Rip & Tan

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Kin is the No-Hangover Cocktail For Everyone

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Kin is the No-Hangover Cocktail For Everyone

April 26, 2019

For non-drinkers, teetotalers, and the occasional abstainer, alternative beverage options have been few and far between. But then came Kin Euphorics, the wellness-promoting elixir that’s truly a party starter, sans hangover. Read how they’re transforming the going-out scene and try the recipe that might just replace your go-to booze order.

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Kin is the No-Hangover Cocktail For Everyone

Rip & Tan: What is your career background and how did it lead you to starting Kin? What was the hole in the market that you were hoping to fill?

Jen Batchelor: I’ve always been a community gatherer. Towards the end of my work in the health world, though, I started to feel quite jaded by all the incongruencies and the “lack mentality” the industry seemed to promote for the sake of profit.

I wanted to know more about true well-being and I knew it would take an individualized understanding and practice to get there. That led me to Ayurveda and vedic psychology, which speaks to addictive behavior, the consequences of going against one’s better judgement, and our relationship to all that we consume. It was really important for me to unpack my own belief system about mindful vs mindless daily rituals. Starting with my social life seemed to be the place that would drive the most impact for me.

I relate to a lot of my Kin customers in that so many of my social experiences whether with friends, family, clients or co-workers seemed to be centered around alcohol and the bars and restaurants that served it. I craved agency over my own experiences and empowerment as a woman in business but alcohol seemed to be getting in the way of that. Still, I refused to be nesting all the time. I liked the excitement of being out & about—I’m a city girl, after all! I really couldn’t understand why there wasn’t a sophisticated option for me at my favorite bars that wasn’t chock full of sugar or that made me a mark for beratement in a social setting. Why couldn’t I order a soda and bitters and not get “the look” from bartenders, or have them pour it in a 20 oz tumbler with a black straw while all my friends had cute coupes and rocks glasses to sip from? Sober hospitality was a drag and I started to dread it.

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Rip & Tan: Who do you imagine as your “ideal customer”?

Jen Batchelor: We designed Kin for the kind of conscious consumer that expects more out of their social experiences and thinks about sustainability as a way of life, not just a way to recycle. Progress and creativity are drivers for this customer— after all, it’s been 6,000 some odd years of drinking the same basic ingredient (ethanol, just in different flavors), so our ideal customer is the one welcoming the future of revelry with open arms, hearts, and minds.

Rip & Tan: How did you formulate and develop your ingredients?

Jen Batchelor: Our formulation process was one of trial and error and a lot of self-experimentation. We were crafting the social self-care-after-sunset elixir of dreams and we really didn’t care how long it would take us to get there. We knew that adaptogens were tough to source but that they would be key in driving the effect and main value proposition as many of our beta testers agreed their #1 reason for drinking at the end of a long day was to “take the edge off”. We knew nootropics could help us achieve a feeling of focus and clarity, perhaps even creativity but that dosage would be a key factor to differentiate the experience from one of performative edge to one of sensual leisure. And we were lucky that the formulators, herbalists and chemists we get to work with had some new extraction techniques and biotechnologies that allowed for us to use as little of our ingredients as possible in order to drive a safe and effective rise.

Rip & Tan: Does sustainability factor into your product development or packaging? Where do you source your ingredients?

Jen Batchelor: We source as close to home as possible when possible and we produce in the mountains of Colorado. We love our glass & aluminum packaging and are proud to use only 5% plastics (our antimicrobial caps and safety seals) throughout our unboxing systems.

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Rip & Tan: Can you define some vocabulary words for us? What are euphorics, adaptogens, and nootropics?

Jen Batchelor: Euphorics are the future of revelry, a brand new generation of adult beverage. We invented the term to describe the potential effect of Kin and also to bring this new generation of revelers back to the original intent of the word, and in doing so, to experience its true meaning. Euphoria was first coined in the early 1700’s by a physician who was searching for the perfect term to describe the point in his treatment by which a patient reached a state of well being post illness. The Latin or Greek euphoros literally breaks out as “to bear well” or in the best circumstances “the power of enduring easily”. We’ve gotten so far away from this meaning as the term euphoria is now misinterpreted to mean ecstasis or total dissolution of ego/ mind/self-awareness.

I’m sure many of your readers know about adaptogens and their immense power to stabilize the endocrine system and bring the body back intro balance. But nootropics might be a new one. Nootropics are simply ingredients that enhance cognition, in the immediate and long-term, that have been designed to nourish the brain without the side effects of most psychotropic drugs. They can be natural or synthetic, and in Kin we use both. It’s uncomfortable for some to think that plants and practices primarily used in eastern traditions could coexist with modern scientific advancements in biotech but that’s kind of the point – there’s no rule saying a yogi can’t own an iPhone.

Rip & Tan: For those that love a good cocktail, how does Kin compare? Could you drink Kin throughout the day?

Jen Batchelor: It only compares in that they’re both in liquid form. The euphorics “rise” is much more jubilant and vivid than the numbing “drunk” of an alcoholic cocktail—mind you, I am not a teetotaler, so I say this with no judgment! But neurologically speaking, you get GABA going with both which helps to calm the nervous system and make you feel relaxed in the moment, but as you continue to drink alcohol the liver begins to inflame and the opposite effect ensues, the brain releases cortisol which at first might feel like energy but ultimately can result in anxiety or depletion, AKA hangover.

With Kin, GABA is only part of the bliss process with serotonin and dopamine balance fostering an actual and sustainable sense of peace moving the mind from a state of fight or flight (sympathetic nervous system) to one of rest and digest (parasympathetic nervous system). Our max serving size for one sitting is 4, so we wouldn’t recommend drinking Kin all day like a functional or medicinal tonic, but rather reserve it for your “me time” or after hours hangs.

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