This Non-Alcoholic Beverage Founder Shares What Makes Her Feel Grüvi

Photography: Reah Agency & Grüvi

The rise of non-alcoholic beverages is on the up and up. While the popularity of non-alcoholic libations grows amongst younger adults, celebrities like Tom Holland, Bella Hadid, Katy Perry and more have gotten in on the piece of the pie. This movement and rise of NA beverages comes from a generation that values health and community. This generation uses alcohol as a mirror, holding it up to society and themselves while considering their relationships with it.

Denver-based brother and sister duo Niki and Anika Sawni, founders of NA beverage company Grüvi, believe that alcohol doesn’t always need to be a part of the story for you to have fun.

Before NA beverages started growing in popularity, the sentiment in this category was negative due to the stigma that the drinks won’t taste good. With this in mind, Grüvi put taste at the forefront of the formulation process. The brand wanted to push the boundaries of what a delicious NA beer or wine could taste like.

Grüvi recently rebranded and updated its design and logo to represent the alluring elements of taste while finding an aesthetic that fits all demographics. All the patterns developed were inspired by the flavors and taste profiles of the drinks, as well as including the award-winning medals and callouts on the packaging.

The brand has tapped into local Denver venues like Ball Arena, Empower Field and Mission Ballroom — settings where we typically drink and opt for alcoholic choices. The brand story is as personal to these co-founders as it is to everyone. Not drinking in certain scenarios can feel uncomfortable. We’ve all had that moment where we are faced with things, people and experiences we don’t want to deal with and try to mask it through alcohol. Or we convince ourselves it will be more fun with alcohol.

Grüvi’s appeal is to help consumers feel they can still have a great time and make easier choices while navigating social situations.

The goal is to bring intention and mindfulness to society’s relationship with alcohol.

“We are telling people to go their own way and not feel judged regardless. We want people to know that the choice is there and it’s not a less-than choice. Take a step back and ask yourself, ‘What are you choosing today?’” Sawni said.

At just 22 years old, Anika and her brother founded Grüvi in 2019 after she graduated from McGill University in Montreal. Sawni studied neuroscience and psychology and dreamed of becoming a neurosurgeon. Now six years later, Grüvi is wildly successful and making a name for itself in the NA beverage industry.

With the brand’s growing success, and popularity amongst the community — how does Anika, the youngest on the board of the Adult Non-Alcoholic Beverage Association (ANBA), listed in Forbes 2022 30 under 30 list and successfully founded award-winning products sold in 4,500+ retail locations across the U.S and Canada, keep herself feeling “groovy”?

The beverage industry is notably male-dominated. As more female and non-binary founders step into this industry, intention, accessibility and inclusion are becoming more aligned with the brand story. In her personal life, Sawni started cutting back on her alcohol consumption and noticed the upsides of drinking less. While cutting back is hard, making the transition to a less-alcohol-centric lifestyle birthed the idea of Grüvi.

Over time, Grüvi has built an amazing community and even offered some to become a part of the development side of the product. The team launched a discovery series where they asked their community what they liked and didn’t like about the product. Building a community doesn’t just happen overnight. It takes a lot of time and trust to nurture the relationship between both parties. As the brand and the community continue to grow, Sawni is also experiencing her own personal growth through this journey.

As an entrepreneur, Sawni jumped in at such a young age. Her brand, her mission and her community became everything she knew and how she spent her time. “My identity became so closely tied to Grüvi,” she shared.

Many entrepreneurs often feel this way because, in a lot of ways, their business, side hustle or passion project becomes their baby. And like babies, the infant stages are tiresome. Entrepreneurs have to nurture, care and communicate effectively with their baby business while finding time to give that same energy back to themselves.

“Grüvi’s mission is crafted to go with your flow and what makes you feel groovy. I’ve had to return to our brand mission and ask myself what makes me feel groovy. And then incorporating that into my life as well,” she said.

Over the last two years, Sawni has been learning how to refine herself and separate herself from the brand so she can show up for herself as much as possible.

Another reason she co-founded Grüvi was because of how she valued balance and health. However, running a family-owned business, and being able to find the space that she needs, has had to come with a lot of intention and finding the things that bring her joy.

To find that inner peace, Sawni has found that her confidence and approval cannot come from external factors. “Trust in what you are doing and in the vision and value you have,” she shared. Sawni creates a space of calm before she starts her day through meditation, stretching or having a moment of nothingness. As she navigates new spaces, she also embraces vulnerability and leans on the support and advice of other female entrepreneurs.

“The more that we as entrepreneurs and people can embrace being vulnerable, then we are not held back by the fear of what people are going to think or if we are going to be told no,” Sawni said.

In today’s society, hustle culture is a vampiristic disease. It seems alluring, it draws you in with the promise of success or “immortality.” But in reality, it’s much more sinister than that and without caution, it can suck you dry.

“If you aren’t living for today, and if you’re not creating those little moments of joy, then you are going to wake up one day and think, ‘Where did it all go?’” she said.

With entrepreneurship, perfectionism is also a grueling disease. We are only human, and as humans, our visions, dreams and ambitions drive us, naturally. As a creative, founder or entrepreneur, it’s easy to be attached to a specific vision or outcome of a product. Taking the time to distance yourself from the company and making tough calls when required is crucial to keeping sane in an instant gratification-obsessed society.

Sawni navigates this by understanding her unique perspective and role in this business. “Understand your worth and how crucial you are to the business. Your company does not exist without you…we can hold ourselves back sometimes with different fears and perfectionisms. If I waited until Grüvi was perfect before launching it, we probably would have never launched,” she shared. 

Aside from the various health benefits, Grüvi wants to be known for its taste and as a social brand for people. With the new rebrand, the colors, patterns and typography lends to this ideal. Grüvi’s ultimate vision is to be the mainstream NA brand and wants to get to a point where these beverages are normalized and integrated into menus.

With its community support, intention and care for sustainable practices, family backing and the grounded mindset Sawni carries with her, the brand’s success comes as no surprise.

“I think it’s cool to talk about my own personal growth. I’m still learning, and like I said, coming back to Grüvi’s mission and what we value. It’s about making all those little moments more groovy, more joyful, taking a pause, still pouring yourself a glass of wine, but putting yourself first at the same time.”