Instagram and TikTok sensations Jack Steele and Matt Ford, of The Inspired Unemployed fame, not only have one million followers on each platform they can now lay claim to becoming Bombo beer barons.
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The two school dropouts who made a career on social media, launched a new no carb, no sugar beer. It was so popular it sold out at many BWS, Dan Murphy's and independent bottle shops around Australia within days.
Like everything else the two Kiama men in their mid 20s do, Better Beer has been an instant success.
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Matt said part of the motivation for the beer was their age.
"I am gluten free and Jack and I are pretty health conscious these days," he said.
"As we get older we realise we have to look after our bodies."
Jack said in a few years they will each turn 30 and they are eager to continue looking and feeling young.
"We are still in our 20s but we are just hanging in there. I am 27 and Matt is 26."
Matt and Jack like to think of themselves as beer connoisseurs from the many years of practice they have had drinking the stuff.
"We wanted to start a beer that provided consumers a bit more of a healthier alternative," Matt said.
"At the end of last year we got a few offers from different alcohol companies asking us to come on and be ambassadors and start our own line of beer under their brand. We thought why don't we just try and do it ourselves."
They took their idea to Torquay Beverage Company founder Nick Cogger who helped them create 'Better Brewing Co' and their dream beer. They describe it as a "refreshing lager" and the "crispiest beer in the world".
Better Beer has only 87 calories per can and is being marketed as the guilt-free alternative to the average schooner.
"There are not many beers out there with zero carbs," Jack said.
He said the launch date was strategic, coming just in time to take any worry out of cracking open a few cold ones this summer.
Mr Cogger said Better Beer was hitting the market at a time when Aussie consumers have been more health-conscious but still wanting a great-tasting, crisp beer.
Better Beer clocks in at 4.2 per cent alcohol and Matt said he and Jack have managed to fulfill every Aussie bloke's dream of having their own beer brand.
They enjoyed the process because in the name of research they got to spend countless days taste testing and tweaking the flavour of the no carb, no sugar brew before they formed a partnership with Pinnacle Liquor Group and have their beer stocked in every Dan Murphy's and BWS store in Australia.
"I think it might have been the first time that has ever happened to an independent brewer like ourselves at launch. And it has almost sold out nationally," Jack said.
"Coming up with a zero carb, zero sugar lager a lot of people were just expecting it to just taste like water. We had done the taste testing and everything else but were very nervous and scared when the finished product came back to us. But the feedback has been insanely positive."
A moaning challenge Matt and Jack put out on TikTok also helped.
"We said if you go in-store, get a beer, have a sip and do a big moan you could win a trip to New York city for 10 days with a mate. And it just went nuts," Jack said.
"When we launched we just had 5000 beer cartons go out to stores. 20,000 more cartons going out within two weeks."
The immediate success of Better Brewing is the latest in an ever growing list of Illawarra brewing companies that include Five Barrel Brewing, The Illawarra Brewing Company, Bulli Brewing Company, Veteran Brewing Co, Resin Brewing and Stoic Brewing just to name a few.
Meanwhile, it is not just a new beer, TikTok and Instagram keeping Kiama's The Inspired Unemployed creators busy.
"We have a podcast now on Spotify," Matt said.
While their fan base started in Australia it now includes North America, the United Kingdom and New Zealand.
"We are almost coming up to one million followers on TikTok which includes a lot of people from the US, which is pretty cool," Jack said.
Asked what was the secret to their success he said "I wish we knew".
"I think it is just having relatable content and our ability to make fun of ourselves. We don't take anything too seriously and we have had a bit of luck along the way."
Jack said being able to laugh at yourself was a great Aussie trait and had definitely helped them and their followers through COVID-19.
They pinch themselves every day wondering if it is all real.
They are quick to thank the people around them and feel moved when they hear they have inspired others.
That is motivation that keeps them trying new things.
'We are actually going skydiving for the next two days," Jack said.
"We got our skydive licences early this year and now we are doing a jump for TikTok where we are jumping out of a plane in our undies. That should be fun."
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