Brooklyn Brewery sports a nice selection of non-alcoholic beers with its Special Effects series — a pils, hoppy amber, IPA and this sweet NA variety pack. Brooklyn Brewery is also an investor and partner in other breweries — from its minority investments in 21st Amendment and Funkwerks to its overseas partnerships with Carlsberg. This combination has now come together with Brooklyn Brewery partnering with and investing in a beyond beer brand called Hoplark.
Hoplark is a maker of craft non-alcoholic beverages like Hoplark 0.0, a non-alcoholic beer, as well as its HopTeas, Hoplark Sparkling Water and other limited edition hopped beverages. Based out of Boulder, Colorado, and launched at a local farmer’s market, Hoplark promotes that its products are non-alcoholic, zero sugar, non-GMO, vegan, gluten-free and Whole30 approved. Hoplark also just announced its Series A financing plan, which is being led by Brooklyn Brewery. Whipstitch Capital served as the exclusive financial advisor to Hoplark in this transaction. According to the press release, the partnership will allow Hoplark to leverage Brooklyn Brewery’s existing infrastructure while continuing to develop its portfolio of triple zero beverages — zero alcohol, zero sugar and zero calories.
From that same press release:
Eric Ottaway, Brooklyn Brewery’s CEO, further expressed: “The true attraction here goes way beyond just sales and logistics. We are captivated by Hoplark’s novel technological approach to hops. Their willingness to challenge established practices and think outside the box is extremely evident. They have crafted a unique brand narrative around using hops in a ‘triple zero’ concept – no alcohol, calories, or sugar – that is unparalleled in the beverage industry.”
Dean Eberhardt, Hoplark’s Founder, said, “We’re ecstatic with this financing and strategic partnership with Brooklyn Brewery. As many people know, we’ve been production constrained for the last 18 months, and we can’t wait to be able to keep up with the consumers who have been emptying our cans off the shelf faster than we can replenish them. Now we can lean back into working with our wholesale and retail partners to expand our sales to their maximum potential.”
So, what’s all involved here. Well, under the partnership, Hoplark will capitalize on Brooklyn’s warehousing and logistics facilities, working with the Brooklyn Brewery sales team to broaden its representation with wholesalers and retailers around the country. With Brooklyn brands reaching over 30 states and more than 30 countries on five continents, this looks like a solid distribution strategy. This power move comes after the announcement earlier this year that Hoplark had hired a new CEO — industry veteran Betsy Frost. From Frost (via the release):
“This is an exciting time for Hoplark. It’s not often you run into a company that has such a unique position in the market. Hoplark has been able to take a traditional beer ingredient, hops, and show its appeal to beer lovers as well as consumers shopping the tea, sparkling water, and natural beverages aisles. This partnership is the next big step in supercharging Hoplark’s potential.”
Hoplark definitely has some potential. We’ve been lucky enough to try some of its excellent products here at CBB headquarters. The company’s Hoplark Sparkling Water is a health-conscious way to imbibe without the alcohol and is made with only two clean ingredients – sparkling water and aromatic hops. The variety of hops used to create these new beverages offer a delightful variety of floral, fruity and citrusy tropical notes that are perfect for spring, summer or (now) fall.
Here’s how a cofounder described the product in our previous post.
“Hoplark started over a beer, or more literally a lack thereof,” said Dean Eberhardt, co-founder and CEO of Hoplark. “While taking a month off from drinking, I realized that I wanted to find a way for myself and friends to enjoy the ritual, familiarity, and camaraderie of craft beer, without the alcohol or calories that traditionally come with it. We love everything about craft beer, but wanted an option for all the other times when we don’t feel like drinking alcohol. Hoplark Water is a result of our deep passion for bringing new flavor experiences to the market for people who love that complex hoppy taste but don’t want to compromise healthy choices. When creating Hoplark Water, we wanted to showcase how a single ingredient — hops — can turn water into something complex, vibrant and refreshing. We chose the Lark bird as our logo, but gave it ridiculously long legs to signify breaking the mold of normal, extract-laden beverages and a movement forward towards health.”
Learn more about the Hoplark story right over here.
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