Mise en Place: Kin Seltzer founder Joshua Lewis on creative strategy and natural flavors

Joshua Lewis of Kin Seltzer // Courtesy Joshua Lewis

Joshua Lewis is a man about town. The self-proclaimed “party guy” leveraged his sociability to launch a party-finding app in 2016. As the parties, club events, and networking flowed, inspiration struck for a product that would connect it all: an alcoholic seltzer, made in Kansas City, and designed with the tens of thousands of followers of his personal and business accounts in mind. 

Equally suited for the dance floor, small kickbacks, or served alongside dinner, Kin Seltzer is the first Black-owned seltzer brand in the United States. Kin is brewed and bottled at Border Brewing Co. and carried in restaurants, bars, and venues around the metro. We sat down with Lewis to chat about KC’s party culture, mindful collabs, and the perfect BBQ pairing with Kin.

The Pitch: Tell us about your background.

Joshua Lewis: I moved here from Dallas on an athletic scholarship to play basketball at Park University. And party, party, party. Even on game days, I would go straight to the club. I just was a very social guy. But, I realized that I would get old eventually, so I needed to create some type of business around something I love.

I have a community of people who love to go out and drink and have a good time, so why not give them more products? Something they can consider their own. I realized that consumers wanted something they could drink that was a little more tailored to them from a marketing perspective.

Now tell us about Kin Seltzer!

It’s an amazing product. Let’s start there. There are no artificial flavors. It’s actually really small chunks of pineapple and peaches at the bottom so you know it’s real. The flavors are a little more natural. The reason I did that is because the audience that we lead with is authentic, natural, and very real. And so we tried to make the product the same as the person so that it could relate and match.

Where can readers find Kin Seltzer?

Right now we’re in 25 locations that can be found on our website, but that number is growing by the week. Anywhere that you’re you’re listening to a DJ–we’re probably there.

What led you to the seltzer space over other products or beverages?

I’m a smart businessman. The two main beverages that are moving in the social spaces are seltzers and tequila. And so with those being the top two, I had to make a smart decision and figure out which one I could get my hands on. I realized that the beer space would be a lot easier to do since tequila is a couple of years process at minimum. *Lewis did reveal that a tequila product is in the works.

What obstacles have you faced while building this brand?

There’s a positive and a negative to our targeted consumer not being a typical beer or seltzer drinker. We had to get over that hurdle of getting them to try, it but luckily for us, we had a pretty good marketing strategy of attaching everything to live, in-person events. But even with that, it took time. Most people react with surprise when they taste Kin for the first time, saying “Oh, I like this, and I don’t even drink seltzers.” 

What advice do you have for entrepreneurs?

Focus on community. I think the reason we had a successful first few months is because we had a community already. And if you’re not the person with that community you need to team up with the person that does. If you have the resources to start your own drink or product, go find somebody who can bring the people. 

So, you recommend collaborating based on your strengths. Do you have any dream collaborations in Kansas City? 

Dream may not be the best word for me. I think the smartest, most lucrative collaboration for us would be with Power and Light. Without a doubt, that kind of partnership would change the game for the community that parties there. Other smart moves on my mind would be partnering with Gates BBQ, KC Current, and of course The Chiefs. Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce getting their hands on my drink would be amazing.

Including some Kin, of course, what would be a perfect Saturday night meal in KC?

Char Bar. It’s my favorite combo: the burnt ends plate with cheesy corn bake and BBQ pit beans. With a Kin to round it out. Then it depends on the night but you’ll find me next at Aura, Ale House, Society, Nighthawk, or Social in Waldo.