Liquid Confidence

From Fitness to Founder

While working in tech in San Francisco and side-hustling as a personal trainer, Liquid Confidence™ (LqC) co-founder Confidence Udegbue was constantly being asked how his clients could consume alcohol in a healthy way. Fast-forward to his MBA journey at Kellogg, Confidence found his co-founders through their mutual passion for mindful drinking.

In search of an elixir to support the lifestyle they sought, co-founders Confidence Udegbue, Ashley Sherman, Catherine Lamb, and Dennis Wong created the first and only liquor-based hard kombucha on the market.

Stay Fit, Get Lit

Kombucha is a fermented tea with functional benefits that is incredibly versatile, but is currently most popular among fitness enthusiasts and female consumers. The LqC team realized that consumers of alcoholic beverages are actively seeking products that will help them balance their healthy lifestyles and social lives, and that kombucha offered the perfect base for their beverage.

Liquid Confidence preserves the functional benefits of kombucha, while being refreshing and high ABV for consumers. Their brewing expert, Cat, developed a process whereby they brew the base kombucha in 7-10 days (depending on the variety), then top it off with the designated natural flavor, and finally alchemize with premium liquor. They launched with two flavors - Lemon Ginger Bourbon and Grapefruit Jalapeño - and are live on Tock taking orders for those in the Chicago area.

A Stacked Team

Liquid Confidence is black, female, and Asian founded, bringing a new face to historically white and male dominated industries. However, the team’s impressive diversity spans beyond their demographics. With experiences across strategy consulting, alcohol sales, investment banking, product marketing, food technology, and functional fitness, the Liquid Confidence team has been able to make quick, informed decisions and pivot when necessary as they’ve launched the brand. Kellogg classes and resources like The Garage at Northwestern have helped the team navigate testing, launching, legal barriers regarding the sale of alcohol, and technology decisions to power their operations. The team has spent the last few months focused on streamlining their operations and nailing customer acquisition and retention.

Looking Ahead

To date, Liquid Confidence has been bootstrapped by the founding team and from grants. Looking ahead, the team is hoping to fundraise in Q4 of 2021, following their co-packing pilot run for major retail and in premise placements. They are seeking a partner that understands the importance of the brand in this space. For more information and to join the ‘PRIDE’, visit https://liquid-confidence.com/.