Melanie Nasarin seeks a Shark investor for Ghia, her alcohol-free aperitifs, in Shark Tank episode 1404. She remembers spending summers near the Mediterranean Sea when her family would make batches of limoncello and stay up at night drinking and telling stories. Melanie liked the taste and the social aspect of these gatherings, but not necessarily the mind-numbing effects of the alcohol.
Melanie has a background in finance, corporate strategy and brand building. She launched Ghia in 2020 because she realized the non-alcoholic “cocktail” market would surpass $800 billion by the end of 2024. She sells four products: the aperitif, a non-alcoholic spritzer, a hazelnut spread and puzzles. All products are vegan and gluten-free, with no added sugars or artificial flavours.
She’d like a Shark’s help going “mainstream.”
About Ghia
| Category | Details |
| Founder (Plural if multiple) | Melanie Nasarin |
| Product Type | Non-alcoholic aperitifs and spritzers |
| Funding (Pre-Shark Tank) | $6.5 million |
| Investment Asked | $250,000 |
| Equity Offered | 5% |
Video
What Happened on the Shark Tank Episode?
Melanie enters the Shark Tank and tells the Sharks she’s originally from Lyons, France. She’s seeking $250,000 for 5% equity in her company. She asks if the Sharks have ever taken a night off of drinking, and the only non-alcoholic drink is water. Melanie wants to take drinking back from alcohol. She talks about the taste and what it’s made of. Her beverages are the perfect cocktails without a hangover the next morning. Robert likes his drink, which has 50 calories in it. Daymond makes a face like he doesn’t like it. Robert compares it to Campari. When Kevin tastes him, he says, “C’est tres bonne”, which means “it’s very good” in French.
The aperitif costs $6.50 to make and sells for $38. The bottle has about 12 servings. The spritzers cost $1.25 to make and sell for $5; she says she’s getting the cost down to 70 cents in 6 months. In 2021, they were 75% online and did $2.5 million in sales. The Sharks are impressed, but not so much with the $1 million loss in 2021. They have $1 million in inventory. To date, the company has raised $3.5 million. The first $900,000 was at a $7.5 million valuation. She’s raising another $6.5 million round at a $35 million valuation, and she owns 57% of the business. The Sharks are flabbergasted. Sales for 2022 will be $.5 million, and she expects to double that in 2023. Kevin says, “Wait, I need an alcoholic drink!”
View this post on Instagram
What Makes Ghia Unique?
Ghia is a fancy, non-alcoholic drink that tastes like the Mediterranean. It’s different because it’s bitter and complex. In taste, it has the qualities of grown-up drinks, but it does not have alcohol in it. There are no fake flavors, or extra sugar either. You can get it in bottles or cans, and it looks really nice. Ghia is for people who want to enjoy a drink without getting drunk, and it’s sold in good bars and stores.
Founder Melanie Nasarin has her products in over 750 bars, hotels, liquor stores and mom and pop grocers nationwide. The drinks are also available on the company website and Amazon. There are dozens of drink recipes on the website, so you can create your own concoctions at home. At $38 a bottle for the aperitif and $75 for a 12-pack of spritzers, the stuff isn’t cheap. Apparently, they have quite the “cult-like” following.
To Find more businesses that appeared on Shark Tank, read interesting Posts on Shark Tank Blog. Also, read Ghia Aperitifs -Non Alcoholic Drinks for additional information about the business Ghia.
Did Ghia Get a Deal on Shark Tank?
Robert wants to know why she’s giving the Sharks a $5 million valuation. Melanie says the Shark equity would come out of her shares. She wants a Shark to come in and help grow the business. The company launched during Covid, so it had to overcome a lot of hurdles. They’re currently sold in 750 accounts. She personally reached out to 400 of those accounts.
Daymond is impressed that she came into the Tank appreciating the value a Shark brings to a deal. Unfortunately, he has acid reflux, and he can’t drink it; he’s out. Lori says she loves Melanie, but – like Daymond – she can’t drink citrus or bitter things; she’s out.
Mark says the category she chose is the hardest to get into; it’s going to cost $50-$100 million to become a $100 million company; he’s out. Robert says she picked the hardest category, too, but she’s killing it.
Robert offers $250,000 for 5% – just what she asked for. Kevin says wait. He and Robert have some back and forth. Melanie says she wants to hear what Kevin has to say, and Robert goes out. Kevin says he can bring a lot to the table. He offers $250,000 for 10%. Melanie declines.
What Happened to Ghia After Shark Tank?
The Shark Tank Blog keeps track of the businesses that appear on Shark Tank. We provide updates and follow-ups about entrepreneurs and the company, as well as anything that happened after the show. Since airing, Ghia has been distributed in over 1500 stores in the USA and Canada. Most are independent liquor stores, restaurants and bars, but she also has products in CVS of all places. By October 2023, she’d redesigned the bottle and increased the concentration level by 46%, which allows for nearly twice the servings per bottle. At this time, revenue is on track to top $7 million for the year.
The Shark Tank Blog will follow up on Ghia & Melanie Nasarin as more details become available.
Where Can You Buy It?
Try Ghia’s non-alcoholic aperitif on its official website and elevate your evenings with a sophisticated, alcohol-free beverage. Eliminate the need for sugary, unhealthy drinks by ordering Ghia from Amazon.
For more company information, visit the website. You can also find regular updates on their social media channels.
Quick Summary
- Melanie Nasarin created Ghia, which serves non-alcoholic aperitifs.
- Ghia has many options to choose from for vegan, gluten-free products with no added sugars or artificial flavors, and has a presence in over 750 locations.
- The Sharks are hesitant due to the company’s high valuation and substantial losses. Melanie returns with no deal.
