At a time when the world is shifting online, New York-based Owen’s Craft Mixers has secured an influential new digital partner: men’s lifestyle media company Barstool Sports.
Last month, Owen’s was named as the official cocktail mixer for Barstool, which produces a variety of multimedia content on its platform, including sports, food, entertainment, fitness and lifestyle. In January, the company was valued at a reported $450 million, having generated between $90 million and $100 million in annual revenue for 2019.
Josh Miller, co-founder at Owen’s, said he initially reached out to a friend at the company to gauge Barstool’s interest in a potential partnership, only to find the company eager to try the products and get to know the brand. The multi-year deal, which does not involve any financial stake or investment on Barstool’s part, developed from there. Thus far, Owen’s has been highlighted as a featured sponsor in Barstool’s videos, while also getting worked into native content from the company’s on-air talent, such as on Dave Portnoy’s “One Bite Pizza Review” series on YouTube and Instagram.
“What our bartenders and amazing bar and restaurant partners had done for us over the last four years is driving trials for Owen’s behind the bar,” he said. “What Barstool has done is given it that validity that people needed to be drinking this during quarantine.”
Within its role as the official cocktail mixer of Barstool Sports, Owen’s is aiming to continue developing its association with sports and sports fans. Shortly before the coronavirus pandemic began spreading across the U.S. in March, the company partnered with Dallas-based golf course operator ClubCorp to secure placement for Owen’s in 220 courses around the country, and Miller is hoping to further link itself to the sport by serving as the presenting sponsor for Barstool’s gold podcast Fore Play. Owen’s is currently sold in over 25 professional sports parks, including Citi Field in New York and Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, and Levy Restaurants, which operates over 200 sports and entertainment venues worldwide, is an investor.
“The Barstool effect is so real,” he said, noting that sales have increased 300% ovet the past two months. “At a time when we were thinking about how to deal with the loss of half our business (from on-premise), us putting this deal together and announcing it has seen our retail numbers go through the roof. The enormous growth we’ve seen from this is a testament to Barstool Sports’ pure reach and how they are able to get to the consumer.”
While Barstool’s audience skews towards younger, male sports fans, Miller said he doesn’t believe working with Barstool will hamper the brand from making inroads with high-end bars or other potential partners.
“I look at Barstool Sports as a way to get an audience excited about something,” he said. “The most important piece of working with Barstool is that they can help tell the story of why Owen’s is important and why it is great. I don’t think it pigeonholes us to one type of audience.”
The partnership with Barstool is part of a broader effort by Owen’s, hastened by the coronavirus pandemic, to build an online presence. The brand launched online direct-to-consumer sales via its website on April 15, and has since been added on Amazon, with placement on Walmart.com also approved.
The pivot is happening as Owen’s is also adapting to new realities offline. At retail, Miller said that store category resets have been pushed back due to COVID-19, as essential goods are prioritized. Owen’s products are currently sold in 6,000 locations nationwide, including Walmart, Safeway, Ralph’s and Bristol Farms. Meanwhile, to support its on-premise partners that are doing take-out and delivery, the brand introduced cocktail to-go kits for at-home preparation, recently landing Japanese steakhouse chain Benihana’s as a partner for a Moscow Mule kit.
Against the backdrop of crisis, however, Owen’s is pushing ahead: the brand has not been forced to make layoffs, Miller noted. But it is preparing to release two new SKUs — Cranberry Lime and Margarita Mix sweetened with agave — this month.
“I’m really proud that we have our entire team still,” he said. “They are growing our market numbers in every market, which is impressive, given that the first two weeks I felt like a bomb was dropped on us. So that’s refreshing to say we are coming out of this stronger than before.”
Note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly noted that Owen’s has laid off some employees. The article has been updated.