How Girl Beer Found Growth in Beer’s Overlooked

What would it take to get more women drinking beer? For Hurray’s Girl Beer founder and CEO Ray Biebuyck, that question became the starting point for a brand that has grown its distributor count 12x in the past six months and expects 10x year-over-year growth in 2026. Driving that expansion: New Kroger doors coming onboard, alongside expansion with Walmart, Albertsons, H-E-B, Hy-Vee, and Wegmans. Launched in fall 2024, Girl Beer has raised a $5M seed round and is targeting 3,000 retail doors by year’s end. Before launch, Ray surveyed about 2,000 women to understand what was keeping them out of the category. Roughly 60% said beer didn’t offer enough flavor or interesting flavor options. And 75% couldn’t distinguish among common beer styles -- a potential barrier when shopping the aisle. Those findings shaped Girl Beer’s flavored light lager, straightforward positioning, and pitch to retailers: Bring a new shopper into the beer category. In this episode of Business of Drinks, Ray joins us to unpack how she translated that research into a product, a distinctive brand voice, and a retail growth strategy. She explains how she used burner TikTok accounts to test humor and messaging before launch, and how the brand answered early skepticism with performance: Ray says Girl Beer reached the top 10% of velocities at Whole Foods. The audience has also proved broader than the name might suggest. Nearly a third of Girl Beer consumers are men. Ray gets candid about eight months of self-distribution in Southern California that she says set the business back, and why Arizona became a stronger expansion model, with statewide distribution, chain commitments, and a sales rep in place. We also explore why Girl Beer seeks shelf space alongside seltzers and RTDs, how Ray connects marketing spend to retail availability, and what the brand’s Dallas Wings partnership offers in audience access and sampling opportunities. It’s a practical conversation about understanding the consumers your category is missing -- and building the product, positioning, and distribution to reach them. For the latest updates, follow us: Business of Drinks: LinkedIn:   / business-of-drinks   Instagram @bizofdrinks 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. LinkedIn:   / erica-duecy-4a35844   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. LinkedIn:   / scott-m-rosenbaum   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/business... If you enjoyed today’s conversation, follow Business of Drinks wherever you’re listening, and don’t forget to rate and review us. Your support helps us reach new listeners passionate about the drinks industry. Thank you!