Athletic Brewing and Super Coffee Create World’s First Pre-Workout Brew
February 27, 2023
New collaboration brew contains caffeine and 5g of protein
MILFORD, Conn. and SAN DIEGO (February 27, 2023) – Athletic Brewing Company, America’s leading producer of non-alcoholic craft beer, has teamed up with Austin-based Super Coffee, the third-largest bottled coffee brand in the U.S., on the world’s first pre-workout brew.
Called Suped Up, the new non-alcoholic beer was inspired by the power of positive energy and the grind of endless grit. It is brewed with high-quality coffee and spent brewer’s grains. The result is a rich, Extra Dark brew that is full-bodied and contains 5 grams of protein.
“Suped Up is a wonderfully balanced brew made with two pounds of coffee per barrel and upcycled barley rice protein,” said Athletic Brewing Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer John Walker. “It took us several months to develop and refine our process, but we’re super excited with the final recipe. It has distinct roasty and chocolatey notes with a pop of bold coffee flavor.”
The idea for Suped Up was born out of a friendship between Athletic Brewing co-founder Bill Shufelt and Super Coffee co-founder Jimmy DeCicco. The pair met at a fitness event in 2021 and quickly bonded over the daily grind of entrepreneurship. Shufelt and DeCicco would periodically check in with one another to share ideas, and quickly recognized an overlap in their respective customer bases.
“There is so much crossover between customers who reach for Super Coffee and those who keep Athletic Brewing in their fridges,” said DeCicco. “We thought it would be fun to team up and give our audiences a beverage that combines the best of both worlds – a protein coffee in a non-alcoholic beer format.”
To promote the new brew, the two companies created a catchy jingle and commercial that will run across social media platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok.
The ad features four athletes – including Athletic Brewing ambassador Brian Mazza, fitness influencer Matt Choi, personal trainer Tara Nicole, and Austin-based creator Rose Lichtenfels – working out in lumberjack outfits while drinking Suped Up.
“More than anything, we wanted to have fun with this collaboration,” said Shufelt. “Nevertheless, Suped Up was a unique technical challenge for our brewing team, and an exciting opportunity for us to continue pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in non-alcoholic beer.”
Suped Up will be available to purchase exclusively on athleticbrewing.com for a limited time beginning Tuesday, March 7, 2023. Each 12 oz. can of Suped Up is less than 0.5% ABV and contains 130 calories, 23g of carbs, 5g of protein, and 0g of fat.
An unofficial Suped Up launch party will be held in Austin on Monday, March 13, 2023.
The event, taking place at The Kollective social performance club during SXSW, will feature a panel discussion on the intersection of sports and business hosted by media personality Darren Rovell and featuring former professional cyclist Lance Armstrong, former professional football player Desmond Howard, and author Amy Jo Martin. The Kollective founder Jeremy Hills will also speak at the event.
Space is limited and attendees are encouraged to reserve their tickets today.
Athletic Brewing is now the second-largest non-alcoholic beer brand in the U.S., with sales growing over 100% during the last four weeks¹. The total non-alcoholic beer category grew 38% during that time.
¹NielsenIQ Scan Off Premise Channels; latest 4-weeks ending 01/28/2023.
For press inquiries please contact:
Morgan Williams, OutsidePR | morgan@outsidepr.com | 724-388-7167
About Athletic Brewing
Athletic Brewing, founded in 2017 by Bill Shufelt and John Walker, is America’s leading producer of non-alcoholic craft beer. The company’s brews are distributed in all 50 states and available at 50,000 retail stores nationwide. In 2022, Athletic was ranked as the 26th fastest-growing private company in America by Inc. Magazine, and named one of TIME’s “100 Most Influential Companies.” Athletic was also selected as one of Ad Age’s Top 20 Hottest Brands. The company has won over 70 prestigious brewing awards, including Gold & Silver for its Run Wild and Free Wave IPAs in the 2022 US Open of Beer Championship. It was also named the North American Brewer of the Year at the 2022 International Beer Challenge. Athletic has custom breweries in Milford, Connecticut, and San Diego, and donates up to $2 million of all sales to protecting and restoring outdoor spaces across the globe via its Two For The Trails program. Plus, as a part of its IMPACT Program, 1% of revenue goes to non-profit organizations that support positive impact and opportunity from the ground up. As of 2022, Athletic Brewing is proudly a Certified B Corporation™. Its full-flavored near beers and hop-infused sparkling waters are available on www.athleticbrewing.com.
About Super Coffee
Super Coffee was founded in 2015 by Jimmy, Jake, and Jordan DeCicco. As collegiate student-athletes, the DeCicco brothers were tired of drinking unhealthy bottled coffees and energy drinks loaded with sugar and calories. Super Coffee’s sugar-free formula blends protein with healthy fats from coconut oil and two cups of coffee in every bottle for a low-calorie energy boost. Based in Austin, TX with over 100 employees nationwide. Today, Super Coffee is available in over 50,000 retail stores across the country and is the third largest bottled coffee in the U.S. behind Starbucks and Dunkin.