Emily James plans to shake up drinks category with Tipl range of non-alcoholic cocktails

Emily James, daughter of award-winning convenience retailer Jonathan James, has launched a new range of non-alcoholic cocktails, Tipl.

Tipl’s flavours match the nation’s favourite cocktails/mocktail and contain brain boosting nootropics and vitamins. Crafted in the UK using natural ingredients, all three products are vegan.

“I gained an interest in the Low2No industry whilst working at Lumina Intelligence, and by becoming more mindful of what friends and I were drinking post-university,” Emily James, founder of Tipl, said.

Whilst the major players in the market were focussing on the taste of alcohol, Emily felt it was important to focus on both the taste and feeling of drinking cocktails through the use of functional ingredients.

With 39 per cent of 18-24 year olds not drinking at all, and 44 per cent occasionally or regularly drinking alcohol alternatives, according to a recent YouGov survey, Emily believes retailers should be offering more alcohol-free alternatives especially for younger consumers who are trying to be more mindful. Emily hopes Tipl can be at the forefront of the mindful drinking movement.

Tipl is in the first cohort of The Good Crowd and Bread & Jam’s B Corp Programme.

She has launched the product into the convenience channel, with the Dike & Son store in Stalbridge being the first independent retailer to stock Tipl.

“We really hope independent retailers will want to get behind the launch so trade orders have been set up with Dike & Son so that retailers can order cases through their website in the interim of the brand being listed by delivered wholesalers,” she said.

Adam Vincent, company director of Dike & Son, said: “I was lucky enough to work at one of Jonathan’s stores in my early career when I was working for Budgens, when Emily was a baby! So to be the first retailer to try it and stock it is great from my perspective.

“We tasted it with a number of staff and it's absolutely delicious. We expect our customers will love them and are excited to see how the cans perform.

“We are so excited to be part of something that has huge potential and is very much on trend, people are fed up of hangovers and losing the next day to the night before but still want to feel very much part of the party, out with boring orange and lemonade and in with the mocktails!

“Congratulations to Emily for seeing an opportunity and grabbing onto it.”

Her father Jonathan is the winner of the Responsible Retailer of the Year award at the 2021 Asian Trader Awards. His James Retail Group operates around 40 convenience and newsagent stores across the central belt of the country.

The 250ml cans (RRP £2.89) are available in Spicy Margarita (Lime, Chilli, Vitamin B1, Vitamin B5, Vitamin C, Ginseng) and Mojito (Lime, Mint, L-Theanine, Vitamin C) flavours, with Expresso Martini (Coffee, Vitamin B, Vitamin C) coming soon.