Kid Rock Gets Frothy Over His Own Beer
Rock Star Launches Signature, Made-in-USA Brew, American Badass
Oct 20, 2009
When you're drunk with success, what more logical next step than to put your name on a signature beer? So it is that Kid Rock, the No. 1-selling rock star of 2008 with hits like "All Summer Long," intends to roll out some barrels to help his fans enjoy summers even more with the launch of his American Badass Beer.
"I was approached by a company and it just kind of made sense, you know?" says Rock, whose real name is Robert Ritchie, in an interview at his "Clarkston Chophouse" compound outside Detroit that includes a basketball court and full-size rehearsal stage.
He was contacted by Connecticut-based Drinks Americas, a national beverage distributor with celebrity-driven custom labels. "They've got a pretty good track record," he says. "They did Paul Newman's lemonade, they're doing Donald Trump's vodka and Willie Nelson's bourbon, and they needed a face for the beer. The deal looked great, and basically we got to control it.
'I've only done deals with things that I love," says Rock. "I did a deal with Coors Light because I love beer, I did a deal with the National Guard because I have a fondness for the military and really respect everything that goes on there, and I did a deal with Jim Beam because I've been singing and talkin' about it for years."
Can We Make It in Michigan?
After agreeing to put his name on a new beer and endorse the product, Kid Rock had one proviso. "I asked, 'Is there any way we can check out places like the old Stroh's brewery in Detroit?'" he asked. "Or somewhere in Michigan, because the economy's been so bad here. I've had crazier things happen in my life. At this point I truly believe anything is possible."
Maybe he's right. After some investigation and negotiation, Drinks Americas identified the Michigan Brewing Co. in rural Webberville, Mich., as having the capacity to produce Badass Beer. And after contacting the State of Michigan, a $7 million tax break was engineered to assist in expanding the brewery for the job. "It's going to create something like 400 new jobs over the next few years," Rock beams. "It's great."
Kid Rock Says Beer's Name Suits Him
Badass, which was formally unveiled to more than 80,000 fans at Kid Rock's two sold-out concerts at Detroit's Comerica Park in July 2009, is beginning to mount its marketing campaign in late 2009.
"I know it sounds corny to have it called Badass, but it makes for such fun ads," Rock says. "With my image, you can just imagine the possibilities. It just goes on and on. We're going to start messing with Budweiser for selling out to the Belgians, because our beer is all American, born in Michigan and made in the United States.
"There's one ad where we're teasing Corona. We have an old rusted-out truck and Badass Beer is holding it up like jacks. The caption says, 'The only way you'll ever see a lemon on it.' We're just having a ball with it. It's all in good spirits, but it's going to be a funny campaign when we get it going."
Good Advice From Unlikely Source
If his personal history is any indication, says Rock, who also owns the "Made in Detroit" clothing line, Badass Beer should become a big seller. "I've found that the things I've done that my heart's been into and I've had the most fun at have always been the most successful," he says.
"I've got a couple of friends who are preachers, who come up and visit with me. One of them, Pastor Paula White, said to me one time, because I was talking about a song I was trying to write that just wasn't working out, 'If you have a shoe that's a size 7 and you wear a size 11, you can keep trying to force it on all you want but it's never going to fit.' That made perfect sense to me. You've got to work hard at everything, but when things just seem to work and fit right and flow, that seems to be when I have the most success and most fun at the same time."
For more information, visit the official Kid Rock Web site at www.kidrock.com/.
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