84: Mom Water’s 850K-Case Growth Playbook With CEO Kara Woolsey - Business of Drinks

How do you build one of the fastest-scaling independent alcohol companies in America — without diluting ownership?

That’s the story of Mom Water, the fruit-infused vodka water RTD brand that has gone from a backyard experiment in 2018 to a 850,000-case business by 2024 — and continues to grow. With playful, first-name flavors like Linda, Susan, and Kathy, Mom Water blazed a new path in the RTD category by staying still (non-carbonated) while everyone else went fizzy.

In this episode, CEO Kara Woolsey walks us through how the brand:

• Turned a vacation resort hack into a disruptive category play
  

• Survived co-packing disasters and empty warehouses to stay alive in Year One
  

• Went viral on TikTok and built a cult following among Gen Z — even though it was designed for moms
  

• Landed major retail accounts like Target, Walmart, and Publix, with chains now driving more than half of its business
  

• Launched Dad Water, a tequila water, and the very different challenges of scaling a second brand
  

• Balanced explosive growth with profitability by staying lean, resisting big checks, and keeping ownership in the family

For drinks founders, Kara’s story is a rare playbook in discipline and execution: Building a national brand that can compete with the big RTD players — without selling a majority stake.

If you want to understand how to scale a breakout brand in one of the most competitive categories, this episode is packed with actionable insights.

Last Call:

🍷 Wine’s future is on the line. A new report from Three Tier Beverages shows:

🔸 Wine’s core consumer base is aging—most are 55+, higher-income, and white🔸 Smaller packages are still just 5% of sales (vs 20–25% for spirits)🔸 Sparkling is the Trojan horse—bringing in younger, more diverse drinkers in casual and celebratory occasions

The opportunity? New formats, better-for-you SKUs, and showing up where younger consumers are. If you’re building a wine brand, the playbook is shifting fast.

Don’t miss our next episode, dropping on Oct. 8.

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Erica Duecy, co-host: Erica Duecy is founder and co-host of Business of Drinks and one of the drinks industry’s most accomplished digital and content strategists. She runs the consultancy and advisory arm of Business of Drinks and has built publishing and marketing programs for Drizly, VinePair, SevenFifty, and other hospitality and drinks tech companies.

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Instagram @ericaduecy

Scott Rosenbaum, co-host: Scott Rosenbaum is co-host of Business of Drinks and a veteran strategist and analyst with deep experience building drinks portfolios. Most recently, he was the Portfolio Development Director at Distill Ventures. Prior to that, he was the Vice President of T. Edward Wines & Spirits, a New York-based importer and distributor.

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Caroline Lamb, contributor: Caroline is a producer and on-air contributor at Business of Drinks and a key account sales and marketing specialist at AHD Vintners, a Michigan-based importer and distributor.

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Instagram @borkaline

SPONSOR: SWIG Partners is exclusively offering $100 off their supplier-distributor matchmaking fee when you mention the Business of Drinks podcast, or inquire via this link: ⁠https://www.swigpartners.com/businessofdrinks

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