Interviews
He Couldn't Find His Beer, So He Built It Himself
How Erik Ellington created Easy Does It to give beer drinkers a crisp non-alcoholic lager without the wellness clichés.
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The non-alcoholic beer aisle has an identity problem. Most brands are trying so hard to look like wellness products that they've forgotten what beer is actually supposed to be.
Erik Ellington didn't want wellness. He wanted a lager.
Easy Does It is his answer — a crisp, refreshing non-alcoholic beer built for people who still want to go out, hang with friends, and have a beer in their hand. No cute cans. No trying too hard. Just a great lager rooted in the counterculture Erik grew up around. We sat down with Erik to talk about launching without the wellness playbook, showing up in the right rooms, and why the brand you love should feel like it was made for the culture you actually belong to.
The Product and Audience: What is Easy Does It and who is it for?
Easy Does It makes non-alcoholic lager for people who love beer but don't always want the alcohol. The brand isn't trying to position itself as a wellness drink or a replacement for beer. It wants to be beer. Crisp, refreshing, familiar, and designed for people who still want to go out, hang with friends, and have a beer in their hand. The brand's identity is rooted in the counterculture I grew up around, with a straightforward approach summed up by our "No bullshit" attitude.
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The Spark: When did you launch, and what made you say "I need to build this"?
The idea started with a simple realization. I couldn't find my beer. I loved lagers, but couldn't find a non-alcoholic option that felt like it was actually made for me. I wasn't looking for a wellness drink, a cute can, or something trying too hard to be different. I wanted a great lager and a brand that felt authentic to my culture. So I decided to build it.
The Launch: When did you launch and how did you create pre-launch buzz?
Easy Does It officially launched on August 7, 2025. My personal Instagram played a major role in getting attention around the brand before and during launch. From there, friends helped spread the word, people showed up, and the brand started building its community through real-world experiences. Rather than relying entirely on traditional advertising, we focused on showing up in places that genuinely represented the brand.
The First 100: How did you find your first customers?
The first customers came through friends, word of mouth, tastings, and events. We intentionally participate in events that reflect the culture surrounding the brand. That means when we show up, we're often meeting people who already understand what Easy Does It is about.
The Advice: What would you tell a first-time founder in their first 90 days?
Stay optimistic, but don't expect success to happen immediately. Stay realistic, avoid taking rejection personally, and remember that your brand won't be the most important thing to everyone. Keep fighting, keep learning, and keep evolving. But don't lose sight of who you are in the process.
The Reality Check: What is the hardest part of this journey that people don't see on social media?
Not every day is a win. For every success, there are plenty of losses that never make it onto social media. We fight for every account, customer, and opportunity, while dealing with long days, rejection, expenses, and plenty of uncertainty. Sometimes I find myself wondering what is going on. Then I get back up and do it again.
The Milestone: What has been your biggest "we made it" moment so far?
One of the biggest milestones was landing a distributor in Los Angeles. But I don't think about Easy Does It as a company that has "made it." We're proud of the wins we've had, but there's always another customer to reach, another account to win, and another place to take the brand. For Easy Does It, we're still just getting started.
The AI Trend: How have you used AI to help your business grow?
AI has become a major organizational and workflow tool for the brand. As a small team operating on a small budget, AI has helped us work more like a much larger company and get significantly more done with the resources available. Creatively, however, we remain pretty old school.
The Horizon: What should we be excited to see from Easy Does It in the next six months?
We're looking to expand beyond our current footprint across Los Angeles, Orange County, and the Inland Empire. The next targets include San Diego and the Coachella Valley. We'll continue showing up where our customers are — skate, surf, chopper, lowrider, tattoo, and music-related events and pop-ups. The goal is simple: keep telling the story, meeting people, and turning customers into fans of the brand.
The Recommendations: What are your favorite under-the-radar brands right now?
Gear: Civilware
The Shop: Where can readers find Easy Does It?
Easy Does It is available at BevMo! locations throughout Los Angeles, Orange County, and the Inland Empire, along with select Bristol Farms, Albertsons, Vons, and Pavilions. By October, the brand expects to be in 42 Whole Foods locations across the same territory, along with select bars and restaurants. Southern California customers can find their closest location at easydoesitbrew.com/pages/find-us. Customers outside Southern California can also find Easy Does It on Amazon Prime.
The Connection: Where is the best place to follow along?
Follow the brand on Instagram at @easydoesitbrew, and Erik on Instagram at @erikellington.
Available across Southern California and nationwide on Amazon Prime.
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