NEWBIES: JIN JIN – building out the next non-alc category
Put down your alcohol-free beer, your adaptogen soda, and your de-alcoholised wine: enzymatic cordial JIN JIN is bringing the delights of fermentation to the masses.
We just released our 2026 report: The New Rules of Brand Building in Beverage & Alcohol. It gathers wisdom and thoughts on brand as a tool for growth from some of the most-referenced bev/alc brands of the moment. And it’s free to download.
“Fermentation has always fascinated me,” says JIN JIN founder Sohn Supradya Aursudkij. “There’s something almost magical about the way it transforms simple ingredients into something layered, textured and alive with flavor.”
Let’s stop. What does that description remind you of? Maybe a fine wine? An aged whiskey? A craft beer?
The criticism of alcohol-free or non-alc options is often the same: they lack depth, they lack complexity, and they lack nuance. But JIN JIN has all those things in spades. As Sohn says, it has “a gentle complexity you simply can’t fake”.
“Alcohol sets a certain expectation around flavor: depth and a sense of indulgence,” she adds. “Many alcohol-free drinks don’t naturally offer that but fermentation does.”
Clear brand, clear story
Sohn set up JIN JIN in 2019 originally launching it as a personal project. The brand is deeply embedded in her own life – named after her mum, and inspired by her dad who first introduced her to fermented enzyme cordial (a traditional drink in East Asia). JIN JIN’s recipe is inspired by that experience, as well as Sohn’s research into centuries-old Asian methods of fermentation.
Fermented cordials are still relatively new to the West, and therein lies the brand’s power and its challenge. “When a drink doesn’t fit neatly into an existing category, people don’t know what to expect,” says Sohn.
How do you overcome that? It’s all the tried-and-test ways: stronger branding (JIN JIN rebranded in 2025), clearer messaging, more education, and helping people understand how to experience the drink (with sparkling water, in a non-alc cocktail, or as a daily ritual). As she says: “We learned quickly that storytelling is everything.”
And Sohn has seen “fascinating and often quite beautiful” responses to the JIN JIN experience. People have compared it to everything from ‘good’ Coca-Cola to balsamic, prune or plum drinks, as well as soy sauce. “What I love most is that people connect it to their own memories. That’s when you know a flavor has real soul.”
Our take? Being a bit divisive when it comes to flavor can be a good thing. Just think about Sylva (featured in our 2026 report). Or Mother Root. Or Laphroig.
How JIN JIN grows
The brand is on the menu at assorted wine bars and dining spots, as well as London department store Fortnum & Mason, but for now they’re focused mostly on direct-to-consumer. Sohn says their research shows people need to discover the drink from the brand first to really understand it.
Notably, JIN JIN is one of a wave of brands translating Asian flavors and traditions over to Europe and the US. “From soju to kombucha to regional drinks and ferments, they all have deep histories and beautiful craftsmanship behind them and people appreciate that now more than ever,” says Sohn.
“There used to be outdated perceptions about Asian products not meeting certain standards, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. There are so many premium, carefully made foods and drinks coming from Asia. People today care about authenticity and story, and Asian flavors offer both.”
Finally, in New Rules tradition, we asked Sohn:
What’s the brutal truth you’ve learned about building a bev/alc brand?
It looks glamorous from the outside, but it’s hard graft and endless resilience. Everything takes longer than you expect. Every detail matters. And you have to fall in love with the process, not just the product.
Also... no matter how good your drink is, without strong branding and clear communication, people won’t know why they should care.
With hindsight, Is there anything you’d do differently
I’d tell founders to invest in brand clarity earlier. It’s not about fancy design; it’s about communicating who you are and why you exist. As a founder, you know your product inside out but the world doesn’t. And when you try to say everything at once, you end up saying nothing clearly.
THE NEW RULE:
If you’re operating in a new category, forget how great your product is for a second. Communicate with absolute clarity first and foremost, and then let your exceptional liquid do the talking.
The New Rules is a labor of love by nihilo.agency
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