Carbliss | Plymouth
Founded: 2019 | Employees: 50
Revenue: $83 million YTD
drinkcarbliss.com
Plymouth-based
Carbliss manufactures and distributes zero-sugar, canned cocktails across Wisconsin and an increasing number of vendors in the Midwest. In 2018, founders and owners Adam and Amanda Kroener were committed to a low-carb diet but recognized a lack of diet-friendly beverage options for their nightly unwind. The Kroeners’ goal was to introduce a flavorful cocktail without added sugars or carbohydrates to coincide with their diet and thus, Carbliss was born. Five years later, Carbliss, ranking no. 7 on the 2024 Inc. 5000 list of the fastest-growing private companies in the U.S., employs 50 people with close to $83 million in revenue, year-to-date.
At what point did you know you would launch Carbliss and what was the biggest hesitancy or concern you needed to overcome to do it?
Amanda Kroener and Adam Kroener, owners: “After following the keto diet and searching for an alcoholic beverage we could still enjoy, we found ourselves mixing our own drinks and getting tired of lugging around our fixings just to have a low carb drink that still tasted good. The seltzer industry was booming so we expected to find something on the market that already existed. We sampled about $500 worth of product and disliked what we found. It was at that point that we decided we were going to launch a product that consumers like us were looking for. The current market outside of Carbliss is full of products that have a good nutritional panel, little to no flavor and a lot of carbonation – or great flavor, little carbonation and are full of sugars, calories and carbohydrates. Carbliss blends those two concepts (flavor and nutrition).”
How has the need in your market changed over time?
“The need in the market has continued to increase since our launch. Consumers are realizing that they are looking for a better nutritional panel and great flavor. They are not looking to compromise. Carbliss offers the consumer the ability to have your cake and eat it too.”
What are the next key steps in the development of your company?
“We are only sold to 15% of the U.S. population. We plan to continue our backyard-to-backyard approach and recognize that the more growth we have, the more we can pour back into the business and gain more ground in a faster time frame.”
What’s the number one thing needed to sustain a culture of innovation and/or growth?
“We need a team that is hungry, humble and smart and can match our level of excitement about the brand with an absolute passion to share our product with the world.”
