Matt Sievers and Anthony Spina are no strangers to the beverage industry. They worked together at Pabst Brewing Co. before Spina worked in brand management for White Claw Hard Seltzer and Sievers led marketing for Caravan Hospitality Group, which owns area bars, including Nomad World Pub on Milwaukee's Brady Street.
Their latest venture, Primer Electrolyte Charged Seltzers, marks their entry into entrepreneurship. The company legally operates as For What's Next Inc.
The new line of seltzers with varying levels of alcohol by volume (ABV) first hit shelves in Wisconsin and Illinois at the end of March. Each pack includes cans with 0%, 5% and 8% ABV, designed to bridge the alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverage categories, and appeal to social groups with a range of drinking preferences.
"Drinking habits are shifting," said Sievers, who's based in Milwaukee. "If you go to a party and someone's not drinking or you don't want to have an alcoholic beverage every single drink, you have that option."
Based on early feedback from its bar and restaurant customers, Primer is developing a pack with non-alcoholic cans only, Sievers said. It's also developing new flavors and a CBD beverage expected to launch this summer, he added.
To fund Primer's early growth costs and to build a community around the product, the company is currently looking to raise $1.07 million on the startup crowdfunding platform Wefunder, Sievers said. As of publication, it has raised nearly $250,000 from 24 investors who each invest a minimum of $250.
The lead investor is Izzy Lugo, a Milwaukee-based Wefunder venture partner and the head of content at sneaker trading platform Tradeblock. Lugo invested $1,000 initially and Wefunder matched that amount, Lugo said. He intends to invest a total of $5,000 — to be matched by Wefunder for a total of $10,000 — as Primer hits subsequent fundraising goals, he said.
Primer's beverage formulations were developed by Randy Hughes, the former brewmaster at City Brewing Co. in La Crosse. Former Pabst Brewing Co. executive creative director K.C. Blinn designed the packaging.
Primer beverages are available through Wisconsin distributor General Beverage Co. and Chicago-area distributor Heartland Beverage at stores including Total Wine & More, Wegmans and independent liquor stores, as well as at bars and restaurants, Sievers said. The brand plans to launch in Michigan later this year and then expand to Indiana, Ohio and Minnesota.
