Let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there. How did your company get started and why?

Back before I started Troop, I was a consultant and traveled 4-5 days a week. With a job that took me on the road, all of my time (both social and professional) was spent out of my home. Looking back, the only thing that kept me going during that time was how restorative it was to be home with friends and family, often connecting over cocktails. There came a time when I could no longer deny that my relationship with work was changing at the same rate as my preferences for socializing. I felt a strong gravitational pull towards entrepreneurship that would complement my passion for entertaining. I also found that bringing people together and spending time around the kitchen counter, making drinks and discovering new recipes, was both a form of therapy and a meditation. It was the perfect soothing storm to focus my awareness on the moment and keep persistent thoughts about work at bay. This enabled me to be truly present for the people in my life, which is what socializing and friendship is all about. Interestingly, I learned I wasn’t alone with my introspection. My friends also faced shifting priorities and wanted a new way to socialize without loud bars and clubs — often at home or outdoors. It became clear that “last call” was being replaced with “I want it all.” People wanted to experience the fullness of life, including quality time with loved ones, more than the ephemeral fun that’s found at 2 a.m. This is how Troop was born. Determined to create a better way to socialize, I set out to replicate the celebratory sensation of a well-made cocktail that can be enjoyed anytime, anywhere with the people who matter most, one’s troop. With this ethos in mind, I developed full flavor, full strength cocktails that remind people to slow down and savor rather than chug and repeat.

What is your product and how would you describe it?

Troop is building a better way to socialize and a better drink to do it with. We make full-flavor, full-strength cocktails for a new class of drinkers.

How have you pivoted your business this year?

We built Troop as a company that could exist outside of the constructs of a typical “alcohol” company. As consumers ourselves, we choose what we drink and wear it almost as a badge of who we are and what we stand for. We never felt that we could connect with any of the brands we saw on shelves, which is why we started Troop: cocktails without compromise made for those that don’t measure fun in shots but for those who prefer real connections and real drinks. It’s been a challenge as a small, craft brand to build this connection and community without in-person events and tastings. So we decided we needed to be everywhere our customers were. We launched a DTC channel so that consumers could purchase our drinks online, and we increased our merchandising in our current retail stores. Additionally, we’re part of some incredible communities of other founders in the Food & Beverage space, and we’ve gotten creative on how we can utilize our social networks to support each other.

What is your next challenge to overcome?

We have a lot in the works! We are partnering up with a distributor to greatly increase our density in our home market, California. From there, we have plans to expand to new states by mid-2021. We’re also rolling out a Membership Program that we view as the modern wine club, with access to curated experiences and member perks.

What do you predict for the food industry over the rest of the year?

There are certain shifts in behavior that have been formed during the pandemic that consumers have become accustomed to. One of these behaviors is how we socialize and how we connect with our loved ones. While we’ll all celebrate the reopening of our favorite bars and restaurants, this pandemic has taught consumers how to savor moments and entertain themselves from driveways, across park benches, on opposite sides of windows, and more. They’re now used to enjoying a cocktail in any location, at any time, and will continue to gravitate towards this convenience. Consumers will definitely be getting out more, and in particular, they’ll be looking to experience life more. Troop has a huge opportunity to be the portable but proper provision consumers turn to at all of the events, hospitality spaces, concert venues, and parties that they turn back to when we’re set free again.

Learn more at: Damn good cocktails | Troop Beverage Co. (drinktroop.com)