"Celebration, refreshment, satisfaction and conversation need not be at the sacrifice of physical and mental health,” said Melbourne-based engineer-cum-entrepreneur, Julian Sanders.
With a longstanding history working in the beer industry, he knows all too well that finding the right work-life balance can be challenging. Especially when you work with beer day in, day out.
“Drinking in the brewing industry was fun in my the first year, but not in the tenth!” said Sanders, laughing. “There came a time when we wanted something that tasted great, but was also something that we could drink—without a hangover—for the best parts of life.”
It was this desire to enjoy life and to be in the moment that formed the genesis for UpFlow Brewing Collective; a brewery dedicated to crafting a diverse range of full-flavour, non-alcoholic beers.
“Most non-alcoholic beers are weak and watery,” said Sanders. “There’s not much choice, and they pretty much all taste the same. But our 0.5% ABV beers are true, pure 100 per cent all-malt beer, purpose-built for flavour. They stand strong alone.”
Sanders said their IPA and Stout are “full flavoured craft styles”, while he describes the Ultra Pale Lager and Classic Pale Ale as “simple and quaffable, crisp, and refreshing”.
Launched in January 2020, UpFlow Brewing Collective set out to be a global business from the start and today, much of the team is based in Melbourne where beers are developed and brewed for both local and international customers.
Sanders said that last year, during peak of the global pandemic, the brand enjoyed their strongest growth in Australia. He said their ability to retain complete creative control has given them a unique advantage over any competitors.
“We’re a dedicated non-alcoholic brewery—not a brand extension of an alcohol product—and this has given us a moral advantage and market freedom because, for us, the biggest factor was taste as opposed to it being an afterthought, like some other non-alcoholic brands.”
Sanders said making the decision to sell on Amazon.com.au directly to consumers was a no-brainer. “We launched the online store four months ago and we’ve seen revenue increase by a whopping 250 per cent since.
“Utilising Amazon Australia’s selling and delivery services increases our reach, allowing us to trade nationally straight out of the block and, most importantly, it allows us to focus on what we really do well rather than pouring time into engineering e-commerce stores, or negotiating logistics, which is Amazon’s realm of excellence.”
The forthcoming shopping event that is Prime Day will offer Prime members access to tens of thousands of products at discounted prices and the best chance yet to get a taste of UpFlow Brewing Collective’s tasty range of non-alcoholic beers.
“It’s the perfect time to shop,” said Sanders.
UpFlow is one of the Aussie small businesses that will be front and centre during Prime Day and beyond through Amazon Australia’s ‘Shop Local’ store.
