Lemonade stands have lengthy been a celebrated previous time for instilling commerce expertise in youth whereas educating them priceless classes about entrepreneurship and group engagement.
For New Jersey-born Chelsea Handler, this longstanding American custom not too long ago led this slapstick comedian, actress, author and producer to enterprise into the world of drinks, partnering with the women-led firm Owl’s Brew Boozy Tea and Tea Cocktails, New York, to launch her personal Vodka Lemonade line.
“As a younger entrepreneur, I began a lemonade stand and shortly realized that including vodka to my world-class lemonade recipe made it even higher,” Handler says. “After I found Owl’s Brew at Complete Meals, I used to be instantly drawn to their dedication to actual elements and daring flavors, which aligned completely with my imaginative and prescient.
“Partnering with their unbelievable female-led workforce to create a vodka lemonade that’s gentle, refreshing, and has simply the proper kick felt like a no brainer,” Handler continues. “It’s the type of drink you’d discover at an grownup lemonade stand — and sure, it is available in a to-go cup.”
Owl’s Brew Co-Founder, CEO and Licensed Tea Sommelier, Jennie Ripps, explains that the partnership with Handler unfolded completely.
“We had been desirous about making a spiked lemonade for some time, and as soon as we began speaking, the collaboration got here collectively naturally,” she explains. “We have been aligned on making one thing that felt nostalgic however higher — refreshing, clear, and never overly candy, and with an elevated spin from the aware inclusion of botanicals you wouldn’t usually discover in a lemonade (like lemon verbena). It simply made sense.”
Maria Littlefield, co-founder and chief advertising officer of Owl’s Brew, additional particulars how Handler’s backstory makes the partnership a pure match for the launch of Chelsea’s Vodka Lemonade line.
“Chelsea shares a narrative in her newest e-book about beginning a lemonade stand as a younger entrepreneur — when she wasn’t making sufficient cash, she began spiking it, and her luck modified,” she says. “It’s a type of early playful reminiscences that basically caught together with her. She found Owl’s Brew at Complete Meals, tried it, and beloved the flavour and deal with actual elements.”
True to its origins
Each Ripps and Littlefield aren’t any strangers to the facility of actual, clear elements paired with spirits — not only for wellness, however for taste. In truth, this idea is on the very core of Owl’s Brew basis.
“Jennie and I met in 2009 and launched an organization referred to as Brew Lab Tea, the place we created customized tea applications for eating places like Scarpetta, Momofuku and High quality Eats,” Littlefield explains. “By way of that work, we realized how fantastically tea might pair with spirits. It added depth and taste in a manner that felt clear and elevated, with out the heavy, sugary mixers.”
Ripps provides that these experiences weren’t solely the idea for founding Owl’s Brew, but additionally the corporate’s entry into the beverage alcohol area.
I’m a giant believer in supporting girls who’re on the market constructing cool, good companies, particularly in areas which have historically been run by males. Jennie and Maria know what they’re doing, and so they don’t fiddle with their elements or their mission.
— Chelsea Handler, founding father of Chelsea’s Lemonade line
“We began with tea cocktail mixers and ultimately expanded into the canned alcohol area as a result of we noticed an actual hole: folks wished one thing handy, scrumptious and made with actual elements,” she says. “At Owl’s Brew, I’m at all times desirous about the impression of elements — each functionally, and by way of making probably the most scrumptious, refreshing drinks doable.”
Littlefield couldn’t agree with Ripps extra.
“From day one, we’ve been centered on transparency and utilizing elements you possibly can truly pronounce,” she says. “We’re proud to offer one thing completely different in a class that’s typically crowded with synthetic and ‘pure’ flavors.”
Furthermore, given the present panorama of the U.S. ready-to-drink (RTD) beverage alcohol market, Littlefield considers actual elements to be the hallmark of standing out in a crowded area.
“What’s typically lacking within the class is a deal with taste that comes from actual, complete elements,” she says. “That’s the place we imagine Owl’s Brew stands out. Our merchandise are brewed with natural tea, actual juice, and clear spirits — no shortcuts. We’re making one thing we genuinely need to drink, and we’ve discovered that lots of people are on the lookout for the identical factor.”
Ripps reiterates the significance of providing useful elements, noting that the market is ripe with the chance for distinctive drinks that meet at present’s customers’ want states.
“The RTD area within the U.S. has grown quickly over the previous few years,” she says. “Nevertheless, whereas the area is crowded, we’re nonetheless seeing white area for merchandise made with full transparency — i.e., no added flavors, no sugar substitutes and full dietary panels.
“I actually imagine that Owl’s Brew tastes wonderful due to the unbelievable high quality of our elements; plus my ‘10,00 hours’ growing tea applications for eating places and resorts,” she continues.
Additional, Ripps notes that not like many manufacturers that outsource manufacturing and create merchandise in labs, as a Licensed Tea Sommelier she hand-blends Owl’s Brew taste bases in her personal kitchen utilizing a singular mixture of teas and botanicals.
Pigging backing off this, Littlefield provides that one other level of distinction is that Owl’s Brew isn’t restricted to a single product sort.
“The model affords a spread throughout three distinct classes: Hand-Crafted Boozy Teas, Spirits-Primarily based RTDs, and a soon-to-launch line of Hand-Crafted Cocktail Mixers that we’re debuting this fall,” she explains. “We need to redefine what you possibly can anticipate out of your boozy drinks. I might notice that we innovate based mostly upon shopper demand, so all our product strains are based mostly upon what we’re listening to our shopper needs from our model.”
Except for the partnership with Chelsea’s Vodka Lemonade line, Owl’s Brew is holding regular to its dedication of bringing a recent take to the RTD beverage alcohol market with the current launch of its Solar Tea & Vodka lineup.
“The introduction of our new Solar Tea & Vodka lineup felt like a pure subsequent step for us,” Littlefield says. “We’ve at all times been obsessed with creating clear, scrumptious drinks utilizing actual elements, and Solar Tea & Vodka brings that very same ethos to a basic summer season staple.
“The inspiration got here from the custom of constructing solar tea — letting tea slowly steep within the solar — which is such a nostalgic, feel-good ritual, and one thing my grandmother used to do on a regular basis,” she continues. “We wished to bottle that feeling, however with a twist: fresh-brewed tea paired with actual fruit juice and premium vodka. It’s easy, refreshing and simply looks like summer season in a can.”
But, regardless of bringing all that’s recent and clear into the realm of RTD beverage alcohol, to Handler, there’s something much more particular that makes Ripps and Littlefield’s Owl’s Brew stand out from the group.
“I’m a giant believer in supporting girls who’re on the market constructing cool, good companies, particularly in areas which have historically been run by males,” Handler says. “Jennie and Maria know what they’re doing, and so they don’t fiddle with their elements or their mission.
“Partnering with their female-led workforce to carry my vodka lemonade to life has been a dream,” she continues. “Our lemonade is refreshingly gentle, not overly candy, and looks like the proper grown-up tackle a basic lemonade stand.”
And so far as what’s in retailer for Chelsea’s Vodka Lemonade and Owl’s Brew, Handler has but to indicate her hand for what the longer term may maintain.
“I really like working with the Owl’s Brew workforce, so that you’ll simply have to remain tuned,” she concludes.
