Lily Geiger launched her “zero-proof” aperitif brand, Figlia (Italian for “daughter”), in April 2021 from her family’s Ashley Falls home during the pandemic. The business was motivated by her father’s untimely death in 2016 due to alcoholism and inspired by the Italian culture she immersed herself in for the five months that followed. “The aperitivo hour was a thoughtful ritual, a little something to open the palate and a coming together to enjoy conversation—nothing overdone,” she describes observing while living in Rome.
In starting her company, she sought to create a nonalcoholic alternative that had the sophistication of a Campari or Aperol but didn’t try to mimic the taste of alcohol (which can be triggering for those struggling with addiction). She also wanted to open up the conversation around healthy drinking, fostering “moments to remember” rooted in integrity and community without the adverse effects of alcohol—or, as her website puts it, “a modern non-alcoholic beverage that brings everyone to the party.”
“We’re still one of the only brands talking about addiction,” Geiger notes. Those conversations happen on Instagram and TikTok, in interviews and podcasts, and on her website via links to Partnership to End Addiction. While the message is clearly sobering, balance is vital to her. “We try to be honest, not too hardcore, to encourage people to become more conscious and intentional in their intake,” she stresses, adding, “The most important question a person can ask is ‘What is healthy for me?’”
Growing thoughtfully and sustainably
Four years later, Figlia is thriving—and helping to change the drinking culture. Since we first wrote about Figlia in January 2023 (scroll down for the full original article), Geiger’s product has moved from a regional distribution base of roughly 400 in Massachusetts and New York to, within two years, a national distribution of close to 600 in New York, Texas, and Washington state. Geiger attributes much of her success to Community Health Programs (CHP), a “small, loyal community that has actively sought out new vendors with the simple question “Why don’t you carry Figlia?”
Figlia expanded into Whole Foods Market in the metro New York area in 2024, followed by Central Market in Texas and Prime Wine and Spirits in Washington state. Figlia’s current distribution represents “a pretty good split between coffee shops and bodegas, grocery stores, specialty stores, and wine and beer spots,” Geiger notes. Sales are strong, thanks to a good sales rep and publicity in some major newspapers and magazines, including Forbes, The New York Times, and The Washington Post. Figlia was most recently included in Wirecutter’s Best Nonalcoholic Drinks (December 2024).
Despite the growth, Figlia is still run by a three-woman team—Geiger (who is based in New York City and “pretty much involved in everything”), Riley Johansson (digital marketing, based in Miami), and Vivien Brown (sales and operations, based in San Francisco). “We’re trying to grow organically and regionally as well as get into bigger retailers and chains while demo-ing to ensure we can manage the conversation,” Geiger maintains. Figlia is now available in restaurants in New York and California but is looking to expand gradually to other states. “I want to keep our operation sustainable, with a limited amount of production (still only in Utah) to keep the quality high,” she states.
Expanding the product line
Even more exciting, Figlia is developing a new flavor—with the help of a Brooklyn-based team—which will launch this spring. “We’re using customer feedback about what they’d like to see next as well, and what they don’t like about Figlia currently, to fine-tune the recipe,” Geiger explains. That feedback has come via emails, surveys, media pitches, and social media comments. She’s likely also consulting with her chef friend, who recommended adding clove to the rose and bitter orange in Fiore, her original flavor.
“This will be a big year for non-alcoholic brands,” she predicts. “The space is only growing as more research comes out showing that no amount of alcohol is actually good for you.”
[Editor’s note: The following Spotlight was initially published on January 16, 2023. We are rerunning it now with the update above to coincide with the increasing popularity of non-alcoholic drinks and the growing trend toward Dry January and then Sober October.]
“So I decided to create Figlia for those who are going zero proof, for whatever reason. To create an active community and a place for fun. The type of dinner table that always has an open seat for all experiences and stories. Where no one is an outsider and there is something special to sip for all…” —Lily Geiger, Founder & CEO, Figlia
According to Mental Floss, there is good precedent for people being creative and productive beyond their usual capacity during a quarantine. Shakespeare wrote “King Lear”, Isaac Newton developed his theory of gravity, and Edvard Munch painted his “Self-Portrait with the Spanish Flu”—all during pandemic periods. Lily Geiger, who was living in Los Angeles pre-COVID, moved to her mom’s house in Ashley Falls during the lockdown of August 2020 and started working on an idea she had for a new non-alcoholic beverage. By September, she had an LLC, and in April 2021 she launched Figlia, a non-alcoholic aperitivo, making $13,000 in her first week.
Geiger was born and raised in New York City. After graduating from Wake Forest University, she moved to L.A. and worked in brand marketing at Beautycounter, followed by a job at a small boutique retail consulting agency, gaining experience with brands like Summer Fridays, APL, and Heyday. She was 24 (and living in the Berkshires) when she first conceptualized the Figlia product and then developed it with the help of RoAndCo, a design-focused branding agency based in L.A. They met over Zoom and shipped samples back and forth. At the age of 25, she launched the brand with one flavor—Fiore (Italian for flower), made with rose, bitter orange, and clove—that is now sold in 400 locations throughout the U.S. and has been featured in The New York Times, Vogue, and GQ (to name just a few publications).
