Bethenny Frankel + Mingle: Shaking Up the Way We Celebrate

How It All Started

When our founder, Laura Taylor, created Mingle, she had a simple realization: she wanted to socialize without the pressure to drink alcohol - and definitely without holding another boring sparkling water. She envisioned a line of sparkling mocktails that could stand proudly next to anything at the bar, no explanation needed.

Enter Bethenny Frankel. The woman who sold Skinnygirl Cocktails to Beam Global for an estimated $100-120 million got what we were building immediately. She'd already revolutionized the cocktail world once, and she saw that the next big wave wasn't about creating better cocktails - it was about creating better options for everyone. So she joined us as a strategic partner and investor, bringing her business expertise, creative energy, and seriously impressive Rolodex.

Bethenny didn't just write a check and walk away. She's been an active voice in helping us spread the word that social connection doesn't have to come with a side of spirits. And honestly? Having someone who truly understands the beverage industry championing what we're doing has been a game-changer.

What Bethenny Brings to Our Mission

Here's the thing about working with Bethenny: she's not just showing up for photo ops. She's actively involved in helping us reach people who might not otherwise give mocktails a second glance.

Real Industry Muscle: Her relationships with major retailers have opened doors we might have spent years trying to crack. When Bethenny talks, buyers listen - and that means more Mingle on more shelves.

Reframing the Narrative: She's helped us position alcohol-free drinking not as a sacrifice, but as an upgrade. It's not about what you're missing - it's about what you're gaining: better mornings, clearer heads, and the freedom to enjoy social moments on your own terms.

Authentic Advocacy: When Bethenny talks about Mingle, she means it. She's seen firsthand how giving people better options creates better outcomes. And that authenticity resonates with people who are tired of feeling like they have to choose between fun and feeling good.

"I built Skinnygirl to give women options — and now we're doing the same for people who want something fun and alcohol-free. Mingle makes choosing not to drink feel cool, not compromised."  — Bethenny Frankel

The Mindful Drinking Movement: It's Not What You Think

Let's talk about what's really happening out there. We're in the middle of a massive cultural shift around alcohol, and it's not about being anti-drinking or preachy or judgmental. It's much simpler than that: people are just trying to make better, healthier decisions for themselves.

Gen Z is leading the charge here - they drink about 20% less than millennials on average. But this isn't some generational quirk or phase. It's a fundamental rethinking of what wellness looks like and how we want to show up in our lives. Younger people watched previous generations deal with hangovers, regrettable texts, and the gradual realization that alcohol might not be serving them. And they collectively said: "Maybe we can do this differently."

What we're seeing is people wanting to be present. They want to remember their friend's birthday party. They want to wake up Saturday morning ready to hit that workout class or brunch spot. They want to have fun without the trade-off of feeling terrible the next day. That's not anti-alcohol - that's just being intentional about how you feel.

Why People Are Choosing Mindful Drinking

When we talk to our customers, a few themes come up over and over:

Health is the whole picture now. It's not just about avoiding the obvious negatives (hangovers, empty calories, poor decisions). People are thinking about sleep quality, mental clarity, fitness goals, and overall wellbeing. About 86% of Gen Z adults consider their mental health just as important as their physical health when deciding whether to drink. That's a huge shift from even a decade ago.

Social media changed the game. When every moment can potentially end up online, people are more thoughtful about how they want to show up. But beyond that, social platforms have actually helped normalize not drinking. You see influencers doing "Dry January" not as punishment but as a reset. You see people sharing their sober curious journeys. The conversation has shifted from "why aren't you drinking?" to "cool, want a mocktail?"

The definition of "fun" is expanding. Our parents' generation often equated socializing with drinking. But today's social landscape includes so many more ways to connect  whether it's a workout class followed by smoothies, a coffee meetup, a game night, or yes, going out to bars and clubs but choosing to stay clear-headed. Fun doesn't require alcohol; it just requires good company and good vibes.

