Seattle-based The Pathfinder Hemp and Root, the fermented and distilled non-alcoholic amaro, announced a strategic investment from Stoli Group, New York.

“We are excited about investing in The Pathfinder Hemp and Root and the diversification it brings to the Stoli Group portfolio,” said Damian McKinney, Global CEO of Stoli Group, in a statement. “The Pathfinder is a true trailblazer in the zero-proof category and as this massive shift in the culture of socialization continues, The Pathfinder and Stoli Group combo creates limitless possibilities.”

The Pathfinder raises the standards of flavor and quality for the non-alcohol category and was the No. 1 selling product this year in many non-alcohol retailers across the country, including Met Market in Seattle, Wellspent in Portland, as well as New York's Amor Y Amargo, Boisson, Spirited Away and Minus Moonshine, plus Atlanta’s The Zero Proof and The Zero Co., Los Angeles' New Bar, Pittsburgh's Open Road, and Virginia's Point 5, which when overwhelmed with interest, met demand by limiting purchases to one bottle for each customer a day, according to the company.

“We have won over a lot of skeptics who didn’t believe that non-alcoholic options would find a place in the beverage world,” said Kraig Rovensky, global ambassador for The Pathfinder Hemp and Root. “We’re blazing a trail for those who want to try something different ― and the demand we’ve seen in the past few months proves that zero-proof spirits are here to stay.”

The Pathfinder Hemp and Root is a non-alcohol spirit made from fermented and distilled hemp to deliver the intense flavor and aromatic characteristics of a spirit, the company says. 

Inspired by the age of apothecaries and the homemade remedies often employed by pioneers' homesteaders and snake oil salesmen alike, The Pathfinder Hemp and Root equally hearkens to a bygone age as it raises the standard of flavor and quality in non-alcohol spirits with an eye to the future, the company says.  

Inspired by the golden age of cannabis and flourishing in top cocktail bars and coffee shops, The Pathfinder Hemp and Root raises the standard of flavor and quality in non-alcohol spirits with an eye to changing the future of socialization, it adds. In drinks, The Pathfinder behaves like a spirit and can be served in coffee, sipped neat, served on the rocks, or used as the base of a cocktail.

“The Pathfinder is a pioneering non-alcoholic spirit made from fermented and distilled hemp resulting in a highly unique bitter, sweet, and complex elixir that is remarkable and highly versatile,” said Guy Escolme co-founder, in a statement. “In a world of imitation, The Pathfinder is a true disruptor, endorsed by trailblazing bars and world-class bartenders who prioritize innovation over imitation. The Pathfinder and Stoli Group embarking on this new journey together is truly a new frontier.”