Like most college students, Della Daml and Josephine Miller, undergraduates at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, wanted to have fun socializing with their friends—but they had no desire to drink.

They aren’t alone. The sober-curious movement has gained popularity among younger generations in recent years. According to a 2023 Gallup poll, the number of adults under age 35 who say they drink has decreased from 72% to 62% in the past two decades. Young adults are also drinking less frequently overall and are less likely to drink excessively.

“We saw a shift in our generation of being more health- and wellness-focused, but there were no good [drinking] options that were healthy and gave a similar emotional experience as alcohol,” says Daml.

Then Daml and Miller learned about adaptogens, “ingredients in certain plants and mushrooms that may impact how your body deals with stress, anxiety, and fatigue,” according to the Cleveland Clinic. They can be taken as tinctures, or added to food or beverages, to help your body manage physical and mental stressors.

The discovery inspired them to create Charm in 2025, a non-alcoholic “social tonic” brand “centered around approachability, offering simple flavors, all-natural ingredients, familiar branding, and a low-calorie, low-sugar profile that tastes like a seltzer,” says Miller, co-founder and CSO.   

Featuring a catchy slogan—“For the nights you’ll want to remember”—each can of the lemon-ginger tonic is packed with an adaptogen blend of lion’s mane, l-theanine, lemon balm, and schisandra to ease anxiety, reduce stress, improve mood, and boost energy and focus, among other benefits, according to the company website.

“I am passionate about helping others with their health and wellness, and Charm aligns with my personal mission to support people with their health journeys so they can live their lives to the fullest,” Miller says on her LinkedIn page. Miller’s knowledge of herbal remedies, from her time working as a medical preceptor at a naturopathic medicine clinic, was key to developing the recipe for Charm Social Tonic.

In the coming months, Daml and Miller, who are taking preorders on their website, charmtonic.com, hope to launch into retail, fulfill preorders, and develop Charm’s second beverage flavor, based on customer feedback they’ve received.

“Our biggest challenge was growing our company as students,” says Daml, Charm’s co-founder and CEO, who graduated in the spring of 2024. “We started our company while in school, so we had to balance a full course load, building a company from the ground up, and part-time jobs on top of that. We overcame this challenge through dedication and the mentorship of our professors and other local small business founders in Minneapolis.”

For example, the founder of BŪCH—a now-closed kombucha and seltzer fermentary and taproom in Northeast Minneapolis—mentored Daml and Miller through the creation of Charm, helping with product formulation and production at cost. Many other small businesses have also expressed willingness to lend their experience and expertise to help the young entrepreneurs.

“I have been amazed by the number of people in the small-business community who have been willing to help us,” says Miller. “There is a real community here.”

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