“I have never drunk alcohol and [have] managed to party all over the world—and quite successfully too,” Waris Ahluwalia tells Tatler. “You could say I was ahead of the curve by a few decades.”
The Indian-American actor and designer is no stranger to the A-list scene, having appeared in several films, including The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004) directed by Wes Anderson and Inside Man (2006) by Spike Lee. Besides acting, Ahluwalia is a mainstay in the world of fashion, art and design and is the founder of House of Waris Collection, a jewellery brand that blends traditional craftsmanship with modern aesthetics.
For decades, Ahluwalia has also been using his platform to advocate for diversity and inclusion in fashion and has been vocal about issues related to race, religion and identity.
In 2007, Ahluwalia launched House of Waris Botanicals, a platform for teas and elixirs. He is now focusing his efforts on the business of celebration with the company’s latest release, a non-alcoholic beverage called Love Conquers All (LCA), which, in his own words “[shows] people how to reclaim this magnificent word [celebration] while removing the hangovers, the calories, the regrets and the sugar”.
Produced in Northwest Oregon, the drink is a combination of pomegranate juice, fermented ashwagandha (a medicinal herb), cardamom extract, cinnamon extract, rose extract, saffron, orange blossom, bourbon, vanilla, bitter orange, damiana, hibiscus and non-alcoholic shatavari (a root used in Ayurvedic medicine)—an ode to nature’s finest offerings.
On May 26, Ahluwalia will launch LCA at Salisterra at The Upper House with a Love Brunch: a family style sharing brunch curated by chef Ricardo Chaneton of Mono. Here, Ahluwalia talks to Tatler about the joys of Hong Kong and taking the time to get LCA right.
Read more: 10 books all foodies should read
Waris Ahluwalia (Photo: Christopher Wray)
What made you decide to launch Love Conquers All in Hong Kong. Why here and why now?Admittedly, I’m a recent convert to Hong Kong’s beauty. My first visit was in 2018 when I came for 36 hours to host a wine auction to benefit Elephant Family, an organisation close to my heart [Elephant Family is an NGO dedicated to preserving Asian elephants]. Mind you, this was all very last minute. The call came in and I was on my way the very next day. I wrote the speech on the plane, landed, went for a walk, had a massage, ate dumplings and before you know it, I was standing on a podium raising money to protect endangered species and prevent human-wildlife conflict. The next day, I went sailing in the harbour and I got to see this beautiful city from a whole other angle. Needless to say, I was hooked and had been fantasising about my return. Kristina [Snaith-Lense, general manager of The Upper House] and I had been chatting about doing something fun at The Upper House years ago. When Lindsay Jang reconnected us, we knew this was the moment. When the time is right, you not only feel it, but the obstacles fall away and a pathway lights up, like a runway for a plane, guiding you. Plus, I get a strong sense this town likes to party.
How has your commitment to creating a more thoughtful way of living influenced your work?To be honest with you, I found myself lost in our maddening world. It’s a world that rewards extreme productivity. We’re always after the next hack, the next shortcut. Even the approach to wellbeing is seen as productivity. It seems like we just exist to increase the GDP of whatever nation we call home. In my research and time with healing practitioners, I found medicinal plants in every indigenous culture across the planet. They served an essential purpose, then and now. It was a way to bond and heal. It can do the same for us today. That’s what it did for me. It’s by no means a magic pill, but a thoughtful step in the right direction. As for consumption, this is what we do. From the moment we are born, we are engaged in consumption of some sort or another. It’s how we approach it that matters. In my work, as in my personal life, I follow the same strategy. Find the best craftsmen and learn from them and their work.
Waris Ahluwalia (Photo: Madisen Square Park)
I get a strong sense [Hong Kong] likes to party.
By - Waris Ahluwalia
What inspired you to create a non-alcoholic drink?For me, zero-proof spirit is not a trend I’m jumping on to. Personally, I’ve never drank and managed to party all over the world—and quite successfully too. You could say I was ahead of the curve by quite a few decades.
