What kind of drinker are you, dear reader? Or perhaps you prefer to abstain from alcohol, which I won't criticize. In fact, many are increasingly choosing this path these days for various reasons. Personally, I tend to limit myself to a couple of beers or glasses of wine on weekends. It's gentler on my body and, to be honest, easier on my wallet too.
Additionally, I don't have to appear dull nowadays thanks to the ever-growing selection of non-alcoholic beverages available in Beijing's bars, pubs, and restaurants. The days of being forced to spend RMB 40 on the same old trio of cola, soda water, or bottled juice are gone; mocktails are now the trend.
Whether I'm drinking alcohol or not, I don't always crave elaborate drinks and their associated price tags. Whether in a casual pub or unwinding at home, sometimes I just want to grab a good old bottle that’s ready to enjoy straight from the fridge. When that happens, I often reach for Earthen Roots. Founded in Beijing, they recently celebrated their fifth anniversary, and rightly so. Lewis Murray and Tina Yu Murray began in 2019 with the goal of keeping the happy hour alive in China by crafting soft drinks made from quality ingredients, plenty of enthusiasm, and hard work.
Soda doesn’t have to be bad for you, and if you want to mix in some alcohol—no judgment here! Right now, there's a lot happening at Earthen Roots, so why not grab something cold and refreshing as the temperatures rise? Check out our conversation below.
Hello to both of you! For those who might not be familiar, please introduce yourselves and your brand! Hi! We are Earthen Roots, a brand focused on providing finely crafted, low-sugar soft drinks and mixers in China that everyone can enjoy, whether on their own or as part of any cocktail. Currently, we offer a range of craft ginger beer, lemonade, and grape soda, all made with natural ingredients and suitable for vegans. As we celebrate our fifth year, we're committed to staying true to our roots, just as we always have.
You began in 2019—what motivated you? Did you have any prior experience in the food and beverage industry or in entrepreneurship? Our motivation has remained consistent since the beginning. We launched our business due to the lack of quality soft drinks and cocktail mixers available in China. For instance, ginger ale sold in shops and restaurants here is typically loaded with sugar and artificial flavors instead of real ginger.
Lewis hails from the UK, where there are increasingly health-conscious drinking trends. People there enjoy craft soft drinks just as much as craft beer, and they have plenty of choices. Recognizing this market gap, we saw an opportunity to introduce a new class of high-quality beverages that offer exceptional drinking experiences to consumers in China. With Earthen Roots, we aim to provide healthier options bursting with flavor that enhance our customers’ drinking experiences.
As for experience, we were quite new to this field. Lewis comes from IT and education, with some amateur background in drinks from the UK, while Tina's background is in media and public relations, with only a few connections in the F&B sector. Earthen Roots marks our transition from food enthusiasts to genuine entrepreneurs. We still enjoy trying new foods and flavors simply for fun!
You registered your company in 2019, yet your first products didn’t launch until March 2020. How did your new business navigate the onset of Covid and the ensuing pandemic years? It certainly was a steep learning curve, and we faced tough times like many in the F&B sector. On one hand, there were limited opportunities to promote our brand or drinks to individual consumers and partners like restaurants and bars. On the other hand, this was the time when many online marketplaces on WeChat emerged. We capitalized on this by promoting our products through initiatives like Rumble in the Jumble and Vegans of Beijing. Additionally, we launched our Taobao and WeChat shops, enabling us to sell our drinks both in Beijing and nationwide.
We believe our craft drinks effectively market themselves, so we didn’t engage heavily in livestreams; instead, we shared DIY drink recipes using our products on our official WeChat account (陆之源Earthen Roots). We've continued this approach with the hope of helping people realize their bartending aspirations.
In terms of experience, Lewis had already lived in China for several years, which helped him establish connections with local suppliers and restaurants that welcomed us. The receptiveness of people made a significant difference, and engaging directly with potential customers enhanced our online presence, likely because everyone was eager for human interaction while stuck at home. Ultimately, we learned that allowing our product to speak for itself was the best strategy.
Today, we can be found in venues like Side Street, Paddy O'Shea, LAD, Home Plate BBQ, Mesa Madre, Timekeepers, Schiller's, and Confidential, as well as retail partners like
Lewis Murray and Tina Yu Murray celebrate the fifth anniversary of their brand with a toast.
