Spherification is a culinary technique you may associate with haute cuisine and cooking contests, but it is coming to the rest of us, too. Case in point: Las Jellys and its solid cocktails encapsulated in a gel sphere.
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This time, no need to go to El Bullí or any waiting list to experience this innovation. Las Jellys does have a physical store in Barcelona, but also sells its cocktails through delivery apps and direct-to-consumer via e-commerce all across Spain.
According to its cofounder, Daniel Roig Canelles, the Spanish startup came up with this sales strategy as a response to evolving consumer behavior.
Las Jellys: Reinventing the Cocktail Experience at Home
“My partner and I are cocktail enthusiasts, and during the COVID-19 pandemic, when all the bars were closed, we realized that people were changing their consumption habits. We set out to bring the cocktail bar experience to people’s homes,” Roig Canelles said.
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Creating the Perfect Mix: The Science Behind Las Jellys’ Spheres
With combined expertise in business management, creative food development, and technical innovation, Las Jellys’ cofounders also wanted to get the exact right mix for its spheres.
In competing products such as gummies, Roig Canelles said, “the experience is nothing like, for example, having a margarita, and is disappointing for the consumer.” That’s because “alcohol level is usually very low and does not reproduce the complexity of a real cocktail in the mouth.”
Las Jellys differentiates by offering higher alcohol content in its cocktail spherifications — 19º. But it also caters to the rise of non-alcoholic beverages with mocktails.
Beyond drinks, Las Jellys is also inspired by desserts. “My partner Pablo is Mexican, and gelatin desserts are very common in his country, so we decided to combine this tradition with modern molecular mixology,” Roig Canelles said.
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Despite this nod to tradition, Las Jellys’ growth is driven by the fact that its format is new and fun. This drives organic word of mouth, but the startup has also relied on influencers on Instagram and TikTok, targeting users of these platforms aged 28-40, predominantly women.
“The most popular occasions for consuming the product are parties, or gifts for couples,” Roig Canelles said, adding that this celebratory aspect also works well beyond B2C. “In the B2B market, we are beginning to find that the product is perfect for all kinds of people and attracts a lot of attention at any brand event or celebration.”
This led Las Jellys to start selling its products to event and catering companies, a segment in which it hopes that its strong customization options will be a differentiator.
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Las Jellys’ Future Plans: Expansion and Product Development
Having generated almost $100k in revenue last year, the startup is now seeking to close a round of funding that will help it scale and begin its geographic expansion in 2025, Roig Canelles said. “We want to turn Las Jellys into a popular new commodity worldwide, and to achieve this, we must be able to seize the short window of opportunity before us.”
The team sees France as an ideal market for the first step of its expansion, and it plans to use its participation in SIAL to connect with potential investors and partners who can help it grow internationally.
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Las Jellys will also soon have more to showcase, Roig Canelles said. “At the end of the year, we will launch the new version of the product, which addresses all the shortcomings of the MVP, allowing us to target retail, HORECA, and international markets.”
The main difference of this new version is that it won’t need to be refrigerated, giving it more distribution flexibility thanks to a much longer shelf life. A longer shelf life: That’s the best we can wish for Las Jellys, which is working hard to make sure its spheres become a staple, not a fad.
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