Sometimes love and business go hand in hand. It is rare, but when they do, history is made. This is what happened for Jennie Ripps and Maria Littlefield, the founders of Owl’s Brew. They combined their mutual love and knowledge of producing tea blends to create a revolutionary canned cocktail that is changing the booze game for the better.
Jennie began to experiment with botanicals when her father fell ill. Through the blends she crafted for him, she found a passion for tea. Due to her newfound inspiration, she and her friend Maria partnered up and founded a tea company. The two began to create blends for multiple high-profile restaurants and hotels in New York, which sparked an idea for the women. Why not add alcohol to the delicious mixtures they had created? Tea has many health benefits and is much better for the body than the sugary juices included in most cocktails.
They set out to create an organic, paraben-free canned drink using only natural ingredients. They recognized a gap in the industry for a product like this, so they decided to develop it themselves. The result was Owl’s Brew, a company that has grown exponentially since its initial launch and is now available in 18 supermarkets throughout the country including Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods.
Growing their company was not a small feat. Shortly after its founding, the women realized their disadvantage in the field: booze is a male-dominated industry where only 4% of women act as CEOs. Due to this, there was a risk of not being taken seriously by their male competitors. Doors were not automatically opened for them as they may have been for men in their position. Despite this, however, the women were confident in their product. They recognized that what they had created was wholly unique and very much marketable to the public. They were also highly educated about the ingredients they were and were not using in their drinks. They know that other hard seltzers and canned cocktails on the market use chemicals and dyes to produce their products. By only using natural and organic ingredients and botanicals in their production, they set themselves apart from the competition.
This confidence and education is what got these women as far as they have come and has helped them pave the way for other women in the alcohol industry. And they know this, too. Jennie and Maria are not only driven by their passion for botanicals and creating clean products; they also strive to empower women all around the world through their accomplishments.
In order to do this, they have founded the Wise Women’s Collective, an organization that supports women’s organizations across the country. Through product donations, market support, and financial contributions, the program will provide assistance to women’s charities and events alike. They recognize the difficulties women face in the professional space, and strive to mentor and support them in any way they can. They believe in women supporting women, because the world is often not set up for female success.
