Beer Blizzard: Here's What Happened After Shark Tank
There is nothing like cracking open a crisp, cold can of beer on a hot day. But, if you have ever accidentally left your drink in the sun during a leisurely dip in the pool, you know the tragedy of coming back to hot beer. What was once a joy is now a complete waste. Tom "Ozzy" Osborne and Mike Robb set out to solve just that problem with Beer Blizzard — a small, round ice pack that fits perfectly into the concave bottom of an aluminum can.
The pair launched the business on the Kickstarter platform raising more than $43,574 with the help of 2,044 supporters. They then appeared on Season 7, Episode 22 of "Shark Tank" in March 2016, to pitch what they called "one of the coolest products that's ever been invented." All they had to do was convince Kevin O'Leary, Daymond John, Robert Herjavec, Lori Greiner, or Mark Cuban that Beer Blizzard was worth the investment. Unless the Sharks were fans of certain beers that are best served warm, the need and novelty of Beer Blizzard seemed clear.
What happened to Beer Blizzard on Shark Tank?
The Pittsburgh-based founders were seeking a "Shark Tank" investor to help them make the necessary business connections and expand the reach of Beer Blizzard. They asked for a $100,000 investment in exchange for 20% equity. After a comical and energetic pitch, everyone got down to business.
Lori Greiner asked about testing the product, and Osborne explained that they underwent independent Conformity Assessment Body testing that found the cold beer enjoyment period increases from six minutes to 21 minutes with the use of the Beer Blizzard and a koozie insulator. The Sharks were skeptical when the entrepreneurs said they did not test the cooling power of just an insulator without the ice pack for comparison. Regardless, gross sales after one year were a decent $156,000 with net sales at $135,000.
Robert Herjavec was the first to bow out saying that he felt like the Beer Blizzard was a one-off sort of purchase that did not have much longevity. Daymond John was a fan of the product but felt the path forward was unclear. Mark Cuban was the first to make an offer of $100,000 for an increased 25% stake. Greiner threw her hat in the ring for the same investment and lower 20% stake — matching what the entrepreneurs had originally asked for. But the pair had their eyes on Pittsburgh native Cuban and couldn't say no to his offer despite the higher equity.
Beer Blizzard after Shark Tank
After appearing on television and the tentative agreement with Mark Cuban, Beer Blizzard seemed poised to rise to new heights. Unfortunately, the deal never actually materialized — a fate that has befallen other similar "Shark Tank" products, such as BevBoy and ProntoBev. However, this setback did not stop the founders from continuing to aim for success, and Beer Blizzard did see some promising growth. The company had an initial spike in sales following the airing of the episode, and the publicity allowed them to move into the retail market in stores like Walmart, Target, and 7-Eleven.
While Beer Blizzard was in the Tank, Kevin O'Leary asked if the business owners had pursued branding opportunities with beer companies. Robb said that despite their best efforts, they unfortunately weren't getting any of their calls returned. Cuban — who loved the product from the get-go — excitedly said, "They will now!" Cuban was almost right when it came to partnerships. After "Shark Tank," an exciting deal with NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. was in the works, but apparently this opportunity also did not come to fruition.
Is Beer Blizzard still in business?
Unfortunately, Beer Blizzard fizzled right out. The intention was to use the "Shark Tank" investment money to manufacture the product in bulk to increase profits per unit and hire a dedicated fulfillment center to meet demand. Mike Robb even said that he was concerned about how they were going to fulfill orders after the episode went live. Perhaps Mark Cuban's investment falling through and the harsh realities of running a profitable operation got to be too much for the startup. Indeed, many of the initial supporters of Beer Blizzard on Kickstarter never actually received the products they paid for and were not communicated with consistently about rectifying problems.
By 2018, it seems that Beer Blizzard had gone out of business. The domain to the website (beerblizzard.com) is no longer active, and the last post on the company's Instagram was made in January 2018. The product is no longer available on Amazon either, though when it was, the overall rating was 3.3 stars. Some purchasers loved it while others were disappointed by the price, quality, and effectiveness. Interestingly, there is a very similar product actively available from a company called Koolernaut, and it is even called the Blizzard Beer Chiller. Out of far fewer reviews, this item does have 4.3 stars on Amazon.
What is next for Beer Blizzard's founders?
At the time they appeared on "Shark Tank," both Tom Osborne and Mike Robb still had their day jobs. Robb worked as an attorney representing individuals who have developed lung illnesses from asbestos exposure in unsafe workplaces. According to LinkedIn, he is still working as an attorney in the same field but is currently at a different law firm than he was during his Beer Blizzard days.
When Robert Herjavec decided not to invest, he told Osborne that there was no need to quit his job to run Beer Blizzard since he didn't really foresee a future for the company. Unfortunately, it seems like Herjavec was exactly right. Tom Osborne was the director of food safety at AdvancePierre Foods, and it seems he still works at the same company. Clearly the two were very enthusiastic about their product. Hopefully, even though Beer Blizzard didn't take off, Osborne and Robb are still happily sipping on ice-cold brews.