Ben Weiss, the founder of Bai Brands which sold to Dr Pepper Snapple Group for $1.7 billion in 2017, has launched his next venture. Crooked Pop, which debuted in March under parent company Crook and Marker, is a line of ready-to-drink hard sodas aimed at consumers seeking transparent, lower-calorie options in the alcohol space.
The Osava Process
Crooked Pop uses what Weiss calls the Osava process. The method ferments beverages to complete dryness, removing carbohydrates and sugars, then gently filters out volatile compounds that cause spoilage. "What's left is Osava, a super dry alcohol base that keeps its smooth character and none of the volatility," Weiss told Food Business News.
The RTD beverages contain no sugar, less than 1 gram of carbohydrates and deliver 80 calories per serving. Current flavors include orange cream, blackberry and cherry lime. Weiss said the Osava base allows the flavors to stand out without an overwhelming alcohol taste, and the brand uses no artificial sweeteners.
Clean-Label Strategy
Weiss created Crooked Pop to appeal to ingredient-conscious consumers and to bring transparency to what he sees as an opaque alcohol industry. "The nonalcohol space taught them how to get smart with beverages, read a label and decide whether they want to drink their sugar," he said. He sees the alcohol industry as lacking the transparency that consumers have come to expect from non-alcoholic better-for-you drinks.
The founder believes his success with Bai Brands—built on delivering transparently better-for-you formulations—translates directly to Crooked Pop. "What I learned is that consumers reward transparency," Weiss said. "If you can truly deliver a better-for-you formulation, consumers are very loyal to that, and we applied that to Crooked Pop."
Funding and Go-to-Market
Weiss has self-funded Crooked Pop with $40 million and brought in a small group of investors. He described his investors as people who "trust the jockey as much as the horse and understand the mission."
The brand is staying disciplined and focused on the East Coast for now, avoiding rapid national expansion. Distribution will prioritize bars, restaurants, venues and sports settings alongside convenience channels. Weiss emphasized the importance of moving deliberately. "We're going to put it in fun social environments like bars, restaurants, venues and sports settings. Convenience is going to be a big one, too."
Weiss on Entrepreneurship
The two-time founder encouraged other entrepreneurs to lead with passion for their product and inspire others to join their mission. "Your role is to love your product more than anyone else does," he said. "Along the way, you have to inspire others to dream alongside you. The entrepreneur is the key to the whole thing."