Homer and Bart Simpson insist you can't win friends with salad. Local New Jersey entrepreneurs, Allie Sabol and Haley Telling from Summit, NJ, prove that you can!
As neighbors that became fast friends, Allie and Haley would enjoy cocktails in their backyards while sharing the details of their lives. They’d inevitably wind up in one of their two kitchens pulling fresh produce out of the fridge to concoct that evening’s refreshing bevvie. Just two friends, squeezing lemons and muddling herbs into their vodka sodas while laughing over the day’s events. When they’d go into town for dinner or drinks they could be overheard giving a list of ingredients to bartenders who’d recreate these kitchen recipes. They wanted a drink with flavor and freshness - not sugar. Something crisp and clean, not artificial. Realizing there was a large void in the cocktail market, the two friends set out to fill it.
That was 2021 and both Allie and Haley were already pretty stinkin’ busy. Allie was Managing Partner at a global ad agency raising 2 kids now in high school. Haley was managing the chaos that comes with having 4 children in 4 years and a successful career in sales. Pushing time and capacity limitations aside, Allie and Haley chose to focus on the potential that resided in their new product offering, and the strength of their partnership to bring it to market. Haley’s knowledge of hospitality, nutrition and sales combined with Allie’s expertise in brand design and market strategy, shaped the business case for these two friends to take a leap. They would marry their individual strengths with their shared resilience to launch a cocktail brand and business. They would create Vodka Salad, a ready-to-drink canned craft cocktail. High in flavor, low in sugar. And simply delicious.
The vision for Vodka Salad was clear: It would be homegrown in the Garden State of New Jersey. All ingredients would be premium quality; from the vodka, to the fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices. Sights were set on finding the perfect ABV (Alcohol By Volume), eventually landing on 5.5% which equates to a shot and a half of vodka (because doesn’t everyone deserve a little more than a shot?) They would start with a limited number of flavor variations in favor of quality, and they would give their heart and soul until it was packaged and on shelves for all to enjoy. This, it turns out, would take some time.
Even with their combined expertise across business strategy, marketing and sales - Allie and Haley had to navigate the unchartered territory of small business ownership and the challenges that exist (specifically in NJ) around alcohol manufacturing and distribution. They found themselves spending over a year in flavor development alone. Because even with deep personal and financial investments at stake, they agreed that if it wasn’t delicious, it wouldn’t launch. They found their unicorn in New Jersey-based beverage formulation company Metabrand. Proving to be an invaluable partner, Metabrand completed countless tastings and recipe adjustments. Some days the ladies would just show up at Metabrand’s lab in Edison, NJ with a new variety of mint or a tweak to add more fresh ginger. And when they finally had three distinct, yet equally satisfying Vodka Salad flavors, they were ready to launch. That is until New Jersey licensing laws said otherwise. With patience and persistence, Allie and Haley pushed through challenge after challenge. And in the fall of 2023, their dream became reality when 6-pack cartons lined the shelves of select NJ stores. "Meet the Salads": Cucumber/Lemon/Mint; Ginger/Lime/Pomelo; and Strawberry/Lemon//Basil.
Entrepreneurial thinking is one thing - putting it into practice is another. This is where the value of genuine friendship comes into play. Allie and Haley’s trust in each other is surpassed only by their commitment to one another. It is the fuel that has powered this inspiring duo to the current day where their “backyard bevvie” is now Vodka Salad selling in over 350 stores and restaurants across NJ and Maryland. The admiration they feel for each other is obvious: “She’s a natural born sales woman, a great connector” says Allie of Haley. And when Allie is out of earshot Haley smiles and says “I’ve always trusted my heart and gut first. I knew I could do this only with Allie”. The freshest of ingredients muddled with aromatic herbs, mixed with premium vodka, is an undeniable combination. But the deep pride that these two friends share in their respective choice of partner, that is clearly the winning recipe.