Adam Callinan and Matt Campbell invented Bottle Keeper to keep their bottled beer cold while in warm climates. This simple idea came about while drinking beer in a hot tub with their uncle. The beer, poured into plastic cups to avoid broken glass in the hot tub, was warm. The guys (and I) think warm beer sucks. So they set out to create a solution. While warm beer isn’t an earth shattering problem, it became their passion.
The Bottle Keeper is essentially a foam lined, stainless steel case for a beer bottle. It serves the dual purpose of keeping beer cold and preventing broken glass. The new Bottle Keeper 2.0 has a textured exterior for a better grip, a tether for east carrying and a bottle opener in the screw on top. Think of it as a multi-functional, single-serving cooler. For thirty-five bucks, it can be all yours.
Adam and Matt got their business started on crowdfunded cash when they raised a little over $13,000 on Fundable to get started. That was in 2013, Fast forward to 2018 and the Bottle Keeper is BIG business. They’ve done over $10 million in sales since they started and have plans for new products. Who better than a Shark to turbocharge a successful business’ growth?
My Take on Bottle Keeper
As I stated parenthetically above, I too hate warm beer. Bottle Keeper is a clever solution to the problem of cold beer and potentially broken glass poolside. When lounging around our pool, we pour all our beer into Tervis Tumblers so we don’t have any broken glass from the inevitably dropped bottle. Tervis keeps the beer cold, but there’s something about cold beer in a glass container, be it bottle or mug, that just can’t be replicated.
I also like the fact that the screw on top will re-seal your beer in case you want to store an opened beer to drink later (like that’s ever going to happen). The re-seal feature would come in handy on a boat between sips though. While I’m not sure I’d drop thirty-five bucks for one of these for myself, it’s something I’d give as a gift for a beer loving friend. With a solid idea, a cause I can relate to, and $10 million in sales, I am IN.
Will the Sharks Think This is a Keeper?
The Bottle Keeper concept is solid yet simple. With $10 million in sales, they will definitely get the Shark’s attention for the business beyond the product. If they don’t have a ton of debt, expect multiple offers. It’s interesting this appears on the same night A-Rod returns and has an update segment on the Gronkowski brothers’ IceShaker. If you recall, Mark and A-Rod invested in that company last season.
The two products share a synergy: keep stuff cold. For IceShaker, it’s protein shakes for weight lifters and gym rats; for BottleKeeper, it’s for people who do 12 ounce curls. Mark is big on complementary businesses, as evidenced by his investment in Manscaped a couple of weeks ago in episode 1004. He thought it would go well with Dude Wipes. Could Mark see Bottle Keeper having a similar synergy and, if so, bring A-Rod along for the ride again. I see it as a distinct possibility.
I also see the other Sharks making offers. The sales are so strong and it’s such a simple product, any Shark could add value, along with their cash. I expect Adam and Matt to leave with a deal.
Entrepreneur, auteur, raconteur. Rob Merlino is a blogger and writer who enjoys the Shark Tank TV show and Hot Dogs. A father of five who freelances in a variety of publications, Rob has a stable of websites including Shark Tank Blog, Hot Dog Stories, Rob Merlino.com and more.
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