Tom Holland: Brewing Up Sobriety and Breaking Into Beer

For Tom Holland, sobriety didn’t just transform his life—it inspired his first business venture. The Spider-Man star is launching Bero, a non-alcoholic beer line created in collaboration with Imaginary Ventures and seasoned brand-builder John Herman. Holland shares, “As a celebrity, you’re constantly offered brand deals, but I never found anything I felt truly passionate about—until now.”

After becoming sober, Holland explored the world of non-alcoholic beers and saw an opportunity to make an impact. “When I got sober, I realised there was room for me to fit into this space,” he explains. While the non-alcoholic beverage market is rapidly growing, Holland’s decision to launch Bero wasn’t just about capitalising on the trend—it was deeply personal.

“My first year of sobriety was really difficult. If I had Bero back then, it would have made things easier,” he admits. Bero represents more than just a product; it’s a reflection of Holland’s journey and commitment to creating something meaningful for others navigating similar paths.

Tom Holland candidly shared his struggle with alcohol, describing himself as someone who couldn't stop at just one beer. He recognised he had been grappling with a drinking issue for some time.

The turning point came during Dry January, a UK public health initiative encouraging people to abstain from alcohol for 31 days. Holland found the challenge incredibly difficult. What started as a month-long commitment extended into February, then March, as he challenged himself to prove he could control his drinking.

His personal goal was to remain alcohol-free until his birthday on June 1st, using this milestone as a test of his ability to manage his relationship with alcohol. The experience became a transformative journey of self-discovery and personal control.

“By the time I'd done six months, I started to feel great,” he said. "It was very difficult, it has been the hardest thing I've ever done, and arguably the greatest achievement of my life. I'm very proud to be sober today.”

Despite the challenges Holland faced, he recognised a gap in the market for high-quality non-alcoholic beverages, particularly those appealing to former beer enthusiasts. This realisation both frustrated and inspired him.

The non-alcoholic beer sector is experiencing significant growth, driven by increasing consumer interest in healthier lifestyles and mindful drinking habits. In 2023, the global non-alcoholic beer market was valued at over $34.1 billion, with projections indicating a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.6% through 2028, according to industry reports from Statista and SkyQuest.

To turn his vision of becoming a major player in this market into reality, Holland knew he needed a strong business team. He partnered with John Herman, former President of Nutrabolt, as Bero's co-founder and CEO. Herman brings over 20 years of brand-building experience, having previously managed global sales, marketing, product development, and innovation for C4 Energy, contributing to Nutrabolt's $3 billion valuation and 30% acquisition by Keurig Dr. Pepper.

Holland acknowledges the complexity of starting a business, saying, "I could never do this alone. I feel like I have a real entrepreneurial mind... but there's so much to it logistically."

Both Holland and Herman emphasise the intense effort they've put into the project. Holland adds, "Safe to say, we've been absolutely grinding. And I came onto this project with this idea of, like, I'll sit in a few meetings and look at some swatches... Cut to John and I on the phone all day, every day, with each other. It's been intense, "highlighting the unexpected level of involvement and dedication required in bringing Bero to life.

Tom Holland admits that launching a business like Bero has been a monumental task. “What surprised me the most is that building a business like this is less about having a great idea and more like moving a mountain. I’m very lucky that John is capable of moving mountains,” he says.

Although John Herman wasn’t on a sobriety journey himself, he was inspired by the evolving relationship people have with alcohol. When Holland and Imaginary Ventures approached him with the idea for Bero, he couldn’t resist. “I was at a point where I was reflecting on what I wanted to do next in life,” Herman shares. “Meeting Tom and hearing about non-alcoholic beer really resonated with me. As I’ve gotten older, my relationship with alcohol has changed—I have a five-and-a-half-year-old daughter, and I can’t afford to wake up feeling less than great.”

Herman adds, “It was exciting to build something with a clear need in mind. Sure, we want to create a successful business, but the motivation wasn’t about building a billion-dollar empire—that might be the result—but we wanted to create something truly special.”

The journey to craft Bero’s three distinct beers wasn’t easy. Starting in November 2023, Holland and Herman set out not just to make one great non-alcoholic beer but three exceptional ones: Kingston Golden Pils (a crisp European-style pilsner), Edge Hill Hazy IPA (a tropical New England-style IPA), and Noon Wheat (a classic cloudy wheat beer with a citrus finish).

“It was fun but daunting,” Holland recalls. “We had set ourselves a release date, but we hadn’t quite cracked it yet.” For months, Holland hosted tastings with friends and family, asking them to rate samples on aroma, taste, carbonation, finish, and more. The process didn’t start smoothly. “The first round was... interesting,” he says with raised eyebrows. “Zendaya hates beer—absolutely hates it—and when she said the first samples were tasty, I thought, ‘That’s probably not a good sign,’” he laughs.

With the help of master brewer Grant Wood, they refined the recipes through countless iterations. Samples were even sent across the Atlantic while Holland performed in Romeo & Juliet in London. “I remember coming off stage during the second act, seeing new samples in my dressing room, and thinking, ‘They’re non-alcoholic—why not try one now?’ It wasn’t good,” he jokes. “That night’s death scene was probably my most authentic because I was so stressed about getting the liquid right.”

After months of hard work, they finally perfected the beers. “When we nailed it, it felt like music was playing in the background,” Herman jokes. Holland adds with his trademark humour, “Either everyone in my life is lying to me or we’ve somehow bottled liquid gold.”

Next came designing the aesthetics to match the product. Holland wanted to avoid the typical blue branding of non-alcoholic beers (like Beck’s Blue or Heineken 0.0) because it often makes drinkers stand out in social settings. Instead, Bero opted for gold cans—unique enough to stand out but classic enough to feel at home in any pub setting.

“When all you want is to blend in, you don’t want a big blue bottle screaming ‘non-alcoholic,’” Holland explains. The gold cans perfectly capture Bero’s essence: timeless yet distinctive—a reflection of Holland’s vision for creating something meaningful and inclusive for all drinkers.

When Herman shared a video of the final product rolling off the production line, Holland couldn’t hold back his emotions. “I felt incredibly moved when you sent that,” he recalls. “Given how challenging my journey to sobriety has been, it truly feels like a special experience, one filled with purpose.”

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