From social media 'misfire' to beer-drinking empire

These days, it can be tough to keep track of time or even remember what day it is. But anyone working a nine-to-five knows when Friday comes around. And when the clock strikes five, it’s time for a beer.

Yes, sure, the sudsy kind, but also the digital media and comedy brand, Friday Beers.

What started as a social media channel that resonated with that off-the-clock feeling has grown into Almost Friday Media: 25+ brands, including Friday Beers, with 20+ creators, 40m+ followers, and 2B+ impressions per quarter.

“The people who weren't returning our emails before started being like, ‘Oh my God, they have 100k followers, 150k followers, 250k followers,’” Almost Friday co-founder and CEO Jack Barrett told The Hustle.

How it started

Friday Beers was founded in 2019 by Jack and Max Barrett, brothers seeking jobs in television writing.

“When we started the account, it was the greatest misfire of all time," Jack said.

As it turns out, this social channel was the refreshing sip everyone needed.

• Growth was completely organic; fans shared videos with friends, who in turn passed them on to their friends.
• Covid gave a boost: posts about missing the bar kept followers pouring in.

By the end of 2021, a choice had to be made: call it a night as a small comedy social media account selling T-shirts with their logo, or order another round.

"If running Friday Beers is a five out of 10, then [Almost Friday Media] could be a 12 out of 10," Jack said.

Another round it was. Almost Friday built a team and started expanding the brand.

How it's going

Turns out the misfire wasn’t a misfire at all. Since doubling down, the brand made deals with some major outlets:

• Almost Friday TV wrote "Last Night Was a Movie," a show sold to FX.
• It shot the movie Boys for Life in South Africa this summer for Paramount (or whatever it’s called now).
• It produced 24 YouTube episodes alongside Netflix's "On Campus" college football series.

They have also dipped their toes into IRL libations:

• The Almost Friday Sporting Club in Nashville
• Friday Beers, a beer brewed by Saranac
• A possible space in the Los Angeles International Airport
• Partnerships with BetMGM, White Claw, Celsius, and Fireball

The goal: to create on every platform where people consume content.

"We are focused on making it bigger,” Jack said.