Linda reckons you can 'Sip like a sinner, feel like a saint'
HER NAME
LINDA
MAKES SIPS AT
SAINT + SINNER
"Sip like a sinner, feel like a saint" is Saint + Sinner's mantra they live by. In other words, this shit is delicious and is also good for your gut. I think we've found our soulmate in the form of a ready-to-drink beverage.
Linda started Saint + Sinner after suffering with health concerns and struggling to still enjoy a bev (or three) without feeling crappy from sugar and preservatives. Taking matters into her own hands, she decided to take the benefits of kombucha and turn it into the perfect RTD.
Handcrafted ethically and organically in the Illawarra, Linda is all about still having a good time without the nasties, so we really get the best of both worlds.
“I want them to go, ‘That’s a drink I can have without feeling super guilty.’ We put so much pressure on ourselves: Trying to look good, trying to be fit and then we go and blow it all on the weekend.”
SIP’ER: How did you start Saint + Sinner?
LINDA: It’s been such a fun journey. I’m very anti-sugar, so I used to make kombucha at home and I was making litres and litres of it. I was then trying to find an alcoholic drink that didn’t give me massive headaches, so I used to add vodka or whatever I had - to the kombucha! I soon realised it was a really nice, easy drink because I didn’t get bloated, I didn’t get a headache, I didn’t get a hangover the next day. So it was always a dream to make our own product. I said to my husband, “One day, we’re going to make our own kombucha and we’re going to call it Saint + Sinner.” I’m sure he thought “yeah, right, whatever…”. But then, when lockdown happened, I thought it was the perfect time to do some due diligence and see if there was an opportunity for it. So it’s been a very selfish business choice because I love it. It gets to the point where if we go out to a restaurant or bar and they don’t have Saint + Sinner, I just don’t drink. So that’s how it came about. Just from the desire to have a drink I could enjoy that didn’t make me feel sick.
SIP’ER: And I guess that’s why you called it Saint + Sinner, right?
LINDA: That’s right. Look, I know there’s still harms associated with alcohol, but we can reduce the other harms like preservatives and sugar - people underestimate just how damaging sugar is. I think Saint + Sinner gives you that balance.
SIP’ER: What’s been a career highlight for you?
LINDA: Even just going to events and you see people sitting around drinking Saint + Sinner, and you pinch yourself and go, “That’s ours!!”. It’s a bit surreal to be honest. I also love that it shows you that anything’s possible. To create a business from a pain point - something that solves a very clear need, is a really great reason to start a business.
SIP’ER: So what’s the timeline of when you started this?
LINDA: The first idea came to me while in Byron Bay, sitting at a bar about 4 or 5 years ago. We ordered a kombucha with a spirit, and we thought it tasted so great. And then actually doing something about it would have been in the first lockdown… Terrible how we define time by lockdowns [laughs]. We gathered all the alcoholic kombuchas we could find and they didn’t do much for us... Like, I went to uni and I can drink passion pop!
SIP’ER: Hahaha, that’s the quote for the interview.
LINDA: Then we just bought a heap of normal kombuchas to try and get the flavour we wanted. It’s amazing to have it manufactured in Wollongong - I grew up here so I’m very proud that this is a born-and-brewed in the ‘Gong business. We knew we were taking a risk, but isn’t that what life is all about? If you play it safe, you don’t get the magic. So we just went, “No matter what, we’ll have a drink that we can enjoy.” We then started making and testing the flavours. The Pine Lime Coconut was the hardest one to get right. When we did our first big bulk order, there was a few months between saying “yep, go ahead” and getting the final product. We were very nervous the day we picked it up.
SIP’ER: Well our personal favourite is the Pine Lime Coconut, so we know you nailed it!
LINDA: We really can’t say which flavour is more popular than another. It’s quite amazing.
SIP’ER: What’s the hardest part of your job that people may not know about?
LINDA: I guess cash flow in the early days of a business! You’ve gotta invest so much money upfront and it really takes a long time to get it off the ground. But you’ve got to look at the bigger picture and the long-term plan. And really stay committed. One of the things we do really well is take challenges and pivot: Let’s not push it, let’s not rush it - let’s just let it run and evolve and use this time to gain confidence in what we created. And we really have! I have to say, we love what we do. We love that it’s a family business. So yeah, it’s a challenge, but you also wouldn’t want it to be smooth sailing, that would be boring!
SIP’ER: We totally feel you on the cash flow front. We also think a lot of people see the Instagram posts, the events we do and there’s actually so much more that you don’t see to make it work.
So, after a really long day of facing challenges, what flavour do you most feel like drinking?
LINDA: It actually changes! When we first started, I smashed the Watermelon flavour. I’m probably more of a Passionfruit girl these days though. I do like to mix some coconut milk and ice with the Pine Lime Coconut… and I get a “healthier” Pina Colada!
SIP’ER: Ooooh - we’re going to try that!
What do you want people take away from the experience after drinking Saint + Sinner?
LINDA: I want them to go, “That’s a drink I can have without feeling super guilty.” We put so much pressure on ourselves: Trying to look good, trying to be fit and then we go and blow it all on the weekend. For me, I want people to think they can have a drink, be responsible and that’s totally okay. I just want them to enjoy it, to be honest, they’ve earned that drink! We’ve done everything we can do to make a less-harmful drink. We’re also a small family business - I think it’s a great initiative to support small businesses. But at the end of the day, we’ve just got to enjoy it.
SIP’ER: It’s the balance! So what’s the best way to drink Saint + Sinner? Your ideal situation?
LINDA: We’ve got an outdoor spa so we love sitting out there with an ice cold Saint + Sinner. It’s gotta be super cold. I love the Pine Lime Coconut by a fire. We’ve also seen Watermelon cocktails as well! It’s just gotta be really cold, and with a friend.
SIP’ER: If you had to match one of your flavours with your personality, which would it be?
LINDA: The Pine Lime Coconut. You’ve got this mixture: In terms of my personality, there are so many elements that come together and they just work. You get surprised by the different flavours - sometimes you drink it and you’ll get the lime flavour, sometimes you’ll get the coconut standing out - so I guess for me, that’s it. There’s different elements to who I am, and I’ll show up differently depending on the situation.