Happy Dad was featured in today's edition of Beer Business Daily, one of the beverage industry's most widely read trade publications. The coverage followed CEO Sam Shahidi's appearance on a panel of industry "Disruptors" at the 38th Annual Roth Conference, where he spoke about Happy Dad's evolution, brand momentum, and long-term vision.

The article highlighted Happy Dad's position as a top 25 vendor in Circana Beer data year-to-date in multi-outlet and convenience, up nearly 37% in dollars. Sam shared that the company is on pace to do over $100 million in revenue this year.

Happy Dad, which originally staked its claim in the hard seltzer category, has expanded into hard lemonade and its 10% ABV Extra Hard Lemonade. Sam noted the product diversification has attracted a broader consumer base.

"A lot of interesting folks," Sam said of the new audience, including "a lot of moms, actually."

Sam also discussed Happy Dad's growing presence in Canada, where the brand has quickly established itself as a category leader.

"We're the number one selling SKU" for the segment in the three biggest provinces in Canada, Sam said.

The brand's merchandise business continues to be a major differentiator. Sam announced a new licensing deal with Walmart that will place Happy Dad products in every Walmart location in the country beginning this May and June, timed around Father's Day.

"The amount of hats we sell, actually we just did a licensing deal with Walmart, we'll be in every Walmart in the country this May, June, going into Father's Day," said Sam.

Sam reflected on the early days of building the brand, when the team committed to an aggressive grassroots strategy to establish Happy Dad in the market.

"We did over 300 events over a 12-month period," Sam said. "So we went on full tour. We did, I think, 32 or 35 store visits in a four-day period across Texas. And so we really worked the streets."

He compared the early push to the music industry model where artists "had a single and they had to go to radio shows across the country." While the brand has since scaled back its event schedule, the foundation it built has paid off. Sam recalled meeting a man in his fifties at an American Airlines lounge who had never heard of the brand's celebrity origins. He had discovered Happy Dad at HEB and became a fan based on the product alone.

"People became fans of the Happy Dad brand," Sam said. "And we have a Happy Mom brand as well."

When asked whether Happy Dad is building to sell or building a generational business, Sam was clear about the team's mindset.

"For us, we've always wanted to build one incredible brand," he said. "I love it. I love our team. I love meeting with distributors. And so there's a little bit of obsession that our team has, and just building an awesome brand long term."

Sam acknowledged that opportunities may arise but stressed the importance of having the right foundation first.

"You've got to first have a great foundation, you have a profitable company, you have to have an excellent team to get there first," he said. "You want to build a company that is built to last a lifetime and if there's opportunity, if it comes it comes."

With strong retail momentum, expanding product lines, and a leadership team built for scale, Happy Dad continues to prove that the brand is just getting started.