Ina Simone Averhals

Founder @ A.I.R. DistillationsInstagram

Producer

A.I.R. DistillationsFounder

Background

Ina Simone Averhals studied commercial sciences (handelswetenschappen) at KU Leuven and holds a master's degree in international entrepreneurship. Her professional background is economic and business-focused, centered on entrepreneurship and innovation.[1]

Averhals and Ruben Van Aken have been partners in both private and professional life for twelve years, a relationship she dated at twelve years as of a February 2026 interview. A.I.R. Distillations emerged from their shared journey through the natural wine world. Averhals has described her motivation for founding a non-alcoholic distillery as rooted in the natural wine movement of roughly ten to twelve years earlier, combined with a personal love-hate relationship with alcohol that led her to seek high-quality natural alternatives.

After leaving Bôtan, Averhals and Van Aken spent approximately one year regrouping before launching A.I.R. Distillations with Alexandre Scott Jones, bringing her distillation expertise to a new venture focused on verjus-based botanical blends. As of a February 2026 interview, the company was bootstrapped, with Averhals working full-time at another company while Van Aken and Jones worked part-time — a deliberate strategy to validate market reach before seeking investment.[2],[3]

Role & Contribution

Averhals is a co-founder of A.I.R. Distillations, alongside Ruben Van Aken and Alexander Scott Jones, and brings experience in distilling and making non-alcoholic beverages. The name A.I.R. is an acronym for the three founders' first names — Alexandre, Ina, and Ruben — and also refers to the volatile air component in which flavor molecules are extracted from botanicals during distillation.[4]

Beyond her business role, Averhals personally cultivates botanicals at the field in the mornings as part of her daily routine before transitioning to business work. She has described A.I.R. Distillations as an "underground underdog activist" brand, positioning the founders as rebels within the beverage industry rather than a polished luxury label.