Shaking Up the Industry: On The Rocks’ Journey from Garage to Global Brand
The Humble Beginnings of a Cocktail Revolution
In 2015, a visionary duo, Patrick Halbert, an entrepreneur and restaurateur, and Rocco Milano, a bartender, embarked on a journey that would revolutionize the ready-to-drink (RTD) cocktail industry. They began in a garage, experimenting with spirits and dreaming big. Their goal was simple yet ambitious: to create premium-quality cocktails with all-natural ingredients that could be enjoyed anywhere. This was the genesis of On The Rocks Cocktails (OTR).
Crafting the Perfect Mix: Innovation and Partnership
The founders of OTR brought a blend of industry expertise and innovative thinking to the table. They tapped into unexplored territories like air travel and hotel room service, bringing their craft-made bottled cocktails to places where a bartender wasn’t available. Their quest for premiumization led to a significant partnership with Beam Suntory in 2018, incorporating top-shelf spirits into their cocktails. This collaboration was a game-changer, propelling OTR into national recognition by 2019 and setting a new standard for the RTD market.
A Success Story: Acquisition by Beam Suntory
The pinnacle of OTR’s success story came in 2020 when Beam Suntory, a global leader in premium spirits, acquired OTR. This acquisition was not just a business transaction; it was an acknowledgment of OTR’s pioneering role in the premium pre-mixed cocktails category. With Beam Suntory’s backing, OTR was perfectly positioned to expand and innovate further in the rapidly growing spirits-based RTD market, which is one of the fastest-growing segments in the US.
The Parallel Path of BoozyCardz
BoozyCardz, with its innovative approach to greeting cards, mirrors the inventive spirit of OTR. Like OTR’s reinvention of the cocktail experience, BoozyCardz revolutionizes the traditional greeting card by integrating the joy of gifting a shot bottle. This blend of creativity and practicality places BoozyCardz on a similar trajectory to OTR – starting from a unique idea, focusing on quality, and aiming for expansive growth.
Inspiring Innovation in the Spirits Industry
The story of OTR is not just about cocktails; it’s about vision, quality, and innovation. It demonstrates that with the right blend of creativity and strategic partnerships, startups can rise to become industry leaders. BoozyCardz, following in the footsteps of such trailblazers, is poised to make its mark in the gifting and spirits industry. It’s a testament to the fact that great ideas, when executed with passion and precision, can lead to extraordinary success.