet of issues over summer season. It can even be accessible for the exhibits in NSW QLD Victoria and in SA. Over summer season we’ll get a very good learn on how shortly individuals obtain it and construct into different markets subsequent yr.

It’s a labour of affection, however all people’s put a lot effort into it; from the band to me to Tom. We actually haven’t rushed it; we’ve finished it proper. We didn’t need to take further cuts. There have been so many instances the place we may have put in cheaper, much less components, however we determined to carry the road, as a result of it’s one thing that all of us gotta be happy with, particularly if we’re going to place our identify into it. With expectations from lots of people and expectations of ourselves. We’re tremendous excited and we’re happy with it and actually excited for individuals to attempt it on the exhibits as properly. A captive viewers of followers who can drink one thing from the band at their exhibits is particular.

Mate Maker is on the market at matemaker.com, unbiased retailers, and the RÜFÜS DU SOL exhibits this December (NSW, VIC, QLD & SA); in addition to upcoming summer season festivals.