Not everyone wants to drink alcohol while socializing with friends. If you’re one of these people, Ghia’s non-alcoholic drinks might be for you. They claim to capture the spirit of alcoholic drinks without alcohol. Ghia’s founder, Melanie Masarin appeared on season 14 of Shark Tank but didn’t get a deal. As of 2024, Ghia is valued at $35 million.
Melanie Masarin’s Background
Melanie Masarin grew up in Lyon, France but relocated to Rhode Island, to study economics at Brown University. Eventually she settled in Los Angeles, where she launched Ghia.
The French beauty worked as a financial analyst at Goldman Sachs and moved to American Eagle Outfitters to serve as their corporate strategy associate. Melanie’s CV also includes senior roles at the DIG restaurant chain and Glossier.
Founding Ghia
As a kid, Melanie’s family enjoyed the Mediterranean aperitivo culture during the summer. They gathered, cooked, and ate with friends until dawn. Of course, alcoholic drinks were present. Melanie wanted to recreate the same atmosphere without involving alcohol.
Melanie started Ghia in November 2019 and raised a seed round of $480,000 from two investors. The company gained traction with the rise of the sober-curious movement, where people question how alcohol affects them.
Furthermore, her brand was recognized as the first non-alcoholic drink to receive the Esquire Drink of the Year award in 2020. A year later, Ghia’s year-over-year wholesale revenue grew from $10,000 to an impressive $180,000.
Shark Tank Appearance
Melanie made a confident pitch and handed out samples to the Sharks who liked the taste. Ghia had strong sales to back up its valuation. In 2021, the company made $2.5 million in sales but lost under a $1 million which had the Sharks groaning.
To make matters worse, she raised $3.5 million and was in the process of raising $6 million at a $41 million valuation. Melanie owned a 57% stake and was giving away her equity at a discount to bring on a Shark. Sharks dislike it when companies constantly raise money as most likely their equity will get diluted in the future.
Robert made an offer, giving her exactly what she wanted but withdrew his offer as Melanie wanted to hear Kevin’s proposal. Kevin made a greedy offer of $250,000 for 10% but she couldn’t accept it as the equity was too high.
After Shark Tank
Appearing on national television gave the brand a massive boost in orders. Ghia drinks can be purchased on DrinkGhia.com and at selected restaurants, bars, and hotels in the US. The beverage company forecasted sales of $4.5 million in 2022 and were expecting to double revenue in 2023.
The drink is available in over 57 countries through their partnership with Mayple! It can be bought in over 2,800 bars, stores and restaurants in the US, Canada and Costa Rica. Ghia’s best-selling drink, the Apéritif, benefits a lot from the Dry January trend. Orders increased by 132% in the last Dry January for Ghia Berry.
Ghia has an average rating of 4.2 stars from 497 reviews on ThingTesting.com. The company has some celebrity customers including Antoni Porowski and Priyanka Chopra who love these alcohol-free drinks.
Currently, Ghia is valued at $35 million based on the last round of funding. If Ghia can manage to reach $20 million in annual sales, it’s likely they will be acquired by a large drinks company.
