When Kym and Joe Toner started GiveThemBeer in 2014, they didn’t have investors, a large team or a detailed business plan. They had $10,000 from selling their boat, a 1,000-square-foot warehouse and an idea: Turn great craft beer into a memorable gift.
Kym had experience in the gift industry, and both she and Joe had developed an appreciation for craft beer as the category grew across the country. Joe came up with the name GiveThemBeer, and the couple got to work. Their first gifts featured six craft beers arranged in metal buckets. Joe shrink-wrapped each order himself before shipping it. The company received its first order on Feb. 23, 2014.
In its early years, GiveThemBeer was a family project built around busy schedules. Kym stayed home with the couple’s young children and worked on the business after they went to bed. She answered customer emails, printed orders and handled whatever needed attention the following day. Joe continued working in corporate insurance while helping build the company.
For several years, GiveThemBeer was not profitable.
“We didn’t have investors or a mentor telling us what to do,” Kym said. “We just kept trying things, figuring out what worked and paying attention to what people actually wanted.”
That process became the company’s foundation. At first, Kym and Joe assumed customers would gravitate toward clever beer names, colorful labels and themed gifts. But they quickly learned that customers cared less about novel packaging and more about the quality of the beer inside.
GiveThemBeer shifted its focus to curated assortments of highly rated craft beers from breweries across the country. The goal was simple: Make it easy to give someone a gift filled with products they would genuinely enjoy.
GiveThemBeer’s Beer Briefcase received national television attention in late 2015, giving the young company some of its first major exposure. Five weeks later, Joe’s 15-year-old daughter, Hannah, was diagnosed with leukemia, and the family’s priorities changed overnight.
For about two years, Joe spent his days at the hospital with Hannah while Kym cared for the couple’s two young children, who were 6 months and 18 months old at the time.
Kym kept GiveThemBeer going during naps, after bedtime and in the small windows between caring for her family.
“The thought of the business not working or Hannah not making it didn’t even cross my mind,” Kym said. “We just took it one day at a time, getting across the finish line to remission.”
GiveThemBeer kept going. More importantly, so did Hannah.
Today, Hannah is healthy and an integral part of the family business.
In 2017, Kym and Joe noticed that adult Advent calendars were beginning to gain popularity in the United States. They saw an opportunity to take the idea they understood — curated gift-giving — and turn it into a daily holiday experience. The first GiveThemBeer Beer Advent Calendar featured a hand-selected lineup of American craft beers.
Customers weren’t just buying a box of beer; they were buying the experience of opening something new every day throughout December. As interest grew, GiveThemBeer expanded into hard seltzer, cocktails and spirits. In 2019, GiveThemBeer’s Hard Seltzer Advent Calendar went viral, reinforcing the company’s approach: Pay attention to what consumers are excited about and move quickly.
The company now offers 21 different Advent calendars, including food and nonalcoholic products like pickles, bacon, hot sauce and other giftable treats, and has sold tens of thousands since launching the collection.
The calendars have become more than products. Customers return year after year, with some buying the same kind of calendar every Christmas, while others wait for the latest addition. “We just keep adding what people want,” Kym said. “But what makes it really special is seeing people come back year after year. These calendars have become part of their Christmas traditions. We might be creating the calendar, but they are creating the memories around it.”
In October 2024, GiveThemBeer faced another major setback. Hurricane Milton severely damaged the company’s warehouse just as the holiday season kicked off. The inventory was destroyed, the building was badly damaged and the facility was left without power for several days. For a company that depends on the holiday season, the timing could hardly have been worse.
But the orders continued coming in.
Employees, family members and friends worked together to remove soaked carpet, clear debris, salvage what they could and continue filling orders around the damage. Hannah printed orders from her apartment, where she had electricity, and made trips back and forth to the warehouse to bring them to the team.
Eventually, the damage became too extensive for the company to remain in the building, and the landlord told GiveThemBeer to leave. Within two weeks, the company had relocated to a larger warehouse and was back to fulfilling holiday orders at full speed.
Most customers never knew what was happening behind the scenes. For the Toner family, the experience became another test of their determination. When asked when she knew they would pull it off, Kym’s answer was simple: “Not pulling it off was never even a thought.”
There was never a master plan for GiveThemBeer. The company grew through trial and error. Kym and Joe paid attention to their customers, adjusted when things didn’t work and moved quickly when they saw a new opportunity. They also kept going when life became more difficult than business.
What began with $10,000 from the sale of a boat and a small warehouse has grown into a family business offering 21 Advent calendars and shipping holiday gifts across the country. But the company’s growth is only part of the story.
For Kym, Joe and the rest of the family, the calendars represent more than a collection of products. They are a reminder that traditions can come from unexpected places — and that sometimes, the businesses people build are also the things that carry their families through.
GiveThemBeer’s collection now includes options far beyond traditional beer calendars.
A daily countdown for pickle lovers featuring a variety of flavors and styles.
A savory assortment of jerky flavors and varieties for snackers and meat lovers.
A giftable countdown built around one of the most popular breakfast and comfort-food staples.
A flavorful option for anyone who enjoys bold flavors and a little heat during the holiday season.
The company’s original Advent offering, featuring a curated selection of craft beers.
An option for adults who enjoy discovering different whiskey selections throughout December.
Product availability, selection and shipping deadlines may vary. Alcohol products are available only to customers who meet applicable age requirements.
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