Ben Weiss, the entrepreneur who sold the beverage brand Bai to Dr Pepper for $1.7 billion, has announced his entry into the alcohol industry with the launch of Crooked Pop. The new brand is positioned as a transparent alternative in the hard soda category, focusing on clean ingredients and a proprietary fermentation process. The launch marks a significant attempt to disrupt the ready-to-drink (RTD) sector by applying clean-label principles to alcoholic beverages.
Ingredient Innovation
The core differentiator for Crooked Pop is the use of Organic Super Dry Alcohol (OSA). This proprietary alcohol base was developed over four years through a specific fermentation process. Unlike traditional hard sodas that often rely on distilled spirits or malt brews, OSA is derived from a blend of ancient grains, including quinoa, amaranth, millet, and cassava.
This technical innovation allows the brand to offer a neutral alcohol base that does not require artificial enhancements or heavy sweetening to mask off-notes. The resulting product is USDA-certified organic, gluten-free, vegan, and contains zero sugar.
RTD Alcohol Sector
The launch comes at a time when the alcohol industry is facing increased pressure from consumers for ingredient transparency. Weiss suggests that the current hard soda market mirrors the soft drink sector of 15 years ago, which was characterised by artificial formulations and high sugar content.
By utilising the OSA process, Crooked Pop aims to establish a new RTD category that prioritises low-calorie counts and minimal carbohydrate loads. Each 12-ounce can contains 80 calories and fewer than one gram of carbohydrates, targeting the "conscious consumer" segment that has already moved toward similar standards in non-alcoholic functional beverages.
Product Specifications
Crooked Pop is scheduled to debut in select markets beginning April 1. The initial portfolio includes three flavour profiles designed to compete with traditional soda varieties:
Orange Cream: A formulation mimicking the profile of a classic soda float.
Blackberry: A tangy fruit-forward option.
Cherry Lime: A citrus-based variety.
The brand's go-to-market strategy leverages the proprietary nature of its alcohol base to claim a "crisp and clean" finish that avoids the impurities often found in mass-market malt beverages. As the RTD category continues to evolve toward premiumization, Crooked Pop’s organic certification and grain-based heritage provide a distinct point of parity with high-end health and wellness trends.
