We had an opportunity to talk to Ben and Emma Mellows, a couple making waves with their beverage brand POLKA. The brand offers a range of ‘de-alcoholised’ drinks – wines with the alcoholic elements removed but that still retain the flavour of regular alcoholic drinks. They are also gluten-free, vegan-friendly, and low in calories.
ISB: Can you share the story of how the idea of POLKA came to you?
EM: POLKA was born out of a passion for food and flavour and a desire to offer non-alcoholic products that weren’t just an afterthought for big wine producers. Ben’s background in manufacturing nutritional products (think greens, collagens, protein) allowed us to explore the making of non-alcoholic wines first of all, with a more nuanced approach than just removing the alcohol and putting it in a bottle.
ISB: What was the most challenging aspect of getting this venture off the ground and how did you overcome it?
BM: Sticking to our guns and creating only delicious products that closely resemble the drinking experience of alcoholic counterparts. This meant time to perfect each formulation took anywhere from six months to two years. Choosing to include native botanicals and all natural extracts complicates the manufacturing process but adds a unique layer that finishes our products in a way that others do not. How did we overcome it? Good supply chain partners and perseverance.
ISB: How did you manage to blend together the taste of alcohol-based products while making them healthy and alcohol-free?
EM: We selected the right blend of grape varietals and extracts. Take for example our non-alcoholic pink gin. To most people the driving flavour note in traditional gin is juniper. By having this as a focus, and not getting caught up in odd flavour additions we’ve kept our focus on this. We add pink grapefruit as a secondary flavour for its distinct nose and floral undertones,
ISB: How do you ensure the sustainability of the products?
BM: We source all of our wine for de-alcoholising from South Australia; our extracts from Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia; and every component of our packaging comes from South Australia. POLKA was a key driver for us to move back to our home state of South Australia, where so much wine and beverage manufacturing takes place. By sourcing all our glass, grapes and extracts from South Australia we have very low logistics output and help to keep our local manufacturing businesses moving.
ISB: What is your vision for POLKA in the next couple of years?
EM: We’ll continue to innovate our offering as we age. Today there is still a lot to do in the non-alc drinks space but functional beverages more broadly are on our radar and will be a part of our range later this year.
ISB: What is the most important lesson you’ve learned in this business journey that a would-be entrepreneur can learn from?
BM: Don’t be afraid to fail and good things take time.
