Staying Dry with Mad Moose
March 13, 2026
Staying Dry with Mad Moose
Words by: MARCIA J. HAMM
Photography by: KRISTEN BUCHHOLTZ
A whiskey alternative that offers quality, flavour and inclusion
Zachary Fritze started Wagon & Co. to help people “stay on the wagon” by creating an alcohol-free product that had all the desirable attributes of whiskey but without the undesirable effects that come with over-consuming it. He named it Mad Moose—a nod, he says, to “moosing around without the mess.” All the fun, but without the
hangover.
Understanding that spirited drinks are here to stay, Fritze’s mission wasn’t about making imbibers feel guilty; it was about creating balance by ensuring non-alcoholic options had representation on store shelves. “You should be able to be silly and chaotic, and have a good time without alcohol,” Fritze says. He also wanted to ride the
growing wave of the non-alcoholic beverage business. “My goal was for everyone to have the feeling of being present; no one is excluded,” he explained.
With an entrepreneurial spirit and a background in brand marketing and advertising, Fritze began his endeavour with extensive research. He wanted to make a product that not only smelled and tasted like whiskey but also felt like it, with a bit of
the spirit’s telltale burn on the finish. His a-ha moment came in 2023 when a friend who no longer consumed alcohol told Fritze the one thing he missed most was enjoying a whiskey with his cigar. That started the process of exploring options for a product that he could either import and promote or create himself. Fritze
hosted tastings with friends to determine the most appealing flavour profiles. What he discovered was clear: people didn’t just want “fancy juice,” but rather, a product that was real, flavourful and authentic. Further research took him to work at a retail wine store to study buying patterns and observe what drove customers to purchase certain products.
