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Tell us your story as entrepreneurs and you came up with the idea of making natural beer

It’s funny because the name Soonish was inspired by our story but to begin with Greg and I became buddies in college and ended up living in NYC in our early 20s working for investment funds, banks etc. The traditional route. 

Just like everyone else in their early 20s in a city like NYC we were working a lot yet we enjoyed our time with friends at the bars and clubs. We also enjoyed our beers! However, our bodies weren’t taking it so well and decided to gravitate away from beer. It was about 2012 which is when all sorts of alternative drinks such as hard seltzer and kombucha were popping off in the market. 

What we found was that these alternative drinks were lacking character and authenticity. This was our first clue that there might have been room in the market for a natural beer which came to our aid when years later we had both moved to LA.

Greg was working at an investment fund and one of his clients was a big food and beverage conglomerate so had the chance to see first hand how that world was changing and pivoting towards more natural solutions.

Meanwhile, I was traveling a whole bunch for this investment fund based in Oakland started by one of the early Facebook guys and got to experience enlightening realities such as home brews adopting techniques based on rich local traditions and beers made with local ingredients.

That’s when we both realized it was time to sit down and come up with our own product!

What was the first thing you did as business partners?

Well for starters we had to figure out how to brew a beer. So we spoke to an alcohol regulatory lawyer who ironically ended up introducing us to our third partner and expert brewer John Carpenter. We immediately hit it off and started experimenting with different kinds of brews with him.

How did you come up with the name Soonish?

Well people kept asking us about our launch and we kept saying ‘soonish’ so it seemed the perfect name. 

It fits perfectly! What is the vibe you are going for both aesthetically and from a branding perspective?

Just picture this scenario: we are all busy, we have a lot going on and a lot to get to but sometimes it’s nice to kick back and relax with a drink knowing that you’ll get back to it soonish. That’s it! We don’t want to portray this as being drunk at nightclubs or raves. We want this to be a part of your chill Sunday funday or your campfire drink.

Tell us more about what makes this beer natural

What separates Soonish from the rest is our use of gluten-free ancient grains as our main ingredients instead of barley which is traditionally used for regular beer. We also use banana and a little bit of honey. 

What’s the best feedback you got so far from your customers?

The most rewarding thing we’ve heard from folks first trying Soonish was that it didn’t taste like beer. Which is exactly the point. People keep telling us it’s tasty and light and it still gives you a good feel. That’s the goal!