STARTING a business when one is tipsy with friends may not be a good idea. But as it turns out, it did work out for this group of friends.
Four people had the brilliant idea of mixing the two best things one needs to relax: iced popsicles and some alcohol. Who says business has no room for fun and games?
Tipsy Pops is the newest thing for adults who want to have fun. It boasts of a selection of frozen cocktail lollipops made with alcohol and fruit juices, perfect for those who want to unwind with trendy and Instagram-worthy popsicles.
“We’ve always wanted to start a business,” said Natalia Diago, one of the co-owners of Tipsy Pops.
“I work in advertising and one of my projects was for an event launch. So, we wanted to bring in new things. During events, the lollipop cakes are normal so we tried to think of something new. Since the event happened during summer and it was a pool party, we thought about alcoholic popsicles. We were looking for suppliers and we couldn’t find any. There were fruit pops but we couldn’t find alcoholic popsicles. So I thought since it’s alcoholic, why can’t we do it ourselves?”
“So I called Sheryl and asked for money, then created a group chat and opened up the idea of putting up an alcoholic popsicle business,” she continued.
“We sent the money, ordered the molds and then proceeded to research and development. And we got drunk all the time,” said brand co-owner Sheryl Desquitado.
And that was the beginning of how Sheryl, Natalia, Clarence Sario and Bea Villegas Osmeña started Tipsy Pops.
“We had to juggle our roles as adults as we also have day jobs. We all come from different backgrounds and we all have our daily routine. Sheryl works for an insurance company in Singapore. Talia works for an advertising agency in Manila. Dada (Clarence) works as an assistant director in a company in Davao, and I’m a law student,” said Bea.
The four of them curated the flavors themselves. In creating colorful drinks, in-depth research and development was handled by Clarence and Ana, who both started with their favorite cocktail flavors.
“We decided just to have fun. The research and development process was the longest; it took about three months,” said Bea. “That’s three to four months of drunken nights,” Clarence chimed in.
Having decided to focus on citrus flavors and to exclude cream, the popsicles imbibe a tropical vibe that’s colorful and fruity. Tipsy Pops currently offers five flavors for its alcoholic popsicles and three flavors for its alcoholic slush which customers may mix and match with each other. The team shared that three to five more flavors are in the works and are scheduled to come out within the year.