AB InBev plans to buy Babe wine brand co-founded by influencer ‘The Fat Jewish’

The world’s largest brewer, AB InBev, has announced plans to buy Babe Wine, the wine brand co-founded by influencer Josh Ostrovsky, better known as “The Fat Jewish”.

(Photo: AB Inbev)

Babe, previously known as Swish Beverages, was set up by Ostrovsky alongside David Oliver Cohen and Tanner Cohen – who run the popular twitter account Babe Walker (the brothers also published pseudo-confessional White Girl Problems under the same pen name).

The company specialises in canned wines, first launching “White Girl Rosé” in 2015.

The purchase is the latest example of AB InBev’s attempts to diversify its brand portfolio as sales growth of mainstream lager in the US has started to stagnate.

AB InBev first invested in the New York-based wine brand last year, acquiring a minority stake through its investment arm ZX Ventures.

The brewer bought San Diego-based Cutwater Spirits in February this year, which was founded by three former Ballast Point Brewing executives and has a range of premium mixers, ready-to-drink (RTD) canned cocktails, as well as whiskey, vodka, gin and rum.

Canned wines are becoming hugely popular, particularly with younger drinkers in the US, with year-on-year sales rising by 43% in 2018.

AB InBev is also making strides into the food industry, striking a partnership in March 2019 with Coleman Natural Foods to release a meat line in the US.