A cocktail with Marlous & Mareille

Hi Marlous & Mareille! Welcome to the club. Can you please tell us a bit about yourselves? 

Marlous 

Hi there! So excited to be part of the club! My name is Marlous, I’m 36 years and the co-owner of MOÅ - a natural infused vodka brand that’s all about conscious enjoyment and celebrating life. I live in Amsterdam with my boyfriend Jorgo and our dog Nino. 

I’m somewhere between a city girl and a nature girl. I love Amsterdam’s creative energy and buzz, but I’m equally happy waking up in my camper van somewhere by the sea, watching waves, with the sun on my face while enjoying the stillness. I love dreaming big, building things from the heart, and spending time with my friends that feel like family. 

Mareille 

I’m Mareille, 32 year old entrepreneurial, adventurous, loving mom of 3. One little boy 9m old, one little 4y old girl and my third baby: MOÅ who I co-parent with Marlous. My life is quite chaotic at the moment, but I love every bit of it. I’m passionate about creating the best foundation in life for all three, making them resilient for setbacks, eager to learn from things that don’t work the first try, follow their dreams, always listen to their intuition, have respect for others, but mostly to always be their own beautiful unique selves. 

 

Where did you grow up and where do you live now? 

Marlous 

My youth is a bit all over the place. Literally. I think I’ve hit 6 different primary schools and lived in multiple countries like Oman, Brunei and several cities in the Netherlands. Later on in life I spent a few months living in Sri Lanka, traveled a lot and now, since 11 years, I live in Amsterdam (I just realized it’s the longest I’ve lived anywhere). 

Living abroad and restarting life over and over again is something that forms you deeply. Although no place feels ‘safe’ or ‘at home’ it also made me resilient, comfortable with change and able to connect with many different people and cultures. It’s an experience I now find incredibly valuable in my entrepreneurial journey. 

Mareille 

I grew up in Oostzaan, a small town next to Amsterdam in the Netherlands. Studied in Shanghai, worked in New York, travelled the world to end up living back in Amsterdam together with Noa, Modi and my partner Bas. 

 

What is the story behind MOÅ Vodka? 

MOÅ Vodka was born from the vision of our dearest Tessie. She wanted to create the perfect vodka for a Vodka Soda and MOÅ was the result: an all natural infused vodka with distillations of ginger, bergamot and makrut lime leaves. From taste to branding, it's all her. 

After her sudden passing in 2020, we, together with Tessie’s sister Floor, felt a deep calling to continue what she started and ‘keep her spirit alive.’ We know we are not alone in experiencing loss, and through our journey, we’ve learned that time is precious. We want to inspire people to be more mindful of the beautiful moments we share together. And to really, be here, now. 

Today, we are proud to carry MOÅ forward as a fully female-owned, purposeful brand, expanding in The United States (even with all its challenges), beginning our journey in Paris, learning so much, meeting incredible people and enjoying the journey as it unfolds.

Continuing MOÅ is our way of celebrating life. It’s created and continued with love. 

What are some dreams you have for the future of MOÅ? 

We dream of MOÅ being the go-to choice for a Vodka Soda or a Martini. All around the world. But MOÅ is more than what’s in your glass, it’s our way to inspire to celebrate the people and moments that matter most. 

Ultimately, our vision is to see MOÅ enjoyed in the most beautiful places, turning every moment into a celebration of life, a reminder to slow down, be present, and savor the time we share with others. 

 

What are your favorite parts about going to work at MOÅ? 

We absolutely love that not one day is the same and that the world is our playing field. It also makes it a lot more fun that we’re in this together. We share highs and lows, laughter and tears. It really is a profound experience. 

It’s funny, we really found each other in how we run our business. We’re both guided by intuition and share a sense of “we’ll figure it out as we go.” We trust our gut, follow joy and believe the best ideas come when things flow. 

 

If you could choose any Lepelcub product to serve the tastiest MOÅ cocktail in, what would it be? 

Of course the newest drop with the roses! A pink rose is Tessie’s favorite flower, we often use it in our campaigns, so it really resonates with us. We even dedicated a cocktail to it: the MOÅ Rose. Here’s how to make it: 

Ingredients 

• 60 ml | 2 oz MOÅ Vodka
• 30 ml | 1 oz Fresh lemon juice
• 15 ml | 0.5 oz Rose syrup
• 3 dashes Rose water
• 2 dashes Vegan foamer or 1⁄2 egg white 

Method 

• Combine all ingredients in a shaker and dry shake vigorously.
  
• Add ice and shake again until well-chilled and silky.
  
• Double strain into a chilled coupe.
  
• Garnish delicately with a single rose petal. 

Glass: Lepelclub's Pink Rose Coupe

 

How do you wind down after a long day? 

Marlous

For me, winding down isn’t about one big ritual, but about small moments that bring me back to myself. Somehow, cuddling with my dog really calms me down. It’s the natural, nonjudgmental, fully present aura animals have I think. Movement, the ocean and social interactions also really help me get out of my head. And laughter! A medicine I would say. 

That being said, winding down isn't always as easy when the end of the day often marks the start of the workday in the U.S. ;)

Mareille 

We have this ritual at home, after a long day when the food is on the table we all get to tell how our day was. We “fight” about who gets to tell first, my daughter always wants to go first. We give each other space and truly listen to what happened that day. For me, winding down is when I deeply connect with my kids, (business)partner, sister, parents or even a vulnerable conversation with our babysitter. I can let everything else go in that moment of connection.

Something else I really enjoy is kick-boxing. I love to get my body moving and shake things up, literally. It’s not a very relaxing activity, but I always walk away happy, energized and at ease. As if I had a little reset, “back to normal settings”. 

What’s one thing nobody would expect about you? 

Marlous 

I lived in Breda, in the south of the Netherlands, for quite a few years, and I absolutely love Carnaval. Normally I hate dressing up, but this time of year it’s just something different. For many people it might just look like a “get drunk and party” weekend, but for me and my friends it feels like coming home. Everyone shares the same mindset, you bump into old friends, you laugh, you feel free. It’s pure joy. 

Mareille 

Being a vodka brand owner, people normally don’t expect me to be a holistic health freak. Before becoming the co-owner of MOÅ I was an interior designer. Besides creating an aesthetically pleasing space, it felt weird to randomly design so I needed context and I wanted to understand (personal)spaces on a deeper level. I studied Feng Shui with one of the best teachers in the world. That evolved into understanding other systems as well; Chinese astrology, horoscope, human design (projector 6/2 ;) and ayurveda are also very familiar to me. I recently built a greenhouse in my garden and I’m even starting to make my own tinctures, herb oils and body butters. 

The botanicals used in MOÅ are actually beautifully orchestrated by Tessie, I wonder if she knew the medicinal effects of them. Bergamot, ginger and lime leaves are all working on the digestive system, a great support for the immune system and because of the citrus smell they also work relaxing. 

We’re going to slightly switch up our famous coffee question to something a little more fitting to MOÅ: What’s your go-to cocktail? 

Our forever favorite: a vodka soda. With MOÅ vodka of course. Simple, fresh, pure, we can drink it all night and don’t have any headache the next day. Bonus! 

 

Link to MOÅ's website: https://www.moa-vodka.com/nl