3 beverage companies merge, forming private brand wine, beer, spirits producer
Three manufacturers are joining forces to form a new private label and co-manufacturing beer, wine and spirits producer.
Two Trees Beverage, based out of Fletcher, N.C., is the merger of Prost Beverage, RF Kettle, and Two Trees Distilling. The companies are combining tastes and technology to offer unblocked creativity to beer, wine and spirits innovation for private label and third-party manufacturing, the company said, also launching its own line of proprietary brands.
The merger goes into effect July 1. Two Trees Beverage has already raised $6 million in funding and will offer rapid-aging on a contract basis for private label and retailers and brands looking to diversify portfolios.
The merger brings together Prost Beverage, a company that successfully collaborated with Tim Smith, reality TV star from Discovery Channel’s “Moonshiners,” to develop major national brands of Climax Spirits and Tim Smith Southern Reserve, Two Trees Distilling, which has advanced distilling, branding and innovation experience; and RF Kettle with plans to advance RF Kettle’s proprietary technology for rapid-aging.The new combined company utilizes a 1,000-gallon system to produce and scale the volume equivalent of approximately 20 barrels of aged product per day.
Some forms of rapid-aging have been met with cynicism within an industry steeped in tradition, said Chad Slagle, CEO, and Chris Sellers, president of the newly formed Two Trees Beverage. “It’s disruptive to put innovation in tradition, some people are uncomfortable with that, but innovation isn’t about doing what is comfortable, it requires change to improve the old ways of doing things,” Slagle said. “We can help companies keep up with increasing consumer demand for premium spirits, beer, and wine in an environmentally safe and sustainable manner. By combining our expertise in blending with rapid-aging technology, we can deliver rapid, speed-to-market products that are aged to perfection without the wait and without bottom-line surprises.”
Two Trees Beverage plans to engage with R&D professionals and brand marketers across many adult beverage categories to expand innovation. “Our mission is to provide a culture of breakthrough innovation. We remove obstacles to achieve exceptional, intriguing tastes, timeliness, scale, and consistency to provide fine spirits, beer, and wine that can be enjoyed now and in the future,” said Sellers.