From Bai™ Founder Ben Weiss, a New RTD Category Powered by Organic Super Dry Alcohol
TRENTON, N.J., March 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Nine years after disrupting the beverage industry with Bai™, founder Ben Weiss is back to challenge another category: Alcohol.
After building Bai into a household name and selling it to Dr Pepper for $1.7 billion, Weiss has launched Crooked Pop™, a groundbreaking alcoholic soda brand designed to bring transparency, clean ingredients, and better taste to a category long dominated by artificial formulations and hidden additives.
Crooked Pop™ introduces a completely new approach to ready-to-drink (RTD) alcohol, powered by Organic Super Dry Alcohol (OSA); a proprietary fermentation innovation developed over four years. Derived from ancient grains including quinoa, amaranth, millet, and cassava, OSA creates a clean, neutral alcohol base without the need for distilled spirits, malt brews, or artificial enhancements.
The result: the world’s first USDA-certified organic, zero-sugar, gluten-free, and vegan hard soda. Each can contains just 80 calories, fewer than 1 gram of carbohydrates, and no artificial colors or sweeteners.
“Before Bai, you couldn’t find a great-tasting soft drink that wasn’t loaded with artificial ingredients and sugar,” said Weiss. “Today, the same problem exists in the hard soda category. It’s flooded with artificially flavored malt brews and distilled spirits stripped of flavor and mouthfeel. Crooked Pop isn’t just a new hard soda brand. We’re creating an entirely new RTD category powered by zero-sugar, USDA-certified Organic Super Dry Alcohol.”
Today’s consumers are increasingly demanding transparency in what they drink, and the alcohol industry has lagged. Crooked Pop™ aims to close that gap by offering a cleaner, more modern alternative that aligns with evolving consumer preferences.
“Today’s hard soda aisle looks like the soft drink sector did 15 years ago—sweet, artificial, and stuck in the past,” Weiss added. “Crooked Pop is a wholly new and game-changing formulation. We went back to the drawing board, using ancient grains and fermentation to create the first clean, USDA-certified Organic Super Dry Alcohol.”
Crooked Pop™ will debut with three nostalgic, flavor-forward varieties in select markets beginning April 1:
- Orange Cream — a smooth, creamy nod to the classic soda float
- Blackberry — a sweet and tangy twist on a traditional favorite
- Cherry Lime — a bright, juicy combination of citrus and fruit
By leveraging its proprietary OSA process, Crooked Pop™ removes impurities and produces a crisp, clean alcohol designed to enhance bold flavor, without relying on artificial ingredients or added sugars.
Crooked Pop™ represents more than just a new product. It signals the emergence of a new standard in alcohol: cleaner, simpler, and built for today’s conscious consumer.
About Crooked Pop™
Crooked Pop™ is a next-generation alcoholic soda brand founded by beverage innovator Ben Weiss. Powered by Organic Super Dry Alcohol (OSA), Crooked Pop™ is the first USDA-certified organic, zero-sugar, gluten-free, and vegan hard soda, delivering bold flavor with clean ingredients and complete transparency.
Media Contact:
Brooke Sundermier
Trailblaze for Crooked Brands
crooked@trailblaze.co
View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/crooked-pop-launches-a-new-era-of-clean-alcohol-with-usda-certified-organic-zero-sugar-hard-soda-302722583.html
SOURCE Crooked
