Carbliss has emerged as a significant player in the ready-to-drink cocktail market, combining full flavor with health-conscious ingredients. Created by husband and wife team, Adam and Amanda Kroener, Carbliss was born out of their own need for convenient, keto-friendly drink options. Their journey started with a lifestyle change and led to an entrepreneurial breakthrough that is disrupting an entire industry.
The Genesis of Carbliss: A Keto-Inspired Solution
In 2018, Adam and Amanda Kroener embarked on a keto diet. They successfully cut calories and carbs from their meals but faced a challenge when it came to social drinking. Finding an alcoholic beverage that aligned with their nutrition plan while still being enjoyable proved difficult. Existing options were either flavorless but low in carbs, sugars, and calories, or tasty but nutritionally dubious.
Tired of constantly preparing their own keto-friendly drinks for social gatherings, the Kroeners sought a convenient solution. They wanted something they could easily drink without worrying about the nutritional panel. This led them to experiment at home with different flavors and ingredients, aiming to create the perfect combination of health and flavor. The resulting cocktails were a hit with their friends, prompting the couple to share their creations with others seeking flavor without the added calories, carbs, and sugar.
Carbliss: A Play on Words and a Promise of Flavor
The name "Carbliss" is a clever play on the company's mission to offer a carbohydrate-free, blissful drinking experience. The ready-to-drink cocktail is a 100-calorie beverage free of carbohydrates, sugar, and gluten. According to the Kroeners, the promised “bliss” comes from the superior flavor of the 5% ABV canned drink.
Carbliss caters to a wide audience, including those watching their waistlines, individuals avoiding gluten, and people with diabetes, as well as anyone who simply enjoys a good drink.
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Diverse Flavors and Cocktail Options
Today, Carbliss offers a diverse range of flavors to cater to various tastes. Their vodka-based options include Black Raspberry, Peach, Pineapple, Cranberry, Lemon Lime, Black Cherry, Lemon, and Passion Fruit. They also have an innovative cocktail collection that mimics bar favorites, including choices such as Moscow Mule, Mojito, and Paloma. Additionally, Carbliss offers a more specific cocktail collection with many delicious margaritas, such as classic Margarita, Strawberry Margarita, Raspberry Margarita, Mango Margarita, and Watermelon Margarita, all based on tequila.
Rapid Growth and Market Success
Carbliss quickly gained popularity after its launch. The company's first two flavors, black raspberry and lemon, launched in 10 grocery and liquor stores across Wisconsin. Almost all of them sold out within days. "Ninety percent of our locations sold out," said Adam Kroener, co-creator of Carbliss. "Fond du Lac sold out after two hours." A third flavor, lemon lime, followed. With the success of the first two flavors, co-founders Kroener and Amanda Lennartz, and their distributor decided to increase the order quantity of lemon lime to prevent more empty shelves.
The company has seen astonishing growth since its first retail sale in 2019. By the end of 2019, Carbliss’ founding year, the company had sold nearly 2,200 cases. In 2024, it sold almost 3 million cases. Carbliss was recently named the #1 Fastest Growing Company by Inc Regionals, boasting a growth rate of over 7000%. As the brand has grown in Wisconsin and beyond, Carbliss has found many exciting opportunities for expansion.
Expansion and Community Engagement
The beverage is widely available in six markets, and the company plans to launch in North Dakota, Minnesota, and Michigan in the coming months. The company has employees in each of its markets to ensure Carbliss is part of the community where it is selling its product.
Carbliss is committed to giving back to the community. “We say yes to every donation request,” Adam shared. “If someone asks for a donation and we sell in their territory, we help with any fundraiser… Our first year in business, we sold $80,000 in revenue; in the last 12 months, we have donated $164,258.72 through our donations alone.
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The Kroeners' Entrepreneurial Spirit
“Adam’s really the driver in the entrepreneurial spirit,” Amanda said. “I said, ‘let’s do it.’ And so from there, it’s just kind of been a snowball ever since,” Amanda said. “But it was like ‘What do we have to lose?’ We both have a lot of experience working in different areas of the business, but we kind of cover all spectrums. We love growing smaller businesses and helping other businesses grow.
Adam is not only a successful entrepreneur but also an 8-figure CEO. As co-founder of SNFood & Beverage, LLC (Carbliss Brands), he has overseen the sale of over 3,000,000 cases since 2019. Adam encourages all aspiring business owners - both veterans and civilians - to not let past roles define their future ambitions. "The industry market doesn’t care what you did before. If you choose to start a business, you need to figure out how to run and scale it. Don’t let your past limit your future," he advises.
The principles driving Carbliss’s success are straightforward: lead with transparency, trust your team, and set clear expectations. Adam also credits his decision-making process to gathering diverse perspectives. "I take tiny pieces of advice from many people around me based on their perceptions and life experiences. This helps me get a pulse of other views and rounds out my opinion," he shares.
The Future of Canned Cocktails
Reflecting on global consumer packaged goods (CPG) trends, Adam believes that canned cocktails will remain a staple. This optimism is supported by Carbliss's remarkable growth. With its focus on flavor, health-conscious ingredients, and community engagement, Carbliss is well-positioned for continued success in the competitive beverage market.
Support from the Sheboygan County Economic Development Corporation (SCEDC) and the Small Business Development Center (SBDC)
The Sheboygan County Economic Development Corporation (SCEDC) and the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at UW-Green Bay played a key role with the development and launch of Carbliss.
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Kroener is quick to note the key role SCEDC / SBDC Business Counselor Ray York has played in getting Carbliss off the ground. “Ray has been a tremendous resource in connecting us with industry professionals, as well as business plan development, forecasting, and adjusting with growth,” Adam Kroener said. “His assistance was key in helping us gain funding from Max Scheuer at Denmark State Bank in order to build inventory and scale into the additional states.
“Ray also connected us to Jeff Glazer, Clinical Asst. Professor of the UW Law & Entrepreneurship Clinic,” he said. “We found Jeff to be such a valuable resource that we have retained his team for all of our legal issues. The liquor industry can be challenging to enter but having key relationships has allowed us to stay headed in the right direction.” The Kroeners are eager to give back in support of other like-minded local entrepreneurs. “The local community has really embraced startups and entrepreneurial ventures,” Amanda Kroener said. “We have been able to mentor a team for Sheboygan South’s INCubatorEDU program, as well as getting involved with FreshTech Innovation. Starting our own business has given us an outlet to give back to the community. We truly understand what it means to support local and will continue to do so!”
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