Here's What Happened To Beer Blizzard After Shark Tank
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No conversation about the best alcohol products ever pitched on "Shark Tank" would be complete without mentioning Beer Blizzard. Entrepreneurs Tom Osborne and Mike Robb brought their product to the Tank in 2016, determined to show investors how well their hydra-gel ice packs fit the bottom of a beer can.
In an interview with the Cincinnati Enquirer, the duo explained that the Beer Blizzard came about after they tried packing ice cubes into the bottom of a beer koozie. The ice cubes made a watery mess as they melted, leading Osborne and Robb to start thinking about a reusable ice pack. And so the Beer Blizzard was born.
The project raised over $43,000 on Kickstarter, with its success prompting an appearance on "Shark Tank." Osborne and Robb asked the Sharks for a $100,000 investment in exchange for 20% equity, hoping to take their product national. So, where is the Beer Blizzard today?
The sharks found the Beer Blizzard amusing
Beer Blizzard creators Tom Osborne and Mike Robb pitched their product as the solution for cooling beer faster than ever. The duo joked that they had caused a lot of hangovers but also solved a problem for beer drinkers everywhere. After all, who wants to drink a warm beer?
Enter the Beer Blizzard ice pack, which fits into the indentation at the bottom of a can. Without cooling, beer stays cold for roughly six minutes, Osborne and Robb explained. The Beer Blizzard increased that timeframe to 21 minutes.
The Sharks questioned whether it was the Beer Blizzard ice disk or the koozie doing the cooling but were nevertheless interested in cashing in on the beer-drinking populous. After hearing about how Beer Blizzard had more than $156k in sales in its first year), Mark Cuban offered an investment of $100,000 in exchange for 25% equity. Osborne and Robb accepted the deal, but their Beer Blizzard journey was only getting started.
Beer Blizzard sales exploded after its Shark Tank appearance
Like countless other ridiculous food inventions pitched on "Shark Tank," the Beer Blizzard saw an enormous increase in sales after its episode aired. Entrepreneurs Tom Osborne and Mike Robb never closed their deal with Mark Cuban, but that didn't stop them from getting their product into retail chains like Walmart, Target, and Bed Bath & Beyond.
What's more, as the Sharks had recommended during the pitch, Beer Blizzard got into brand deal negotiations with NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Unfortunately, this deal never went through, and Beer Blizzard was left out in the cold.
As such, Osborne and Robb continued to sell primarily online, charging $13 for a package of six ice packs and $20 for 12. The Beer Blizzard held steady, with an Amazon rating of 3.4 stars, as several customers complained about the price point and how the ice pack requires a koozie to keep it in place.
Beer Blizzard couldn't keep up with customer demands
Beer Blizzard made its final social media post in early 2018, though the company said nothing about going out of business. A few Instagram users commented that Beer Blizzard had taken their money but never shipped their order. Others called the company a scam, saying no one would respond to their emails or DMs.
Sadly, for anyone hoping to cool their next sip of beer with a Beer Blizzard, creators Tom Osborne and Mike Robb seem to have returned to their respective careers — Osborne as a food safety director and Robb as an attorney. While no one can say with certainty what happened behind the scenes, we can only assume that Beer Blizzard was just as much a one-hit-wonder as shark Robert Herjavec suggested.
However, not all is lost when it comes to getting your beer cold without putting it in the freezer. And no, we aren't just talking about the oven mitt method, though that is always an option.
Ways to keep your beer cold in a Beer Blizzard-less world
With Beer Blizzard ice packs no longer available for purchase, you may be wondering how you can keep your beer or soda cold without freezing it. Although no one has quite replicated the Beer Blizzard, other entrepreneurs have created products with similar purposes. After all, once you crack open a cold beer, time is of the essence.
Amazon is packed with single-can coolers, which essentially combine a koozie with an insulated thermos. No ice packs are involved, so you have to start with a cold can. Otherwise, it is somewhat reminiscent of the Beer Blizzard.
Other products require you to place your can of beer or soda inside a tiny cooler and wait a minute or so while it spins through ice cubes. Sure, this one will get your beer cold quickly, but it doesn't solve the problem of beer warming as you drink it, nor can you put the can back in to chill once it's been opened. Long story short, the world just isn't the same without Beer Blizzard.