Hard soda brand Crooked Pop has appointed Lee Schill as Chief Commercial Officer, tasking the 25-year beverage industry veteran with scaling the brand's distributor network, channel strategy, and revenue growth as it pursues national retail coverage. Schill's hire is the most significant commercial hire to date for the startup, which launched on the East Coast in April.
The Hire
Schill joins from Zevia, where he served as Senior Director of Distribution. Before that, he spent two decades at spirits and beer conglomerate Diageo in leadership roles spanning retail, convenience, club, and on-premise channels — a cross-channel résumé that mirrors Crooked Pop's own distribution ambitions. The appointment pairs Schill's commercial infrastructure experience with that of CEO Ben Weiss, who previously founded Bai, the better-for-you beverage brand acquired by Dr Pepper Snapple Group for $1.7 billion in 2016.
"Lee has spent his career building the distributor relationships and commercial infrastructure that determine whether a beverage succeeds," Weiss said. "His experience across both alcohol and zero-sugar soda makes him uniquely qualified to help us build Crooked Pop into a national brand."
Distribution Momentum
Crooked Pop entered retail through Total Wine and Harris Teeter at launch and has since secured a distribution agreement with Reyes Beverage Group, the Illinois-based mega-wholesaler that ranks among the largest beer and beverage distributors in the United States. The brand has also negotiated in-stadium pouring rights as the Official Hard Soda of the Philadelphia Phillies, Atlanta Braves, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers — on-premise placements that give the brand high-visibility trial opportunities ahead of a broader convenience and grocery push.
The product itself is positioned at the intersection of two fast-growing ready-to-drink segments: better-for-you and hard soda. Crooked Pop carries USDA certified organic status, is zero-sugar and gluten-free, and uses OSAVA, the company's proprietary fermentation process that produces a neutral alcohol base from ancient grains. Those credentials are designed to appeal to health-conscious consumers who have driven growth across the hard tea and hard seltzer categories, but who have historically had few options that meet better-for-you standards in the flavored malt and hard soda aisle.
What's Next
Schill's mandate will center on expanding market coverage beyond the East Coast, deepening wholesale partnerships, and building out the retail execution and on-premise infrastructure needed to compete in a crowded RTD field. "My job is to make sure the commercial infrastructure keeps pace — from the distributor network and channel strategy to execution at retail," Schill said.
Crooked's broader portfolio also includes Crooked Tea, a hard tea line built on the same OSAVA base. Early equity backers include NFL defensive end Brandon Graham, musician Zac Brown, NBA guard Trae Young, and Pro Football Hall of Famer Rondé Barber — celebrity investors whose profiles reinforce the brand's sports and lifestyle positioning. The company's backing from a founder with a proven exit in the better-for-you beverage sector and a new CCO with deep wholesale relationships gives Crooked Pop a credible commercial foundation as it competes for shelf space in a segment where distribution execution often determines category winners.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
