This Black-Owned Ginger Beer Is Spicing Up The Soda Biz

Uncle Waithley’s Beverage Company wants you… to invest.

The brand recently announced the launch of its StartEngine Regulation Crowdfunding raise. Take into account the specialty soda and carbonated beverage categories capturing 42% of consumer purchases in overall specialty beverages over the last two years and you get a glimpse into the popularity of this drink space. The ginger beer market alone is worth over $8 billion, and is projected to reach over $13.5 billion by 2030. 

Uncle Waithley’s Vincy Brew is the only Black-owned Caribbean ginger beer with Scotch Bonnet pepper in the U.S. market today. The small-batch non-alcoholic carbonated ginger beer was developed by mixologist Karl Franz Williams and is inspired by his grandfather, Uncle Waithley, who lived his entire life on the island of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. It’s made with all-natural ingredients, including pepper, ginger, turmeric, lime, and mineral water, which is then enhanced with Scotch Bonnet, a pepper prized throughout the Caribbean and Africa for its heat and flavor.

“A lot has happened in the year since we launched our brand at the Whole Foods Market in Harlem in early 2022.  We became the fastest selling ginger beer at that store, which led to an expansion into 14 more Whole Foods locations by October and plans to be on shelves at all 56 Northeast locations by late February 2023,” said Uncle Waithley’s Founder Karl Franz Williams. “We’re also expanding our presence online beyond Amazon to Boisson, Reserve Bar, and Minibar, and quickly expanding our on-premise account list, which is currently 40+ accounts. We’re especially happy that so many people who taste the product recognize its uniqueness and quality and become repeat customers.”  

With more than 17 years of experience in hospitality, Williams knows a thing or two about a good drink. A nationally-acclaimed mixologist, restaurateur, and owner of Harlem’s 67 Orange Street and New Haven’s Anchor Spa, he has shared his expertise in brand management, marketing, and innovation departments at Pepsi and Procter & Gamble.