Borne out of passion and personal experience
“I’ve always felt inspired to do something that meant something to me,” Geiger states. “When I asked myself what I was passionate about, this was the idea that stayed with me.” Geiger grew up with an alcoholic father and knew from a young age that her family was different. “There was a lot of embarrassment and shame.” Growing up in Manhattan, she also observed “an accelerated rate of drinking”— how social settings tended to revolve around alcohol.
While in college, she began to think about how the habits kids started to foster during those years were carried into adult life. A few years later, Geiger noted the increase in drinking habits and alcohol sales during the pandemic. “Everyone was bored during COVID and wanted some rituals to help them get through it. Drinking was one of them.” She used 2020 as a time to re-evaluate her own drinking habits, to notice how she felt waking up after drinking the night before. “I wanted to find a nightly ritual that didn’t make me feel bad and also tasted great.”
The non-alcoholic options offered at most restaurants and events felt juvenile and demeaning. “Being the one drinking a soda when everyone else has a glass of wine can separate you from the conversation and the people you’re with,” Geiger explains. “I wanted to provide something up to the caliber of what everyone else was drinking—something sophisticated, with an edge, that was meant to be savored. There wasn’t anything like that out there.”
She’s not alone in that thinking—besides proponents of Dry January and Sober October movements, plenty of folks are interested in foregoing booze these days, and Geiger is eager to tap that audience.
“There’s a wide range of people who want non-alcoholic options,” she notes, “and for lots of different reasons.” Whether you’re pregnant, struggle with addiction, have a medical or health condition, or the usual drinks just aren’t working for you, Figlia offers a fresh, new alternative to change things up. The zero-proof elixir helps you create “sophisticated drinks meant for memorable, leisurely moments.” It’s for “sipping with intention. Not for hangovers” (per the website).
Trusting her gut—and growing strategically
Based on her past jobs, Geiger had some confidence when thinking about starting her own business. But with no experience in food and beverages, she relied heavily on doing her homework. She stresses, “To be successful, you have to do a ton of research, but then it’s about trusting yourself and keeping going.” She credits her creative team at RoAndCo with helping her create her brand (images, colors, mood) and her copywriter with helping her develop her story and identify keywords to guide the marketing.
“I’m all bootstraps, no investors—yet,” Geiger says. But considering the fact that she launched with only an Instagram account (@drinkfiglia) and website (drinkfiglia.com), those straps have proven to be pretty strong. “My own community expanded to all of these other communities,” she says. “We’ve broken our sales record for the past four consecutive months, and that’s with no paid magazine ads, just some ads on social media.”
And as for investors, can we take the “yet” as a clue to future financing? “Definitely. I want to scale alongside our competitors in a healthy way,” she smiles. With one full-time employee and one part-time contractor, it’s still a small enough operation that you might wonder how Geiger keeps up with the increasing demand. “I just work more,” she answers. “Everyone I work with, I went to college with. We’re all women and we enjoy working together. We know who we are as a company and have a stance that won’t be easily changed.”
Creating community, one bottle (or can) at a time
What sets Fiore apart? The taste, for one, which isn’t meant to mimic wine or other spirits the way many nonalcoholic products do. The description: “Fiore bottles the lushness of Italian gardens and the energy of sidewalk dinners in New York City. It is an ode to the spritz, a token of leisure and a reminder to take your time…We recommend Fiore poured over ice, adorned with an orange peel.” The bright red color. The beautiful bottle. The name (Figlia means daughter in Italian), a nod to her inspiration in creating it and the culture the drink comes from. The way it is produced in Utah—the only place that could do the special hot-fill process Figlia requires (sterilizing with heat and then hand-closing it). And the fact that they don’t use any serotonin-altering ingredients (which people on antidepressants need to avoid).
Beyond creating a beverage, Geiger is committed to encouraging people to have honest and inclusive conversations around alcohol consumption. “Figlia aims to better support our best selves, our community, and our planet,” the website explains. “But we can’t do it alone. That is why we support non-profits who are working diligently to help end addiction and support the environment.”
One such nonprofit is the Partnership to End Addiction (committed to empowering families through a unique public health approach to addressing addiction, rooted in science and compassion). Figlia calls this act “sipping for good.” The business also donates to local New York City-based nonprofit environmental organizations through 1% for the Planet.
So for everyone out there who is finding it hard to get through dry January (or dry forever), hang in there. Help is on the shelves, or you can order online. Try something new that promises to give you “all the glam, without the regrets.” Who knows? Maybe Fiore will become your new nightly ritual, too—and your drink of choice “for all the moments you want to remember.”
