Former Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard has partnered with beverage entrepreneur Ben Weiss to launch Crooked Pop, a new organic hard soda brand.
Howard sat down with Metro to discuss his latest venture and his excitement to bring this specific product to Philadelphia and beyond.
According to Howard, Weiss’ track record building Bai, which was later sold to Dr. Pepper for $1.7 billion, and the opportunity to bring a new product to Philadelphia drew him to the venture.
“It just kind of helped me understand more of his personality, more of the team's personality, more of his drive,” Howard said.
That drive led Weiss to pursue Crooked Pop and the previously released Crooked Tea, two ready-to-drink alcoholic beverages aimed at disrupting the industry. In a market that frequently features drinks with high-sugar and artificial flavors, Weiss wanted to offer a cleaner alternative, which resulted in Crooked Pop, the first hard soda to be USDA-certified organic, zero-sugar, gluten-free, and vegan.
“As I looked more into Crooked Pop and what he was trying to do,” Howard continued, “and how he was able to come in with Bai and disrupt, and what he wants to do with Crooked Pop, and being able to kind of disrupt the market as well, I was like, ‘Man, this is, this is a no-brainer.’”
The shared Philadelphia ties between Howard and Crooked Pop created an opportunity for both sides. Howard now joins a partnership that already includes Bucks County’s own Adem Lefkoe and fellow Philly Sports legend Brandon Graham as they collectively try to bring a cleaner alternative in the hard soda industry to all, especially those in and around Philly.
“Obviously, having the Philly ties, that's like for me, it's a no-brainer to be able to try to bring something like this to Philadelphia. But I think when you look at it in terms of the crew and being able to partner up with my man, BG, Brandon Graham over there, another big Philly legend out there, it all makes sense.”
Graham and Howard saw their careers in Philadelphia overlap for a number of years, both endearing themselves to fans in Philly and playing a major role in bringing championships to the city.
“[Brandon Graham], and I…we've crossed paths from our times playing in the city, and then obviously taking this opportunity to be able to partner up and be a part of the Crooked family. I think, again, for both of us, it just made a lot of sense.
"Being able to do what we can in the Philadelphia area, not just in the Philadelphia area, but with what we've been able to do in Philly, that for me, is a no-brainer, being able to try to be a part of this brand for the long haul, and try to help grow this thing and get it out there to the masses.”
Crooked Pop released with three classic flavors, including Orange Cream, Blackberry and Cherry Lime. All three flavors are “great,” according to Howard, but pressed further about his favorite, the former MVP admitted that while it’s close between the options, his answer is Orange Cream.
For Howard, the brand’s variety is key. With the flavors of Crooked Pop in addition to Crooked Tea, there are more options than ever for those looking for a cleaner alternative.
“It's all about what your taste is,” Howard said. “You want to have that variety, because not everybody may have that taste for tea. And if you're not necessarily into tea, and you like the carbonated drink, there's the pop option for you. So again, it's kind of being able to, as I always like to say, kind of diversify your portfolio a little bit.
"I told Ben before, I wasn't a really big tea guy," Howard continued. "I would only really just drink like normal green tea and whatnot, and then I kind of got into the Crooked Tea, and I was like, ‘Hey, man, I need another case here at the house.’ Being able to have those two different types of options, you know, I think for people is great, awesome.”
For more information on Crooked Pop, visit drinkcrookedpop.com.
MORE: Phillies testing new routine for Taijuan Walker
