Ben Branson Changed An Industry. Can He Do It Again?

Ben Branson is not the kind of person you’d find at a cocktail party. In fact, he loathes socializing. And, yet, he’s deeply invested in its future.

Ben is best known as the founder of Seedlip, the pioneering nonalcoholic spirit brand that was at the forefront of the now burgeoning category of zero proof beverages. 

In 2019, Ben sold a majority stake of Seedlip to beverage alcohol conglomerate Diageo, which, at the time, described the brand as “a global drinks giant of the future.”

While Ben is still a shareholder in Seedlip and continues to operate as part of its team, he’s set his sights on the next stage of development for non-alcoholic beverages and cocktails via a new venture called Pollen Projects. 

The U.K.-based company introduced two brands this year: Seasn, which markets premium cocktail bitters designed to be “the salt & pepper for drinks”; and Sylva, an innovative take on dark non-alcoholic spirits.

Both brands are the heart of Ben’s mission to shape “the second wave of moderation,” helping people to drink and, in turn, socialize better.

In the following interview, I spoke with Ben about his perspective on an evolving market for non-alcoholic beverages and his roles as both godfather and innovator, why he’s not trying to supplant legacy spirits and why he’s betting big on an unusual sourcing and production model.

Show notes:

0:35: Ben Branson, Founder, Seedlip & Pollen Projects - Ben recalls his first appearance on Taste Radio in 2018 and reflects on his 11-year career in non-alcoholic spirits, including why he hated the first six months building Seedlip and what is motivating his work with Pollen Projects. He also explains why he doesn’t feel any “external pressure” as leader of the non-alcoholic category, but why he’s concerned about brands delivering the quality and flavors that consumers are expecting and how his success with Seedlip has made it somewhat easier to develop new brands. Ben also shares his perspective on legacy beverage alcohol brands launching zero-proof versions, common attributes among “the best” non-alcoholic brands and why some brands “are going to suffer.” He also talks about why he’s constantly focused on the future of socializing even though he describes himself as “unsocial.” Ben also discusses the creation and business strategy of Sylva, his unique approach to ingredients and sourcing and why he chose to market the NA dark spirits brand via a subscription model and how he evaluates investors and new funding opportunities.

Brands in this episode: Seedlip, Season, Sylva, RXBAR, David