Of late, I noticed a wave of non-alcoholic drinks flooding the market. None of them spoke to me or my friends that were increasingly looking to drink less. Every [zero-proof spirit brands] on the market felt like it was an afterthought. Take alcohol and remove said alcohol and voilà! you have a drink you can sell to the masses. What if, instead, we started from scratch? Of course, that takes time, patience and belief that we all deserve better.
How is it that we’ve allowed ourselves to be duped for centuries into thinking that every time we have something to celebrate, it must be alcohol? That is not a natural law, yet a successful manmade marketing tool. And for the record, I’m not interested in just creating another non-alcoholic drink. I’m interested in a new category, one that appeals to both drinkers and non-drinkers. I’m looking to reset and raise the bar. I realise this is no small endeavour. But I’m not interested in small endeavours. I am, however, in the business of celebration.
Do you think you can get consumers comfortable with the idea of not drinking alcohol while still enjoying celebratory occasions? As a non-drinker yourself, have you been able to convince people otherwise?As I embarked on this journey, it became clear to me that the definition of celebration was starting to change. People were opening up to new ideas. We’re responding to consumer demand. It’s never been my interest to convince people to do something other than what they want to do. In my too many years of partying around the world, never did I once try to convince someone about the benefits of not drinking. However, my interest is in providing people with an option that meets the calibre of their lifestyle. To introduce connoisseurship in a market where it doesn’t yet exist.
The reports from around the world show it: there is a growing trend to improve overall health and wellbeing. The numbers point to a global decline of alcohol consumption among Gen Z and even older generations. The science shows that even small amounts of alcohol is dangerous— contradictory to early studies paid for by the alcohol industry. Companies are applying an outdated way of thinking with reliance on alcohol as the benchmark. We’re not pushing a sober movement. We’re just making better beverages for drinkers and non-drinkers alike.
How is it that we've allowed ourselves to be duped for centuries into thinking that every time we have something to celebrate, it must be alcohol?
By - Waris Ahluwalia
Love Conquers All (Photo: courtesy of House of Waris Botanicals)
What sets LCA apart from other sparkling beverages on the market? Non-alcoholic options [that are currently available in the market] are, to be polite, unsatisfactory. De-alcoholised beverages or sugary fruit-based options are high in calories. Anyone who has done any research into health and wellbeing knows the extreme detrimental effect of sugar. In the interest of transparency, I must confess that I just finished off half a bar of dark chocolate. Okay, a bar. Anyway, I didn’t want to put something into the world that I would have to apologise for. We took three years in development to create something that is zero sugar, zero calories, but 100 per cent taste. It’s unapologetic. It’s not dry January. It’s not a sacrifice, but an addition. We sourced the most luscious ingredients from around the world to create a party in your mouth. We don’t lead with the fact that ingredients are organic— for us that’s just the starting point.
One of the core tenets of LCA is rituals. What role do rituals play in your life?Humans have turned to rituals since the beginning of time as a way of connecting with themselves and nature. Almost no other ritual represents celebration like the popping of the cork. Engagements. Birthdays. New Years—and sometimes just a Thursday night. Rituals are passed on through generations and some we create afresh based on our daily routines. For me, rituals are like taking the time to breathe, allowing me to tap into the deeper truths that exist within myself.
What impact do you hope to make through your creative and social impact endeavours? The journey of self-care and wellness cannot be separated from the care of our planet, care of humanity and the other species that co-exist on this planet with us. The world doesn’t need another wellness company or another beverage company. What we do need is a new way to navigate this thing called life, with all its ups and downs and topsy-turvy moments. I can’t help but go back to the word that keeps popping up in our interview—celebration—and the question asked about rituals in my life. It’s more than just a party. It’s rethinking our approach to life. It’s realising every moment in our short lives is worth celebrating. It’s believing that love conquers all. It must.
NOW READ:
Burmese entrepreneur Ivan Pun launches Weizza gin as a tribute to Myanmar’s natural heritage
Hong Kong is over hangovers: How the city’s dynamic nightlife is transforming
COA founder Jay Khan unveils The Savory Project, his second brand to date
留言 0