Non-alcoholic is sexy: How NullAlkohol is rethinking the beverage market

What was the idea behind founding NullAlkohol?

Desiree Lex: The idea for NullAlkohol came to me during my pregnancy and maternity leave. I visited my family in Sweden regularly and noticed very early on how far the market for non-alcoholic alternatives had already developed there. In restaurants, non-alcoholic options are offered as a matter of course, and the selection in stores is also significantly larger.

I was particularly surprised to find that even non-alcoholic products from Germany were being actively promoted and exported there. When I went looking for non-alcoholic wine myself, I really noticed the difference in availability compared to Germany. That’s when I came up with the idea that we should have something like that here, too.

How did NullAlkohol come about?

Desiree Lex: I launched the company while on parental leave because it was a good opportunity for me to test the concept on the side and gain some initial experience. At first, I conducted a market analysis to assess the viability of the idea. After that, I talked a lot with family and friends—the feedback was overwhelmingly positive and really encouraged me.

I then started looking for my first partners: winemakers, producers, and distilleries that make non-alcoholic alternatives. At the same time, I began developing social media content, building our blog, and doing targeted PR work to raise awareness of NullAlkohol.

My husband and my friends and family also provided practical support in the early days, for example with events or shipping.

What defines the company today?

Desiree Lex: Today, NullAlkohol is, on the one hand, an online store that curates and makes available non-alcoholic beverages from various producers and brands. On the other hand, we also develop our own non-alcoholic products that reflect our lifestyle and values.

One example of this is our non-alcoholic G&Ts—a pre-mixed non-alcoholic cocktail as an alternative to gin and tonic. We produced these locally in North Rhine-Westphalia, but developed the recipe in collaboration with a Swedish distillery. It was important to us to keep the ingredient list as short as possible and to avoid additives.

What challenges did you face along the way?

Desiree Lex: One of the biggest challenges for me was an incident in the logistics process: An entire pallet of our G&Ts went missing at a major online retailer because of an internal error during distribution between their logistics centers.

As a bootstrapping founder, this loss was particularly stressful. I spent weeks working intensively with customer support to resolve the issue. It was a very grueling process, but it also taught me how important it is as an entrepreneur to remain tenacious and stand up to large organizations. In the end, we got the goods back—and I gained a lot of resilience from the experience.

What achievement are you particularly proud of?

Desiree Lex: I’m particularly proud of our private-label brands, which were awarded 93 points at the Falstaff Non-Alcoholic Trophy 2025. This recognition shows me that high-quality non-alcoholic products are increasingly being noticed and appreciated.

A key factor in this is that I was willing to roll up my sleeves from the very beginning and consistently stick to my vision. At the same time, my many years of experience in e-commerce help me to integrate products, the brand, and customer needs and to continuously develop them further.

What lessons have you learned from starting your business?

Desiree Lex: One of the most important lessons for me is not to give up and just keep going. You have to believe in your own vision and your own abilities and not let outside influences sway you too much.

Especially on social media, success is often portrayed in a very one-sided way and seems faster or bigger than it really is. You shouldn’t let that unsettle you. For me, starting a business is above all about perseverance, because a startup isn’t a sprint, but a marathon—with ups and downs that are just part of the journey.