Goodbye HopBox, Hello Box Brew Kits
Big news: We've Dropped the Hop.
Being entrepreneurs and all, this business is kind of like our baby. We’ve watched it grow from nothing more than an idea into a successful Kickstarter campaign and now a top purveyor of handmade homebrewing kits. We’ve come to find, though, there’s a major difference between actual babies and business babies. Namely, no one’s ever going to hit you with a cease and desist over trademark infringement for calling your daughter “Jenny.”
That’s right. A few months ago we were approached about our use of “HopBox.” We’re not going to name names, but let’s just say we heard from the legal team of an enormously large American beer company with a brand that rhymes with the word “Killer-Doors.” They pointed out a starkly (but coincidentally) similar use of the name by a craft brewery they had recently acquired. After a little back and forth (it's hard to fight a giant), "HopBox Brewing Kits," as we knew it, was out. Dead. Sayonara.
Sure, because we had no choice but to change the name of our baby, a little piece of our heart feels like it’s shriveled up and died. But we're almost equally excited and flattered at the fact that our small business caused such a stink amongst the big wigs of beer. And even better, there's still light at the end of this tunnel. All is not lost. We're taking this opportunity to execute a rebrand.
And, so without further ado--Ladies and Gentlemen, please help me warmly welcome, Box Brew Kits! It’s simpler. It's sleeker. Hell, it’s even sexier. And most importantly, it’s here to stay.
To our loyal fans out there that have been with us from the beginning, we can't thank you enough for your support! If you happened to have loved us so much, you went out and got a tattoo with the HopBox logo, here's a Groupon for tattoo removal. But if you’re among the thousands of people who simply purchased one of our kits—good news—you’re now the proud owner a collector’s item!
And Now For a Post-Kickstarter Business Update
To say the least, things have been going very well. The nearly $160,000 you all helped up raise during our Kickstarter has landed us a sweet new shop right outside of Boston, and some new tools to boot.
We’re spending our days woodworking and filling recipe kits. We’re even getting back to our roots, now (again) offering a portion of our kits made from reclaimed wood. And thanks to you, we’re becoming good friends with the FedEx pickup and delivery guy.
As homebrewing only becomes more popular and the lust for craft beer continues in America and other parts of the world, the future of Box Brew Kits is looking bright. Stay tuned to our blog for some great content in the coming months on those topics and more. In the meantime, take a look at our new merch.