Barstool Sports boss Dave Portnoy is taking a starring role in the launch of PHX, a new 12 oz canned line that aims to marry hydration and energy drinks.
The brand, pronounced “phoenix,” is the first product launch from Florida-based startup One 11 Brands, a new venture headed by former AB InBev senior VP Daniel Blake. The new line aims to marry hydration, immunity and energy, combining 200mg caffeine, 100% daily value of eight vitamins, and 700mg of electrolytes from a blend of sodium, potassium, magnesium and calcium.
PHX launches today in New York, Massachusetts and Ohio, and is available in Peach, Lemon Lime, Watermelon Lime, Blueberry Lemonade, Wild Berry and Orange.
Barstool founder Portnoy, best known for his “One Bite” pizza reviews, and his media network have dabbled in beverages previously, through both official partnerships and organic support. Portnoy notably helped to personally promote and popularize High Noon vodka seltzers, including the release of a themed variety pack and a charity initiative. Meanwhile, Barstool has previously signed media sponsorship deals with brands like Phusion Projects, Proper Wild, Owen’s Craft Mixers and Revitalyte.
In this case, Portnoy has joined as a marketing partner and does not have a financial stake in PHX or One 11. Details were scant but PHX says he’s set to “play an instrumental role in the brand’s growth and boost awareness and visibility,” presumably through his 5.6 million followers on Instagram.
“People count on me to be straight with them, so I only get behind products I really believe in,” said Portnoy in a statement. “PHX is legit. It keeps you going when you’re grinding it out and tastes better than the competition. Daniel and his team have nailed it with something different here. I’m all in.”
PHX marks Blake’s first effort as an independent entrepreneur, having spent 10 years in AB’s marketing department working on both import and mainstream domestic beer brands. He departed in 2023 to launch One 11 Brands as an incubator for functional beverages, though the concept of PHX was developed internally after Blake’s market research led him to home in on functionality and branding.
Within the energy category, Blake said he identified hydration, ‘clean’ caffeine and immunity as three in-demand functional benefits consumers were demanding. And on the shelf, he sees white space for a “co-ed” brand that threads the needle between female-skewing and male-centric competitors. The logo and brand name are meant to reflect “overcoming challenges” of all types, and that theme will be incorporated into “a lot of the storytelling we’ll be doing as we launch,” with college athletes being one point of initial focus.
“I felt there was an opportunity for a brand to really be kind of squarely in the co-ed space, maybe skewing slightly more masculine, but that offered this compelling, functional proposition with a clear point of view and a role that it could play in consumers’ lives,” Blake said.
PHX is launching through a handful of DSD wholesalers, starting today with Heidelberg Distributing in Ohio, Manhattan Beer in New York, and Quality Beverage in Massachusetts. Beer distributors from the Anheuser-Busch and Miller Coors networks have been key partners in building next-gen energy brands like Bang, Celsius, Ghost and others into major players, but have also suffered when those brands exited their portfolios.
“For most of these wholesalers, they have the experience and the knowledge on how to grow energy drink brands, but they don’t have the brands in their portfolio today to kind of support that knowledge. We believe Phoenix is going to come in and fill that void in their portfolios,” Blake said.
Blake hopes this is just the beginning for One 11 Brands. While PHX is the immediate focus, the group is also exploring product concepts in categories like modern soda and adult non-alcoholic drinks.
“Our goal is to build a full portfolio of non-alc functional beverage brands in the future,” he said.