KYLA Hard Kombucha, based in Hood River, OR, is a leading brand of alcoholic kombucha. KYLA was developed as a low calorie, low sugar, gluten free, shelf stable, and craft alcoholic beverage with a refreshing taste profile. KYLA boasts 4.5% ABV and is offered in canned and bottled formats. KYLA products are available at retailers including Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, Albertsons Safeway, Sprouts, Kroger and Costco, as well as in various on-premise bar and restaurant locations. KYLA is led by industry veteran Cory Comstock, CEO of Full Sail Brewing and former CEO of Angie’s Boomchickapop and Oregon Chai.

Scott Sellers, Managing Director at Encore Consumer Capital, said, “We are very excited about the rapid growth that KYLA has experienced since launching last year and are looking forward to partnering with Cory Comstock again to help drive continued expansion in the business. KYLA is at the intersection of a number of consumer beverage trends, across both the alcoholic and non-alcoholic segments, and is well positioned to maintain its leadership position in the alcoholic kombucha category it helped to pioneer.”

“We look forward to continue working alongside the Encore team on the expansion of KYLA” said KYLA CEO, Cory Comstock. “They have been integral in the development of KYLA to date and their investment will help us grow the KYLA brand by providing capital to support both our innovation pipeline and our sales and marketing efforts. KYLA has had early traction with key retailers, selling through at impressive velocities, and continues to resonate with consumers on taste and nutritional attributes, across a variety of usage occasions.”

About Encore Consumer Capital
Encore Consumer Capital is a San Francisco-based private equity investment firm focused on the consumer products industry. The firm has raised over $600 million in equity capital and invested in over 30 companies in the sector. Encore’s current and prior investments include food and beverage brands and manufacturers (4505 Meats, Aidells Sausage Company, Ancient Harvest, Brownie Brittle, Fantasy Cookie, Full Sail Brewing, Navitas Organics, Tender Belly, Thanasi Foods, Cece’s Veggie Co.), food distribution companies (Tourtellot, Pint Size Hawaii), pet products companies (ThunderWorks, Zuke’s) and personal care/beauty companies (Supergoop!, MyChelle Dermaceuticals, tarte Cosmetics), among others. The firm targets companies with between $10 million and $100 million in annual revenues, where Encore’s strong operating expertise in strategy development, brand marketing and distribution expansion can help drive performance.  www.encoreconsumer.com

Contact: Raigan Roy at 415-296-9850 or raigan@encoreconsumercapital.com