Gwen Hurt, founder of Shoe Crazy Red Wines.
Armed with a new lineup of spirits, a local red wine brand name is headed west.
Shoe Crazy White wine is preparing to start circulation to California, Nevada and Hawaii, while likewise recently introducing liquor items such as peach bourbon, pineapple vodka and a variety of moonshines flavored like apple cobbler, coffee and vanilla ice cream.
Creator Gwen Hurt stated Shoe Crazy’s spirits target group is ladies, with the majority of the new beverages clocking in at between 25 and 30 percent alcohol-by-volume.
“We wanted to opt for a female palate, which tends to be a bit sweeter, a little softer. We didn’t desire it to have a severe bite,” Hurt stated. “It’s simply crazy how ecstatic people are to see something that’s not 100-proof or tastes harsh.”
Shoe Crazy debuted its spirits in the spring, a lineup that included an apple cobbler moonshine. (Courtesy Shoe Crazy)
Hurt stated the company establishes its spirits recipes in-house then sends them to be obtained at unnamed distilleries in Virginia and New York City. 750-milliliter bottles of Shoe Crazy’s spirits are priced in between $26 and $42. The brand-new products are readily available in Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Virginia, but Hurt said she’s aiming to grow the spirits’ footprint the very same method she has the wine.
Since introducing the company in 2014, Hurt has actually slowly grown Shoe Crazy’s circulation network, landing on the racks of Walmarts, Sam’s Clubs and Food Lions on much of the East Coast.
“We’re being sold in Alabama up through Pennsylvania,” Hurt stated. “We’ve increased our little ‘shoe-print’ a fair bit over the last few years.”
Shoe Crazy and its staff of 11 is based out of Startup Virginia’s 1717 Innovation Center in Shockoe Bottom. It also has an office and warehouse in Petersburg.
The business is completely self-funded, though Hurt said she ‘d be open to taking on financiers, particularly as she’s wanting to broaden.
Shoe Crazy’s wines, which are produced by agreement wineries in California, are scheduled to be readily available on the West Coast at some point in the first quarter of 2023. And Hurt said she’s not stopping there.
She stated she’s wanting to enter more states on the East Coast, as well as far lands like India.
Hurt stated she aspires to grow Shoe Crazy to the levels of Diageo and Constellation Brands, the conglomerates that own the likes of Johnnie Walker, Tanqueray and Corona.
“My objective is to be the first black woman-owned adult drink company. I dream big. That’s where I see Shoe Crazy,” Hurt said.
Another local packaged beverage maker, Fore Craft Cocktails, just recently grew its own footprint, signing on to market its golf-themed canned mixed drinks outside of Virginia.