Despite its name, Mom Water is not just gaining traction with its namesake audience. The fruit-infused vodka water that launched out of Indiana last year has made inroads at sporting arenas, college campuses and big box retailers alike. No one was more surprised than the husband and wife founders, Jill and Bryce Morrison.
“Women ages 25 to 45 are still probably the core of our audience,” said Bryce Morrison. “But we got really surprised when we started seeing what was happening around some college campuses in the Midwest.”
Since launching in Indiana and Kentucky in early 2021, the company has grown to distribute in 26 states, landing in chains like Target, Walmart, Total Wine & More, and Kroger. Last year the company sold nearly 40,000 cases; this year, it’s expecting sales will top half a million cases. It’s also the official canned cocktail of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks, and is partnered with the Indiana Pacers and Indiana University Athletics.
That quick growth may be attributed to Jill Morrison’s unwitting discovery of a niche in the ready-to-drink cocktail market while making her own homemade fruit-infused vodka water. Labeled “mom” to warn her children reaching for the bottles in the cooler, “mom water” became a hit at pool parties. When the couple decided to bring the product to market, they tapped into a segment of drinkers who they say weren’t getting their needs met, despite the growing number of RTDs available.
“Originally I was making it to try and be cleaner and healthier, and I think a lot of people coming out of Covid were on that track,” said Jill Morrison.
Vodka water — sometimes without the addition of fruit flavors— is apparently a quiet trend among bar-goers attempting to avoid hangovers and the effects of carbonation. Other RTD brands have capitalized on the better-for-you and premiumization shifts within beverage alcohol by creating low-sugar or low-ABV options, and advertising their use of real spirits and natural ingredients. Spiked coconut waters, for instance, are attempting to tap into coconut water’s reputation as a hydrating drink.
But Mom Water’s founders insist that their product checks several boxes— low 4.5% ABV, natural ingredients, and no carbonation. Vodka also remains one of the most popular spirit bases for RTDs. Still, it’s the branding that the founders say have helped them secure top sales spots at major chains.
“Whenever we say the name, it just instantaneously makes sense to people,” said Bryce Morrison. “We’re celebrating moms, not poking fun at them, but it makes people laugh.”
At the company’s first substantial account, Indiana grocery chain Meijer, the cocktail became the number two gross selling product in its first 12 weeks. It performed similarly well at regional Krogers and Target stores, leading to a nation-wide push.
That doesn’t mean Jill and Bryce Morrison, both former health care professionals, haven’t faced a steep learning curve getting into the alcohol business. Finding a co-packer with a small minimum was a challenge during the height of the pandemic, when most distilleries were making hand sanitizer. They briefly switched earlier this year to accommodate a volume increase before changing again to a third partner. They also hit a branding snafu before even hitting the shelves.
Each flavor of the slim cans carries a mom name and personality quirks— Sandy, the Coconut Mango Mom Water is fun to go on vacation with, for example. The Karen meme, associated with entitled white women, took off after the couple had exhausted their start-up funds on branding and labels, one of which included a lemon-blueberry Karen flavor.
“We didn’t have the money at the time to change it, so we decided to do something positive for the Karens of the world who didn’t do anything but were just named Karen,” said Jill Morrison.
The spin has featured friendlier Karens sharing the beverage on social media, and included a branded collaboration with Bossy Pants Candle Supply on a scented “Not Today Karen” candle.
“The names and personalities will continue, and we have brand innovations still on the horizon that will probably surprise some people,” said Bryce Morrison.
The brand is also looking to roll out distribution to a few more strategic states to hit a 30-state milestone, in addition to several more where it is sold online. Initially financed through a bank loan, the team brought on a third partner to bring in operational expertise before making a national push. Now, the goal is to steadily grow the family business, which counts 19 employees, several of whom are siblings of the founders.
“The whole reason we’re in the market wasn’t to create a brand and pump it up and sell it,” said Bryce. “We have a lot of friends and family that are on our team and our whole thing is we’re having fun.”