Bloom & Barrel and
New Harvest
THC-Infused Beverage | Brand Strategy, Consumer Research, Brand Architecture, Packaging, Creative Direction, Go-to-Market Planning, Digital & Social
One Winery. Two Brands. One Very Smart Strategy.
Client: Silver Hawk
Scope: Full brand development, dual-brand architecture, go-to-market Year: 2024, ongoing retainer
Year: 2024, ongoing
The Situation
Chris Hoskins had spent years building Silver Hawk Wines into an award-winning Paso Robles winery. When he began experimenting with THC-infused, de-alcoholized wine, what started as a passion project quickly became something bigger. He brought in partners, and together they came to Gambit with a product they believed in, a name that wouldn’t scale, and a category that most consumers didn’t yet understand.
The original brand, Silver Hawk 420, carried obvious stoner connotations that would limit its appeal well before it reached a mainstream shelf. Gambit’s first recommendation wasn’t a rebrand. It was research.
The Strategic Challenge
- A brand name that signaled the wrong thing to the wrong people
- THC dosage calibrated for enthusiasts, not the broader market Gambit saw as the real opportunity
- A new category with no established consumer playbook
- Partners with different visions for what the brand should be and who it should reach
- A founding team with deep winemaking expertise but limited brand and regulatory experience
Our Approach
Gambit designed and moderated consumer focus groups in California, using the research to pressure-test not just the name, but the entire product proposition. What came back was clear and actionable: the 420 name was a ceiling, not a door. And the THC dosage, as formulated, was too high for the casual, wellness-oriented consumer who represented the real market opportunity.
The research also revealed something more interesting. There wasn’t one target consumer. There were two, with meaningfully different motivations, aesthetics, and purchase triggers. Rather than forcing a single brand to serve both, Gambit recommended a dual-brand architecture built on a shared product foundation.
The result was two distinct brands, each fully developed from positioning through packaging, designed to reach different people with the same great wine.
Silver Hawk New Harvest was built for the discerning adult who loves the ritual of wine and wants something sophisticated, intentional, and alcohol-free. Rooted in the Silver Hawk winery heritage, New Harvest speaks with quiet confidence. Tagline: Rooted in the Vine, Elevated by the Leaf.
Bloom & Barrel was built for the social, wellness-minded consumer who wants to feel good, connect with friends, and wake up without regret. Bright, modern, and unapologetically fun. Tagline: A Better Kind of Unwind.
From that strategic foundation, Gambit executed across every dimension of both brands: consumer segmentation and persona development, brand positioning and messaging architecture, packaging design direction and regulatory compliance, website design and build, photography and video production, social channel setup, e-commerce launch, distributor sell sheets and trade decks, and tradeshow booth design. Gambit also helped the team hire and onboard a social media manager, and continues to provide ongoing strategic and creative leadership through a retained engagement.
The Shift
The Shift
- A single product with an identity ceiling became a two-brand portfolio with clearly defined audiences and room to grow
- Stoner-coded positioning became two premium, wellness-forward brands credible enough to earn serious industry attention
- A founding team navigating brand, packaging, and regulatory complexity for the first time gained a senior strategic partner embedded in every decision
- Instinct-led product development became consumer-research-driven brand architecture
The Result
Both brands are in active market development, with Bloom & Barrel leading the commercial push. In early 2026, the Silver Hawk team took both brands to the AltBev conference in Miami, where they received strong industry validation from distributors and category buyers. The retained Gambit engagement continues to drive strategy, creative, and go-to-market execution across both brands.
This one is still being written. But the foundation is right, and that’s where it always starts.
If your brand is carrying more than it should, there’s usually a structural answer.