Inspiring Conversations with Cassidy Novobilski & Daniel Fargo of Elevated Prohibition

Today we’d like to introduce you to Cassidy Novobilski & Daniel Fargo. 

Hi Cassidy & Daniel, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers?
Cassidy and I met in October 2019 while working at Trader Joe’s. We quickly connected over the fact that we had both made the decision to no longer consume alcohol. For me, I realized the detriment that alcohol had posed to my health and for Cassidy, it was a conscious decision to break a generational cycle of alcohol use disorder. 

After relating over our non-alcoholic lifestyle, we realized there was a gap in the market for high-quality and accessible non-alcoholic (NA) beverages. When we went out with friends our options were limited to seltzer water with lime, overly caffeinated energy drinks, and overpriced mocktails. 

When COVID hit in March 2020 we observed as peers, friends, family, and Trader Joe’s customers began to increase their alcohol consumption. We then watched as people re-evaluated their unsustainable drinking habits. This created a growing demand for an NA option that we had been longing for, for years. As we dug a little deeper, we saw that the UK and other parts of Europe had already begun to create a thriving NA industry. We were beyond excited to see that the groundwork had been laid out for this space. However, none of the brands that we found were capturing our loyalty and attention as potential consumers. They were all a bit too whimsical and indirect. 

Cassidy and I knew that there had to be a better way and in May 2021 we left our jobs at Trader Joe’s and pulled out my 401k to pursue this full-time. 

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
We run into challenges and obstacles on a daily basis. On this journey, we have quickly learned to embrace each challenge as an opportunity to learn – and believe me when I say we’ve been doing a lot of learning. No matter what the challenge is, the answer always comes down to people and education. That’s why we cannot stress it enough to form a team of knowledgeable people to surround yourself with. 

Our first step was to seek legal counsel to help us navigate an industry we were just stepping into. There are a lot of legal implications that we did not have the capacity to solve on our own. So, a big shout out to our law team at Holland & Hart based out of Boulder, CO. 

Another challenge we ran into early on was formulation. We had the vision of our product but neither of us had the expertise of a mixologist or food scientist. That led us to San Fransisco which is a mecca for cocktails and culture. While in the Bay Area we met up with Christian Suzuki (Suzu). Suzu is a world-class mixologist with more than 18 years of industry experience. With Suzu, we built a solid base of cocktail recipes that we could then take to our formulators at Ocean Blue Innovation (OBI) LLC. OBI is led by industry mogul Marty Molina. His team is made up of a group of expert food scientists and lab techs that are equipped to transform our vision into a reality. 

With our product being so new and innovative we arrived at our next obstacle which is communication with our target audience. It is important to us to create content that has real value to those that consume it. For that reason, we called on TapsMedia to be our visual storytellers. 

That brings us to one of our biggest challenges on this journey, money. We have been bootstrapping this project from the start and getting into the beverage industry doesn’t come with a cheap price tag. We are currently seeking out strategic partners while planning our crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter. If you or anyone you know would like to be a part of this revolutionary concept, please reach out to find out how you can get involved. 

As you can see there is a trend here. Every problem we’ve run into has been able to be solved by people and education. 

We’ve been impressed with Elevated Prohibition, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
To set the record straight we are far from a basic “Mocktail”. To us, the perfect NA beverage replicates your favorite cocktail while infusing functional ingredients that elevate your mood and state of mind (without intoxication). Some of our favorite functional ingredients include CBD, Adaptogens, Nootropics, Botanical Terpenes, and Aphrodisiacs. Herbs and plants have been used for thousands of years by many cultures to promote relaxation, energy, happiness, and healing. These ingredients make it possible to elevate a moment without any of the health risks or side effects associated with alcohol. 

We also understand that every great cocktail starts with a great spirit. For this reason, we have created each of our beverages with a high-quality NA spirit as the foundation. From here our beverages are handcrafted using the fundamental elements of a cocktail. Each cocktail tells a story about the origins of the ingredients, connecting consumers to the source. Our cocktails replicate the mouthfeel and flavor profiles of iconic cocktails and are a “can in the hand” beverage that people are proud to hold. In essence, we are seeking to hang effortlessly with alcohol and to gain widespread acceptance and integration with the service industry (bars, restaurants, music venues, sports venues, etc.). 

We are currently working on a line of NA Spirits and ready-to-drink (RTD) cocktails that have been handcrafted and infused with a proprietary blend of functional ingredients. In the coming months, we will be launching our crowdfunding campaign to raise capital and bring this to market as soon as possible. Follow us on our journey to serve up the best NA cocktails, spirits, and to #SocializeWithoutCompromise. 

We love surprises, fun facts, and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
(Cassidy) I am a fourth-generation Arizona native and I am proud. Growing up, I had a very entrepreneurial spirit. I would make lemonade and cookies, but instead of waiting for people to stop at a stand, I took my wagon door to door to make sales. In elementary school, I brought giant Pixy Stix and sold them at recess, but that operation was quickly shut down by my principal. All this being said, my entrepreneurial spirit was fostered at a young age and has only become stronger. My purpose as cofounder of Elevated Prohibition is directly related to the saying “Your deepest pain often reveals your life’s calling”. Growing up with a parent that struggled with alcohol use disorder this company has become my solution to that adversity. 

(Danny) At 15 years of age, I was selected to be an outdoor guide at a scout camp on Catalina Island. It was here that I discovered my love of helping others. One particular week I had a group of boys that spent a lot of time picking on one of their peers. He did not know how to swim so every time free swim came around, he was clearly singled out. Noticing this I quickly took this guy under my wing. With a little acknowledgment and mentorship, I watched as this young man transitioned from withdrawn and uninspired to self-realizing, confident, and motivated. On his last day at the camp, he informed me that he came from a family of alcohol abuse disorder and that the week we spent together was one of the best weeks he had ever had. This moment truly changed my view of the world and continues to be a driving force of inspiration for me as co-founder of Elevated Prohibition. 

On a final note, we have drawn a lot of inspiration from the innovation taking place in both the hemp and cannabis industries. More notably the methods they use to extract botanical terpenes with wide varieties of purpose and function. This has laid the framework for us to create a non-alcoholic social beverage that allows consumers to maximize their social potential and #SocializeWithoutCompromise. 

Contact Info:

• Email: support@experiencethevision.com
• Website: www.drinkelevatedpro.com
• Instagram: @drinkelevatedpro
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXgpJqxiaOW5O48itcXiIMA

Image Credits
Taps Media LLC