What started with a quest for a better ginger beer has grown into an Asheville-based craft beverage company with a bigger mission: creating fresh, real-ingredient drinks that give everyone – whether drinking alcohol or not – something worth raising a glass to. Founded by Ben Colvin and Jacob Baumann, Devil’s Foot has navigated startup challenges, a pandemic, a natural disaster, and continued growth by leaning into the power of community. As members of the Outdoor Business Alliance, the Devil’s Foot team draws inspiration from the mountains and outdoor community that surround them, while collaborations with fellow OBA members have helped shape the brand along the way. We caught up with the team to hear the story behind Devil’s Foot, the lessons they’ve learned, and what’s next for this purpose-driven Asheville business.
1. What inspired founder Ben Colvin to start Devil’s Foot? What can you share about the early days of experimenting with beverages and how those ideas evolved into the company?
Devil’s Foot started as a group of friends trying to make a better ginger beer for cocktails, made with real ginger, because everything else on the shelf was full of high fructose syrup and artificial flavoring. We went to celebrate learning that we were expecting our first child and the breweries had only water or unhealhty sodas for non-drinkers — a lightbulb went off and we decided to make something fresher, cleaner and better for you. One day, after juicing pounds of ginger root, my wife was helping me clean up and asked me to move the ‘devil’s foot’ off the counter, referring to the gnarly, knobby, spicy ginger root – and the name, Devil’s Foot, stuck! What we’re doing now builds upon the foundation of those first test batches abd we are creating farm-to-can craft non-alcoholic beverages made with real ingredients and with healthier communities in mind, so that anyone, drinking or not, has something worth raising a glass to.
2. Devil’s Foot has grown from a small Asheville startup into a regional craft beverage brand. What have been some of the biggest lessons, challenges, or turning points along the way?
We have run into plenty of challenges – from Covid shutdowns to distributor relationships to a natural disaster. And we’re stronger because we have pushed through obstacles. The biggest take away and lesson learned is the power of community. Whether it was deciding to scale up and grow, venture into new markets or expand products, the support of our community has inspired and sustained those decisions. Since our beginning, we have intentionally sought collaboration and partnership. Working with our community partners is a core part of our mission and its one of the most important thing we do.
3. How has being part of the Outdoor Business Alliance influenced Devil’s Foot? Have OBA connections, collaborations, or relationships opened doors or helped shape the direction of the business?
We joined the Outdoor Business Alliance because it the mission and members of OBA align with our own. I spent 15 years working for conservation nonprofits and our whole team has it in our bones to be outside hiking, camping, biking and playing. Asheville is the gateway to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and half a million acres of the Pisgah National Forest. These mountains and this environment mean everything to us. Being part of that community has pushed us to think harder about our footprint, our sustainability efforts and our collaborations. Speaking of collaborations, our ENO Hammocks partnership came directly out of being in that OBA community. The beauty of our home and the people who protect it are as much a part of this business as anything in seal in our cans.
4. What’s happening at Devil’s Foot right now that the team is especially excited or proud of—a new product, partnership, collaboration, or next chapter for the company?
Right now we are most excited about our recent B Corp certification which means we are verified to meet high standards of social and environmental performance and transparency. We have a growing community of BCorp businesses in Asheville and our BLocal network is an exciting group. We’re celebrating our BCorp certification with the community at The Mule on October 8th, featuring beer from B Corporations like our friends at New Belgium and Allagash. Additionally, we are excited to be the Official Ready-to-Drink Cocktail of the inaugural Biltmore Championship Asheville on the PGA TOUR, which will be a big event for our area and we’re proud to play a big part in it.
5. After building Devil’s Foot from the ground up, what lessons or advice would the team share with someone who has an idea and is thinking about starting a business in the outdoor industry?
It aint easy. And you can’t do it alone. Along with my co-founder Jacob, we’ve always leaned on the support of others in our community and could not be where we are today without them. I’d advise new entrepreneurs to build a team of founders, to seek out all the support and resources available (and Asheville has MANY), and to love the journey.
