BITE INTRODUCTION
HOW A FAILED IMPORT SPARKED THE IDEA FOR BITE
Welcome to BITE Sized Stories, where we share the journey behind our alcohol-free, organic beverage mixers – starting with one of the most improbable stories in bar history.
— Patrik Drobny
Back in 2018, I was working as a bartender at Restaurant KUL in Copenhagen’s Meatpacking District. At the time, I began importing syrups from Slovakia, my home country. The venture didn’t take off, but it opened doors, expanded my network and gave me an invaluable crash course in the beverage industry.
Soon after, while working long nights and expecting our first daughter, a close friend (and mentor), Troels, nudged me toward starting something new. Not as an importer this time – but as a creator. That spark led me to reconnect with Frederik Selvang, now my co-founder, and together we found the final piece of the puzzle: Dr. Roberto Ferro. We met, fittingly, in a bar – and from that night forward, BITE was born (from 2018-2021 under the name of The Syrup Company).
CRAFTED WITH PURPOSE
Frederik, a business school graduate, assumed the role of the financier of the company, myself I was a bartender and entertainer, so sales and brand representation it was. And Roberto, a scientist with a passion for flavor, helped us transform my small experiments and custom infusions into scalable, high-quality recipes. From the beginning, we committed to hand-crafting alcohol-free, organic mixers made exclusively using raw ingredients. No additives. No preservatives. No artificial flavors or colors. Just pure, certified organic (EU + USDA) product.
LAUNCHING BITE WITH FLAVOR PIONEERS
On February 1st, 2019, our very first BITE Organic Mixer portfolio launched with these partners, who are still with us to this day.
Sonny – eatery
Together with David Anderson we developed Organic Thyme & Lemon, Brønnum – legendary bar, where we developed Raspberry, Strawberry & Buchu together with Nikolaj Brønsted.
Aamanns 1921
Elevated Danish cuisine. We developed Organic Rhubarb & Pink pepper together with the owner and head chef Adam Aamann
No.2
Consulting job where many flavours saw the light of the day. Together with Christina Aarø we developed Organic Basil & Timur berry pepper.
PS Bar & Grill
Legendary brasserie in the heart of Copenhagen. This is where Passionfruit & Milky Oolong was created in collaboration with Chris Borg.
SURVIVING THE STORM, SHAPING BITE
Just 1 year into successful launch, turbulent times hit the whole World and with it also BITE. Covid-19 hit and forced us into survival mode. Sales dropped, but we didn’t give up. We spent those 2 years building relationships, walking into empty bars, restaurants, cafés and hotels to meet owners and teams who finally had the time to talk. Those conversations gave us purpose and shaped the DNA of BITE. From this time onwards we always knew, we will figure it out and that no matter what, we are in it together – amongst ourselves and with our partners.
FROM PREP KITCHEN TO BITE HQ
Since our start, we’ve moved four times to meet the demands and here is a short glimpse into this timeline:
- Teglgårdstræde, Copenhagen (October 2018 – May 2019)
Working in the prep kitchen of our friend’s Speakeasy bar. This is where we defined our portfolio alongside the city’s community of restaurateurs and nightlife visionaries. In year one alone, I personally sampled over 3,000 bottles across Copenhagen. - Nordhavn, Copenhagen (May 2019)
“Squatting” while moving. Totally insane period, where we absolutely need to give thanks to our friends from REBÆL (now Royal Unibrew) who allowed us to store all our equipment while we moved to our new space. This was the helping hand that saved our 6 months old company. We could’ve just walked away. - Amagerbrogade, Copenhagen (June 2019 – January 2021)
The first taste of success was here. We crossed 100 restaurants ordering BITE. We bought our first forklift :D. - Hvidovrevej, Hvidovre (January 2021 – June 2025)
BITE went from 3 team members to 15. We scaled to having our own warehouse, then we acquired new office space – we had office people! Until then we worked from an improvised kitchen / office room. We also exported the first BITEs to Belgium, UK and USA. - Værkstedvej 55D – Our new home (June 2025 – ?)
An incredible space we were longing for, for so long. Playground of ideas, entire team in 1 place shaping the story of BITE.
FROM 10K TO 120K LITERS – GROWING TOGETHER
In 2019, a handsome amount of 10,283 liters of BITE Organic Mixers left our production. In 2025 we are looking to wrap up at 120,000 liters in 2025 – enough for 3.4 million beverages – we’ve grown our production capacity by an average of 45% per year while staying 100% true to our commitment of hand-crafting alcohol-free, organic mixers made exclusively using raw ingredients. No additives. No preservatives. No artificial flavors or colors. Just pure, certified organic products.
Welcome to our community. A community where we inspire each other, learn from each other and grow together!
