Q&A With JW Wiseman, Founder of Curious Elixirs
We’re so excited to share our chat with JW Wiseman, founder of Curious Elixirs. We talk about the purpose behind Curious, the moment that set it all in motion, their approach to ingredients, the beginning, middle, and end of a great drink, and so much more.
This one’s packed with thoughtful tidbits and plenty that’ll get ya thinking. There’s a lot to take away, and we can’t wait for you to dive in.
For those in the RTB community who are new to Curious Elixirs, can you share a little more about the brand and the reason it exists?
Our mission is simple: to transform how we drink socially. Having more fun with less booze is what Curious is all about. We created the first booze-free craft cocktails in America back in 2012 when I started tinkering in my Hudson Valley kitchen. There was no "sober curious" movement. If you weren't drinking alcohol at a bar, your options were basically club soda, juice, or a sugary soda. I was a cocktail nerd who wanted to cut back on booze, but my mouth still wanted the complexity, adult ritual, and sensory magic of a great drink. We launched Curious so nobody ever has to decide between taking care of their body and having a great night out.
You’ve shared the story of waking up after having over 20 drinks one night and feeling fine the next day. Can you speak more about that experience and why it ended up being such a meaningful moment for you?
That night back in 2012 was a real wake-up call. I co-owned a whiskey bar in NYC and going hard was just part of the scene. But after putting away 20-plus drinks in one night – and waking up the next day feeling FINE – I realized something had to change. That meant my tolerance had built up to a point where my body stopped giving me warning signs.
I realized right then that I needed to radically shift my relationship with alcohol. It was meaningful because it forced me to ask the central questions that launched this whole company: What does life look like with less alcohol? Can it be just as fun, creative, and delicious? And what if we included adaptogenic ingredients that made you feel good and supported your body?
When you started Curious Elixirs, what did you feel was missing for people who chose not to drink alcohol?
Complexity and sophistication. Back then, folks avoiding alcohol were missing out on the experience of an expertly crafted cocktail made with intention and care.
As someone who still drinks alcohol, how do you think about the role alcohol and zero-proof drinks can play alongside one another? Has that relationship changed for you over time?
For most people, sobriety is a spectrum. And our drinks are for everyone, no matter where you are on that spectrum. Instead of being preachy about the negative effects of alcohol, we focus on providing something better so the choice is easy.
Many of our customers just want to pace themselves during the week, alternate during a long night out, or simply take a few days or weeks off without dropping out of the social scene. Over time, my own relationship with drinking shifted from an automatic default to an active choice. Having sophisticated, adult options side-by-side means booze stops being the sole center of gravity for connection.
Photo Credit: Lyss Lester
You’ve described a great drink as having a beginning, middle and end. For someone who loves a great beverage but hasn’t heard it described that way before, can you explain what you mean by that?
When you drink a great cocktail or fine wine, it isn't just one static flavor note hitting your tongue. It’s a full-sensory experience that begins with nice glassware, good ice, and garnishing with gusto, which we always recommend.
The Beginning: The nose and front palette - the bright aroma, the immediate spark, maybe citrus or another fruit.
The Middle: The body and complexity - where carbonation, minerality, subtle spice, bitter roots, earthiness, blends with the rich juices, filling out the mouthfeel.
The End: The finish and throat bite - that tartness, that subtle lingering burn or tannic dryness or floral notes that make you pause before the next sip.
A lot of NA drinks fail because they hit you with sweetness in the beginning and then vanish. We formulate Curious Elixirs to have that dynamic structure, so your brain registers it as a conscious, deliberate ritual. These are NOT simple soda, these are meticulously crafted, craveable sippers that make you feel as good as they taste.
There’s a lot of intention behind the ingredients in Curious Elixirs, including adaptogens. Why was it important that the drinks did more than just taste good?
Alcohol does something to your central nervous system—it signals to your body that it's time to unwind, transition out of work mode, or let loose. If you strip away alcohol and replace it with flavored water, you miss out on that functional transition.
We use best-in-class adaptogens and botanical herbs like kanna, rhodiola, and ashwagandha because they give your body a gentle, natural mood lift or relaxation response without the toxic hangover. On top of that, we hold an obsessive standard for clean ingredients - zero artificial flavors, no preservatives and no refined sugars. If you’re choosing to treat your body better, the last thing you want is a bottle full of synthetic additives.
After 11 years of building Curious Elixirs, what still keeps you curious? And what are you excited about right now, whether that’s with Curious Elixirs, or in your own life.
The alchemy of flavor and function constantly amazes me. We release a new elixir each year to celebrate our birthday and our latest, Curious Red, has already sold out twice in its first year. We infuse a rich, non-alc Syrah with ashwagandha, passionflower, and South African kanna. Sourcing rare botanicals and figuring out how to bring them into balance without shortcutting the craft keeps me obsessed.
Beyond the bottle, what keeps me curious is watching human culture evolve. Seeing nightlife and hospitality realize they can’t afford not to stock elevated non-alc beverages like ours because customers are coming in looking for them. Also, seeing how people embrace alternative spaces - like our sober speakeasy Club Curious in Brooklyn - shows me that we’re still only scratching the surface of how people gather and celebrate.
