Former Angry Orchard head cider maker Ryan Burk has joined Blake’s Beverage Company as VP of quality and innovation.
Burk has been advising Blake’s and its portfolio of brands – Blake’s Hard Cider, Austin Eastciders and AVID Cider Co. – for a couple years, including through the launch of its most recent innovations. He began his official role with the company on June 3.
“Blake’s Beverage Company’s becoming a real contender in the fourth category and leader of cider,” Blake’s founder and CEO Andrew Blake told Brewbound. “We needed to really bring in someone who could really guide and lead not only us, but the industry, from an innovation, quality, and stewardship perspective – and I could think of no one better than Ryan to do it.”
The move comes two years after Burk left Boston Beer after seven years with the company, departing as senior manager of ideas and partnerships. His time at the company included the launch of Rosé Cider, one of Angry Orchard’s largest innovation launches. Prior to Boston Beer, Burk was a cider maker at Fennville, Michigan-based Virtue Cider, before its 2017 acquisition by Anheuser-Busch InBev.
After departing Boston Beer, Burk joined Feel Goods Company, the parent company of Good Beer Hunting, as a co-founder of the marketing and innovation studio. He also started his own boutique cider label, Occam Cider Co., which he will continue.
Burk will now be in charge of not only the innovations of three hard cider companies – thanks to the merger of Blake’s Hard Cider and Austin Eastciders in 2023 to create Blake’s Beverage Company – but also various fourth category beverages, including hard tepache, cider- and spirits-based ready-to-drink (RTD) canned cocktails and more.
“This is an opportunity to play in a space that really has always mattered to me, which is the space for everybody,” Burk told Brewbound. “I love the hospitality side and opportunity that exists in bev-alc, so serving drinkers across the spectrum is an exciting place for me to play.
“We’ve got these three cider companies that are unique [and] have opportunities to pull from all kinds of different walks of life, flavors, and serve all kinds of different customers,” he continued.
Burk’s move comes as hard cider finds its next chapter beyond the dominance of Angry Orchard, with regional brands now accounting for more than 50% of segment dollar sales.
“There’s a lot of companies out in the world taking share and trying to grow this thing [hard cider], and there’s a lot of leaders, and that makes for an interesting category,” Burk said. “Blake’s Triple Jam, there’s a drinker for that now, and there’s also a drinker for a totally dry, sparkling cider under cork and cage, treated like champagne. … It proves that cider can be this dynamic drink, and it can serve drinkers across the spectrum.
“Instead of just one main leader, there’s all of these interesting leaders doing different things and regions, and I think it’s a cool time for the beverage,” he continued.
“Beer companies are looking at cider, spirits companies are looking at cider, wine companies are looking at cider,” Blake added. “When we had this wave of [hard] seltzer and then RTD, it felt like that stepped in front of the cider conversation, and now as we’re experiencing some of the long tail of that, cider’s top of mind again and people are asking, “What it can be? Where’s the opportunity?’”
In NIQ-tracked off-premise channels, both Blake’s Hard Cider (dollar sales +23.1%, volume +19.9%) and AVID (dollar sales +30.8%, volume +33.8%) have recorded double-digit gains year-to-date (ending May 18). Austin Eastciders dollar sales have declined -4.4% and volume -6% in the period.
In March, AVID launched Tuesday Cocktail Club, a wine-based RTD and a top priority for the company in 2024. The 10.5% ABV RTD launched in Oregon and Washington with three flavors – Mango Margarita, Peach Bellini and Marionberry Mojito.
Meanwhile, Austin Eastciders launched Rico Tepache, a 6.8% ABV Texas-style hard tepache made with pineapple, piloncillo (brown sugar), cinnamon and ginger. The brand launched in 12 oz. can 6-packs, 19.2 oz. single-serve cans and on draft in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and Oklahoma.
Blake’s has been pleased with the response to both launches so far, Blake said.
“You can tell the chain buyers are looking for companies like us to offer them new and exciting products,” Blake said. “And I was really shocked at how willing buyers seem to be looking for Blake’s for guidance on beyond beer innovation.
“We’ve spent a lot of time in really developing up our hero brands at each company and we’ve always taken the perspective that we’d rather self cannibalize than lose share from other competition,” he added. “We usually innovate with intent and usually to replace a SKU out there that is not serving its ultimate purpose, or you’re not living up to the expectations that we had previously set.”
Going forward, the company’s goal will be to build and “unify” the Blake’s Beverage teams, and continue to explore segments outside of hard cider.
“We’ve got people in multiple states and multiple production facilities, and I’m excited to help lead them into the future,” Burk said. “They’ve been working in their own little pockets, and we’re really bringing them together, having a unified innovation team in all these places.
“I’m personally very excited about the team element,” he continued. “I’ve been without a team for a while, and it feels good to be back leading one.”
Burk is not the first industry vet to join the Blake’s team. Other members highlighted by the company in a recent press release include:
- Global trade marketing director Rachel Foaté, who has nearly a decade of experience in “trade marketing and sales,” most recently working for Anheuser-Busch InBev;
- President Chase Kushak, former COO of Founders Brewing Co.;
- North sales VP Scott Roberts, “who has 24 years of sales and sales management experience at both the distributor and supplier level” including time at Craft Brew Alliance and Founders;
- South sales VP Kevin Cargile, “who brings over 25 years of experience navigating national sales,” including Houston sales director at A-B and time on the national accounts team at Gambrinus.