FOMO is real, but so is JOMO. Nobody wants to feel left out, but people are also discovering the "joy of missing out" on hangovers, drunk arguments, and foggy mornings. There's a growing realization that you're not missing anything by skipping alcohol - you might actually be gaining something.

What Mindful Drinking Actually Looks Like

Here's what we love: mindful drinking doesn't mean never drinking. It means being intentional. For some people, that looks like:

• Alternating alcoholic drinks with mocktails during a night out
• Choosing alcohol-free options during the week and saving drinking for special occasions
• Taking breaks with "sober curious" periods like Dry January
• Simply deciding "not tonight" without needing a big reason
• Wanting sophisticated beverage options that aren't just soda or water

The beautiful thing is that it's personal. There's no one right way to do it. What matters is that people have options - and those options should be delicious, celebratory, and make you feel included, not like you're settling for less.

That's where we come in. We created Mingle because Laura couldn't find anything in that sweet spot between boring and boozy. And with Bethenny helping amplify our message, we're making it easier for people everywhere to choose what feels right for them in any given moment.

Try What Bethenny's Sipping

Want to know what Bethenny reaches for? She loves bold, sophisticated flavors that prove you don't need alcohol for a memorable drink experience. Here are a few of her (and our customers') favorites:

🩷 Cranberry Cosmo - Tart, sparkly, and endlessly sippable. This one proves you don't need vodka for a proper cosmo moment. It's what you grab when you want something that feels fancy but doesn't require a bartender.

💕 Sparkling Raspberry Rosé - Bubbly, bright, and giving you all the rosé-all-day vibes without the afternoon slump. Perfect for brunch, toasts, or honestly just a Tuesday that needs brightening.

🌴 Pineapple Paloma - Tropical meets tangy in this instant mood-booster. When you want vacation vibes but need to stay sharp for, you know, actual responsibilities.

Bethenny's New Obsession: Mingle Mood

If you've been following the beverage world, you know functional drinks are having a major moment. People aren't just looking for something that tastes good - they want drinks that actually do something for them. And Bethenny's latest go-to? Our Mingle Mood line.

Mingle Mood combines everything people love about our mocktails with adaptogens and botanicals designed to support how you want to feel. Whether you need to unwind after a long day or find your focus before a big meeting, there's a Mood for that. It's the perfect intersection of the functional beverage trend and our commitment to making drinks that enhance your life, not complicate it.

Bethenny's always had her finger on the pulse of what consumers want next, and her enthusiasm for Mingle Mood shows she sees where the industry is heading. It's not about replacing anything - it's about expanding what's possible when you choose to drink differently.

The Ripple Effect: What We're Building Together

Look, we know the beverage industry isn't exactly known for its noble intentions. Celebrity partnerships can feel hollow, like someone just licensed their name and peaced out. But what we're doing with Bethenny is different, and we can see it playing out in real time.

We're not just selling drinks - we're creating space. Space for the person who's training for a marathon and doesn't want to derail their progress. Space for the new parent who's already sleep-deprived and doesn't need alcohol making it worse. Space for someone in recovery who still wants to feel part of the celebration. Space for literally anyone who looks at a drink menu and thinks "why are my only options get drunk or get boring?"

With Bethenny's help, we're making those spaces bigger. Her business expertise and platform have helped us reach more people, stock more shelves, and shift more conversations. And those conversations matter because they normalize something that should have been normal all along: you can show up to any social situation and choose what feels right for you, no explanation required.

The message is simple: choosing not to drink isn't about deprivation. It's about having options. Real options that taste amazing and make you feel included. And with every bottle of Mingle that makes it into someone's hand, we're proving that point.

Sources

1. The Hollywood Reporter. "How Bethenny Frankel Used Her Reality Show to Make $120 Million." April 2023.
2. CNBC. "Self-made millionaire Bethenny Frankel shares the No. 1 negotiation tip that made her rich." April 2023.
3. TIME Magazine. "Why Gen Z Is Drinking Less." January 2025.
4. Statista. "Alcohol Consumption - Gen Z: The More Sober Generation." 2024.