Why Burly...Why Beverages?

• My name is Gabriel Aiello, and I'm the head honcho over here at Burly Beverages.  I have a beard and curly hair and I love redwood burls. The business is based in Sacramento, California which is also the city that I call my home sweet home. We hand make and sell small batch, craft, natural sodas, soft drinks, shrubs and switchels.
• This venture started with a quest for a better ginger beer. As my searches fell short I decided to teach myself to make some from scratch. While learning how to craft these beverages, I fell in love with the process and quickly realized that I was creating something special. 
• I currently work for two local small businesses. The owners of each, Tony Espinoza and Jason Poole, have both inspired and encouraged me to turn this idea into a start-up business of my own. 
• I previously worked for two lovely ladies at an organic-cold pressed juicery, Molly Brown and Tatiana Kaiser...they have also been a source of inspiration and have encouraged me to follow my passion for food and drink. They allowed me to experiment with flavor combinations and while working for them I learned sooo much about healthy living and the nutritional value of real food.
• This campaign will assist Burly Beverages in obtaining all of the necessary licensing and permitting required to operate this sort of business. These funds will also facilitate the purchase of logo and branding materials, equipment, ingredients, and the first round of bottles.
• It is my personal mission to use Burly Beverages as a vehicle to promote a quirky and health-minded approach to sodas and soft drinks by using fresh, locally-sourced ingredients, natural sweeteners and a small batch mentality to assure a consistent, high quality product.

New Press!

• Burly Beverages in Sactown Magazine!!! --->                                           http://bit.ly/1QDvCnt

• Burly Beverages in the Sacramento Business Journal!!! --->                                      http://m.bizjournals.com/sacramento/news/2015/09/29/new-local-company-hopes-to-lead-the-next-big-thing.html

• Burly Beverages in the East Sacramento News!!! ---> http://www.valcomnews.com/?p=18216
  

What We Need & What You Get

Break down:

• I am requesting $6000 for this campaign. The bulk of this will be split between the permitting and licenses, which cost approximately $1500, and the initial bulk bottle purchase is $1000. I am setting aside about $2000 for label design and branding materials imagined and incarnated by the incomparable Sacramento designer David Angstead of Angry City (angrycity.net). Equipment such as pony kegs, CO2 canisters, pressure regulation systems, etc. will cost roughly $700. This leaves approximately $300 for ingredients and $500ish for my perk fulfillment. 
• I think the perks here speak for themselves...but I'll expand on the details as the campaign progresses.
• I understand that not every campaign makes it to the finish line. While it would be humbling and honoring to surpass my goal, in the event it is not reached,my priorities lie in the permitting and licensing and the branding. 

The Impact

• My mission here is to create an all-natural product that is an alternative to the status quo of today's soft drinks and beverages. These tonics, if you will, are designed using quality ingredients, locally-sourced produce, and REAL sweeteners. While sugar is sugar, and should always be consumed in moderation, the sugars and sweeteners used in these elixirs are in their rawest forms and retain all of their nutritional elements. 
• Sodas and soft drinks were, at one time in our history, found in pharmacies across the nation. These beverages may have been recommended by physicians and pharmacists alike in order to ease certain ailments. Burly Beverages is committed to aligning itself with these principles. 
• Sacramento is considered one of the leaders in the Farm-to-Fork movement. The current trajectory of local curiosity is inspiring a new generation of culinary pioneers, who focus on high-quality, small batch craft products. I hope to promote this burgeoning culture and celebrate our local innovators; in other words, I would like to nurture and guide other potential entrepreneurs and makers as I have been encouraged by my mentors. 
• Recently, Sacramento locals have enjoyed my monthly pop-up dinner event known as Meatless Monday. This tradition began with four close friends trying a new recipe in my apartment, and has grown exponentially in the past year or so.  The last event was held at a local establishment, Old Ironsides, and drew over 100 diners. Old Ironsides has allowed me to utilize these dinners as an opportunity to test market for a variety of my products, used as a mixer for cocktails, or on their own as sodas. At this events, I sold over 100 peach-honey shrub cocktails in under two hours. The success rate continues to increase with each event. 

Health Benefits/Ingredient Choices

Offerings 

What Are Shrubs And Switchels?

Other Ways You Can Help

• Help me get the word out! Share, share, share!
• Please use the Indiegogo share tools!
• If you have ANY questions about any of the things that you have read here today I highly encourage you to contact me at burlybeverages@gmail.com.
• Thank you!!!