Key Deal Facts
The 2019 US craft market was worth $3.7 billion and is expected to reach $20 billion by 2023 with a CAGR of 32%
Skeptic Distillery spirits have received numerous awards and have been featured in a multitude of publications including Wine Enthusiast Magazine, with its gin ranking among the & Top 100 Spirits in the World 2019
Skeptic sales, which took off last year, reached $303,000 in 2020 (despite the setbacks of the pandemic) and are already at $180,000+ for 2021, as the distillery ramps up to secure distribution in up to 25 US states by 2022.
Management Team / Advisory Board Bios
Karl Loepke, President
Karl is sort of a late blooming entrepeneur. He graduated from University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign with a Bachelor's Degree in Cell Structural Biology. After college, he received a job offer in inside sales at Enviro Tech International, a niche specialty cleaning solvent company. Karl worked his way up over time to a small ownership percentage (2%) of Enviro Tech in 2010, and then grew his ownership percentage to 33.33% before selling his interest to start Skeptic Distillery Co. He has a 10-year old son, Owen, and 9-year old daughter, Emma, that he loves spending time with and which will sometimes will help him out in the distillery with various projects. Other interests of Karl's include space exploration (huge fan of NASA, SpaceX and other rocket enterprises), live music, playing the guitar and drums (he owns a Gibson SG and Fender Mustang), sports, designing and fabricating new equipment for the distillery, and brand building.
Bruce Jacobson, Sales Director
Bruce is a 2nd generation veteran of the spirits business. Growing up in Philadelphia, Bruce's father both worked for and ran a distribution company for many years. giving Bruce firsthand knowledge of the industry. After finishing his last morning final exam at college in California, Bruce began working for a distribution company that same afternoon. Later, he spent nearly 17 years working for Seagram's and was instrumental in the successful launch of Seagram's Wine Coolers in his territory. Bruce spent the 20 years after that working for Heaven Hill Brands, where he was one of the top, if not the top, salesperson for brands such as Hpnotiq, Lunazul tequila, and many others in various regions of the USA. With deep industry connections and an inside knowledge of how to sell spirits, Bruce's experience is an invaluable addition to the company.
Joseph Iannarelli, Investor/Advisor
Joe was the first investor in Skeptic back when Karl started the company. Having met and become friends working together at Enviro Tech International, Inc., Joe saw the drive and work ethic Karl brought to the table, and believed in the project immediately. An entrepeneur in his own right, who owned and operated (and sold at exactly the right time) a very successful dry cleaning business near Pittsburgh, Joe has a ton of business experience and is one of those guys who has "seen it all." Joe's business style and creativity fits perfectly with the Skeptic culture. He is a very accomplished and avid skier and also enjoys traveling and building custom motorcycles in his free time. If you're driving around in eastern Pennsylvania (or near any ski mountain in the winter) you might see his black Dodge Ram TRX cruising around with Skeptic decals all over it.