Forage The Wild: WildFolk Non Alcoholic Cocktails A Love Story To Alberta

WildFolk is another entry into the exploding field of AF nocktails in a can, and its backstory is one of foraging the wilderness for indigenous plants and herbs to create a truly prairie experience.

Dalia Kohen is fascinated with imbuing food and drink with elements of the earth as the former proprietor of popular Calgary vegetarian restaurant Coup.

Dalia’s attention turned to alcohol-free drinks when she was pregnant with her son.

“I was tired of having sweet drinks that just made me feel like a kid. And in my mind, I just knew I wasn't having a cocktail. I really wanted to have the adult flavors which is why the bitter component in WildFolk is a little bit higher. I saw the need once I was in the position of needing it and then just speaking with customers at the restaurant over the years,” Kohen explains.

She sold her popular Calgary vegetarian restaurant but held on to the recipes she had developed over the years for sophisticated, layered alcohol-free cocktails she offered to her patrons. Alcohol free drinks and vegetarianism seemed to go together well with the heightened awareness of wellness and healthy options, although she’s quick to point out that vegetarian restaurants still serve alcohol to those who desire it.

She started playing with the recipes to figure out how to scale them up. In the restaurant she’d make fresh concentrates weekly and put them in the fridge but putting those recipesit into a can involves more steps so the actual formulations to go from one litre to 2000 litres are the secret. Dalia had some help from a government funded program in Leduc, Alberta where a team of scientists helped her with pH levels and shelf life.

“A lot of the herbs in WildFolk are hand harvested, they're 95% organic, there's 26 ingredients in one, 22 and 19 in the others, and the thought is alcohol-free should be cheaper. To get the flavours and layer it and have the proper balance, plus mine is steeped rather than distilled,” explains Kohon.

Her sparkling Negroni is the most complex of the three formulations she has at the moment. It has 26 different herbs, roots and botanicals which results in a highly layered drink which opens up and changes on the palate. While it includes the Campari, vermouth and gin components it also contains indigenous plants from Alberta like rose hip, hops and rhubarb.

Touching on folklore as well, every can is wrapped in a stylized folk tale, reflecting the long-standing stories and traditions that help ground us.

Ironically, restaurants aren’t the area where WildFolk has expanded onto menus. They are the toughest nut to crack when it comes to stocking any of Kohon’s cocktails.“Talented bartenders want to create their own recipes to delight customers and most good quality alcohol-free products are more expensive, making them impractical for upcharging, Kohon explains.

WildFolk products are finding an enthusiastic home in brew pubs and bars where people are realizing that when a group comes in with a designated driver, they can offer something other than club soda or a Shirley Temple.

Like many entrepreneurs in this space, Dalia is trying to come up with the best distribution model and the sheer size of Canada, plus the climate, poses shipping challenges. The great news is you can enjoy her bespoke-style alcohol-freeAF cocktails at home, for less than you’d pay if you were out for a meal. At the moment you can find WildFolk across Alberta, in Vancouver through Sensorium (which ships across the country) and through her website drinkwildfolk.com. She’s actively pursuing Ontario markets as well.

About The Author

Joanna is a writer, trainer, coach and consultant with decades of experience as a journalist in radio and television. She teaches public speaking, communication skills and media relations. You can find Joanna at www.joannapiros.com.