5 Kickstarter Campaigns We’re Keeping an Eye on

March 21, 2013

Photo: Mike Newton via Kickstarter

In just a few short years, the process of raising start-up cash for a new business has completely transformed, thanks in part to Kickstarter, which has helped raise over $500 million for entrepreneurs around the world. Among some of the most interesting ventures are a myriad of drink-related propositions, from book publishing to bitters production. Here are five projects we’re keeping an eye on at the moment.

RX Bitters Co.

With a combined 26 years in the drinks industry, the trio behind this cocktail-centric campaign is ready to break into the bitters biz. With a little more than $1,000 off their goal and a little less than two weeks to go, San Diego-based RX Bitters Co. hopes to introduce its vanilla-forward aromatic bitters, potent sarsaparilla and springy cherry-apple bitters to the cocktail community at large. Click here for more info.

Portland Loves Pints

It’s no secret that Portland, Oregon, has a thing for beer. And the video-savvy crew behind this campaign wants to share the city’s ongoing quest for the perfect pint via webseries and podcasts with beer enthusiasts around the globe. They’re still a ways away from their $10,000 goal, but with about a month to go, they have plenty of time to garner the needed support. Click here for more info.

Bonlife Coffee’s Wheelson a Dream

The sweet swag alone is reason enough to support this coffee-fueled campaign that hopes to convert an old van into a “rolling craft coffee oasis” (complete with a custom pourover bar and espresso machine) and hit the road spreading the gospel of great coffee at festivals and farmers markets around the country. Pledge $199 or more and score a wooden pourover stand handcarved by Bonlife’s WWII veteran grandfather, Papo; pledge $2,500 or more and join them on the cross-country coffee tour; and pledge $3,500 and score an epic origin trip to a coffee farm in Central America. Click here for more info.

The TapIt Cap

Having a pub-fresh pint at home used to mean spending weekends building a bulky kegerator only to have the beer go flat before you could finish it. But Denver-based Robert Scott has designed an ingenious way to pour pillow-capped pints at home. His TapIt Cap turns an ordinary growler into a miniature dispenser for fresh, frothy beer with plastic tubing, CO2 and some clever engineering, but only if he’s able meet his $80,000 goal. Click here for more info.

Expanding the Hop Yard

The lush farmlands of New York state are fertile grounds for hops, as the generations-old Szaro Farms discovered when they came across some wild vines taking root along an old barn. Szaro has since successfully transplanted several rhizomes and is hoping to raise funds to grow its hop yard, which will in turn provide farm-fresh hops to a host of local breweries. Click here for more info.