Non-alcoholic beverage business fostered out of 25 years of friendship

Two best friends had a running joke between them that if they ever had a good business idea, they would pitch it to the other.

Now, they are starting to introduce their non-alcoholic beverages into Regina restaurants and stores.

Nish Jain and Liam Nystuen have been best friends for more than 25 years. The pair operates a business, Alchømy Alternatives, provinces apart.

“I joke that now that I’ve started this business, I’ve talked to him more than I’ve talked to him in my whole life,” said Jain.

The two met in kindergarten and later found out they grew up down the street from one another. They attended the same high school and the University of Regina together.

“It could have gone one of two ways: Either we ended up absolutely hating each other or becoming best friends. Luckily it was the latter,” Jain said with a laugh.

Nystuen pursued a career in accounting while Jain went to Toronto to study law, but their relationship remained close. While in separate jobs, Nystuen always had an interest in running a business.

“I just always had that spirit that I wanted to start something and turn it into a business,” Nystuen said.

Their business, Alchømy Alternatives, grew out of ideas from the pandemic.

Around that time, Jain mentioned that he was cutting back on his own alcohol consumption, something that Nystuen was also doing.

“We both still enjoy an alcoholic beverage now and again, but I think the days of heavy drinking are now behind us. I mean, there’s a lot more enjoyment that can be had from alternatives for sure,” said Nystuen.

With ideas put into motion in early 2021, they started to establish the business in 2022. Part of the fun was how new the world of beverages was to Nystuen and Jain.

“It wasn’t because we were experts. It was almost flying in the face of events. Because we weren’t experts, we were able to learn so much and get so much more excited about the idea,” said Nystuen.

Their product, Alchømy Oak, is inspired by bourbon. It’s carried at Regina stores like Lakeview Fine Foods and Urban Cellars on Quance Street. It’s also in Regina restaurants like The Cure Kitchen + Bar, Cathedral Social Hall, The Hampton Hub, and Crave Kitchen + Wine Bar.

Different spirit alternatives are on the horizon. Eventually, they hope to roll out some of the products to Ontario soon, where Jain still lives.

Both agreed they were glad to keep their friendship strong 25 years later.