Owl’s Brew Names Jeannie Mai as Chief Brand Officer
Hard tea seltzer maker Owl’s Brew has named TV host and activist Jeannie Mai as its chief brand officer, helping guide the company’s marketing and grow awareness.
According to co-founder and COO Maria Littlefield, Mai discovered Owl’s Brew in Whole Foods and “became absolutely obsessed,” prompting her to reach out to the company to seek a partnership. Mai, best known for hosting roles on shows like The Real and Holey Moley, has since worked to promote Owl’s Brew on her social media accounts, including to her 2.4 million Instagram followers. Littlefield noted that Mai brings an “unique perspective” on social and digital marketing techniques to the company and will play a role in driving new campaigns.
“She’s working with us to help expand the brand within her own network,” Littlefield said. “And she’s also working with us to show part of her own background. Tea has always been a part of her life in kind of a medicinal way — her grandmother used to brew tea for her for different ailments. So she has a long history of how tea has been healing for her.”
She will also help Owl’s Brew to develop new flavor innovations which are set to launch later this year.
Mai joins Owl’s Brew as the company experiences roughly 300% year-over-year sales growth and expands into eight new states, for a total of 18, including North Carolina, South Carolina, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Texas, Georgia and Florida. Littlefield said the brand has expanded its presence in Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s stores, as well as adding H-E-B and Publix stores. The brand also introduced this year a new flavor for its Boozy Tea line — Jasmine, Blueberry and Lemon — which is available in a new variety pack.
Founded in 2015 by Littlefield and CEO Jennie Ripps, Owl’s Brew repositioned its core line away from its flagship tea and beer radlers towards the new seltzer-adjacent Boozy Tea line last year. The products contain 4.8% ABV and are available in 6-packs of 12 oz. cans for $10.99. The company also offers a line of cocktail mixers.
In November, the brand expanded its leadership team by bringing on former Ogilvy & Mather executive Rick Roth as its chief strategy officer and former Founders Brewing senior director of U.S. business and chain development Eric Franco as VP of sales.
The company is experiencing new growth as the ready-to-drink cocktail and spiked seltzer categories surge in the U.S. alcohol market. Littlefield said the rising consumer interest in better-for-you alcoholic beverages is fueling Owl’s Brew’s current expansion and the brand is now able to differentiate itself from competitors as an authentic option made using real ingredients.
“It’s a really exciting time for us,” she said. “We’re at this point where the category is evolving. Hard seltzers of course were the beginning of the better-for-you movement and now looking at the hard tea category, there [used to be] very little interest for a long time but now there’s different flavor options, there’s low sugar, there’s low calorie. For us we’re the ‘real’ option and so we’re really thrilled that we’re up.”
Owl’s Brew is currently in the process of closing a series funding round, Littlefield added, which will further fuel the brand’s growth.
The company also announced last month the launch of the Wise Women Collective, a community-based program that seeks to support women’s initiatives and charities, including nonprofit Dress for Success and breast cancer awareness group Keep A Breast. The platform also houses the Boozy Book Club, which launched this month in partnership with author Lauren Weisberger (“The Devil Wears Prada”) and is focused around community building and consumer engagement.
“It’s really just about community,” Littlefield said. “So engaging our community in fun ways, whether that be virtually online or through mentorship programs, Q&A’s and charities. We’re also supporting local women’s gatherings and local women’s charities that you can submit on our website. So they don’t necessarily have to be part of our larger programming, but it’s part of our overall mission to support that community building.”
Tony Kalich Joins Infinium Spirits
Infinium Spirits has named Tony Kalich as its SVP of Sales, Infinium USA, effective June 1. Kalich comes to the company from a 10-year run at Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits where he most recently served as SVP, distributor reactions and sales capabilities.
A subsidiary of Young’s Holdings, Infinium’s portfolio includes nationally distributed brands such as Crystal Head Vodka, Templeton Distillery and Los Arango. According to the company, Kalich will be responsible for leading the U.S. sales organization and will “optimize structure, capabilities, relationships and ways of working to drive sustainable long-term growth” for all of Infinium’s owned brands.
BACARDÍ Names A-K Hada as National Brand Ambassador
BACARDÍ has named New York-based celebrity bartender A-K Hada as a national brand ambassador. Hada is best known for spending six years as the head bartender for cocktail bar PDT and most recently served as beverage director for Dante, both located in New York City. She previously served as a judge during the BACARDÍ Legacy Cocktail Competition in 2018.
“I could not be more thrilled to join the team at BACARDÍ, a brand rich with history, heritage and passion,” Hada said in a press release. “I’ve always sought out to elevate the drinking experience, and I’m looking forward to meeting new communities and sharing the beauty and versatility of BACARDÍ rums.”