Introduction
If you are an American citizen who loves late-night Saturdays, and parties, then there’s no way you haven’t heard the name White Claw! It is one of the best and is so popular that stores run out of supplies faster than the Flash himself. So whether it’s college parties, Barbeque, reunions, or a plain old night to relax, it is undoubtedly the go-to drink that is engraving its name in the roots of American culture. But wait a minute, wasn’t there a time when you realized how great of a drink this is? So who is the person who owns White Claw? And how did they even make it?
Well, to answer all of your questions above, you need to remember just one name – Anthony Von Mandl, the man who made a fortune with the famous alcoholic drink White Claw, creating a whole new line of beverages. But how exactly he created, it is still something that we don’t really know. However, what we do know is the journey from his early life to where he is today. So, to understand how everything worked out for him, let us learn a bit more about the product itself and the man behind it all.
The 69-Year-old Billionaire
Anthony Von Mandl is one name among the many vintners from Canadian soil, but more than his wineries, his fortune rose the most with the help of two of his creations that brought him to the place where he stands today. The drinks being referred to are none other than White Claw and Mike’s Hard Lemonade. A common household name in America. He currently owns a total of four wineries along with $35 million worth of estate. He also has a well-known reputation of being referred to as Tony Baloney for his business skills. However, there’s no doubt that he has been a Canadian favorite for his popular creative drinks, which redefined booze for the classic American Bros.
How Did It Happen?
The 69-year-old is European by birth whose parents had been immigrants. He attended the University of British Columbia to study economics, where he spent most of his adolescent period. His interest in drinks began when he started an apprenticeship in wine selling after he graduated, which eventually led him to sell imported German wines with the help of his car in his native land of Vancouver.
Right out of college as a graduate in Economics, he struggled with the liquor boards of Canada for his foreign labels but didn’t lose heart. The man had also formed a small office for his business, and from there, he just went on to increase his love and passion for the drinks business. This all happened back in the early 1970s when he was still young and struggling.
The Next Phase
The importing business gave him his first push. Finally, he had saved enough money, which led him to buy his first Vineyard named Mission Hill at 31. However, maintaining the Vineyard came at a cost in that part of his life, which he later referred to as the “biggest mistake of his life” in a 2003 interview.
To cut costs and maintain the same, he eventually started selling hard cider, and a new business on Annacis Island in British Columbia named the Turning Point Brewery, which did not give him the satisfaction that he needed in his life as business was concerned. There was also the time when he was fined heavily for not buying back the used cider bottles to meet the nation’s waste regulations. The government imposed a million dollars that heavily strained his finances.
The Success Story
The road to success was not smooth, but Anthony Von Mandl got his first big break with his drink Mike’s Hard Lemonade, which was first launched in the year 1996 in Canada and later on in the US market in the year 1999. It was called the world’s first spirit cooler. The drink was sold under the company name, The Mark Anthony Group. When he was asked about the name, Von Mandl described it as being quite familiar to everyone, which is why it was chosen as the company’s name.
After his success due to Mike’s Hard Lemonade, he created the latest Hard Seltzer Water White Claw, which immediately out-sold all his former creations and was a hit on US soil. The drink formed an immediate bond with citizens and went on to go head to head with brands such as Budweiser.
Although all his immense success was due to these two drinks, Anthony had put a good amount of his finance in wine as well, due to which, as of today, he owns not only Mission Hill but Checkmate Artisanal Winery, Shelter Creek Estate Winery, and Martin’s Lane Winery which has produced some of the country’s finest Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays along with attracting millions of well-known names, including the Queen of England herself, Prince William and Kate Middleton among many others.
The Hard Seltzer Craze
The latest creation of Hard Seltzer Water White Claw is nothing short of an art. The drink is a sweet alcoholic beverage with a blend of seltzer water, fruit flavorings, and a gluten-free malted alcoholic base or beer. It has 51% of sugar, a small amount of yeast, trace amounts of malted gluten-free grains, nutrients, water, and other things, taking into account the importance of modern health-conscious drinking habits. But the exact recipe of the drink is not known as it has been sworn under secrecy. A national treasure, if we must say.
Compared to other drinks, hard seltzer drinks tend to have a higher income rate and attract more female customers, due to which the number of sales has gone up to 55%. This tremendous profit has put the brand’s name on one of the best beer companies in the US market, leading it to its victory for the Best Hard Seltzer Winner in Beverage Digest Awards 2020.
The drink came with limited flavors when it was launched in the Canadian market and was made with vodka instead of a beer base. However, new flavors were soon introduced throughout the American market during March 2020 and then again in March 2021, along with iced tea seltzers. The drink’s fruity flavors, low-calorie count, amazing social media popularity, and other health characteristics make it stand out as compared to other drinks and is considered a Millennial as well as a Gen Z favorite. During this time, the US Customs and Border Protection felt the need to classify the drink under “other fermented beverages” due to its lesser characteristics of a beer product. The same was finalized on June 2, 2021, and implemented from August 1, 2021.
The Rise In Popularity
As mentioned above, most of the recent result of the drink’s popularity has been majorly drawn through its social media presence with more than 100,000 posts on Instagram tagging the brand along with a video which went viral by the comedian Trevor Wallace has helped push the further sale rates of the drink. On the other hand, this immense popularity has also attracted the attention of market heavyweights, with Boston Beer Co.’s Truly being its number one contender.
Nonetheless, with Anthony Von Mandl as their business prowess, the company of Mark Anthony is still attracting more and more customers as a result of which, the company is investing $250 million in production facilities to stock up for the increasing demands. Furthermore, as reported from previous partners and people who worked close to the billionaire, they have confidently praised his business ideologies and talent for creating outstanding stories to attract clients. Although a bit impatient in behavior, Von Mandl is still confident in the popularity of his latest venture and believes it is not a temporary trend that will soon fade away.
Conclusion
If you were hoping to gain knowledge about White Claw and the brain behind the product, we hope to have successfully answered all your questions. So now, we bid you farewell and good luck. Cheers!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- How much is Anthony Von Mandl’s net worth? 790 crores USD as of 2021.
- How much is the drinks percentage in White Claw? The drinks content can range from 5% to 8%.
- Are seltzers bad for your health? No, it is said that hard seltzers are lower in calories and carbohydrates as compared to other alcoholic beverages. However, intake of the drink in excessive amounts can lead to some health issues.
- Can the drink make you fat? Even if hard seltzers are lower in calories they still do not provide a beneficial amount of nutrition to the body and therefore, are not completely calorie-free. So it may increase weight.
