42 THE QUEENS COURIER • BUZZ • NOVEMBER 12, 2020 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
buzz
Rockaway entrepreneur launches sparkling
water company inspired by her hometown
BY EMILY DAVENPORT
edavenport@qns.com
@QNS
For Bridget Firtle, her hometown of
Rockaway, Queens, is not just her happy
place, but also the inspiration for her latest
business venture: a new sparkling water
company that also gives back to the environment.
Firtle was originally known for bringing
rum distilling back to New York City.
Aft er receiving her MBA in 2007, Firtle
began her career on Wall Street at a hedge
fund as a consumer goods investor with
a focus in global alcoholic beverage companies.
She spent about fi ve years managing
that portfolio when she started to
gain an interest in working with startups
and small businesses and ultimately
decided to bring a long-gone practice
back to the city.
“Aft er some soul searching, I wanted
to bring rum distilling back to New York
City,” said Firtle. “Th ere was a lack of rum
being produced here. It’s America’s fi rst
spirit. With that initial vision, I jumped
ship from the hedge fund in 2011 and
built a distillery in 2012 in Williamsburg.”
Firtle’s vision ultimately became
Owney’s Rum, which gained her recognition
Forbes 30 Under 30, Zagat 30
Under 30 and one of Imbibe’s 75 People to
Watch. She grew the brand for fi ve years
before partnering with a spirit supplier,
Proximo Spirits, in 2017. Under this new
partnership, Owney’s began to distribute
nationally and Firtle began to slowly
integrate into the supplier’s portfolio, and
ultimately sold the Owney’s Rum brand
in 2020.
“Over the three years of integrating the
rum brand, I was drawn into thinking
about what was next,” said Firtle.
Firtle bounced around two ideas in her
head, one of which being a boutique strategic
management comp for startups that
would start with operating and selling a
business in the consumer space. However,
with the pandemic, it was diffi cult to get
that idea off of the ground. Firtle decided
to go full speed ahead on her second
idea for a non-alcoholic beverage company
that was inspired by her hometown.
With that, Rockaway was born. Th e
company specializes in fl avored sparkling
water that off ers functional benefi ts from
powerful plants and adaptogenic herbs
weaved into the fl avors.
“I was building the foundation for
Rockaway a few weeks ago. It really started
as a passion project,balancing what I
love about life in indulgence,” said Firtle.
“As a consumer coupled with the love of
my hometown and NYC, I had inspiration
from a marketing perspective for a functional
beverage.”
Firtle collaborated with designer
and illustrator Alex Cannon who
drew Rockaway’s black-and-white logo
and packaging pattern on the cans and
boxes that highlight New York City beach
scenes. With the help of her friend Nick
Johnson the Rockaway website got off the
ground, allowing for national shipping.
“It kind of just started as a secondary
revenue stream but I ended up getting
more and more excited about it,” said
Firtle. “Idecided to dedicate the next 18
months to giving it my all.”
Currently, Rockaway offers four
flavors of sparkling water: Coastal
Immunity (pineapple, ginger, tulsi, turmeric,
sea salt), Tidal Defense (berry,
hibiscus, vitamin C, astragalus, sea
salt), Endless Summer Energy (watermelon,
guava, maca, ginseng, sea salt)
and Last Stop Chill (lemon, lemongrass,
ashwagandha, valerian root, sea
salt). Firtle dipped into her knowledge
from working in the alcohol business to
help develop the flavors.
“I worked with consultants to develop
the recipes and fl avor profi les. It’s
all fl avors that I like,” said Firtle. “I was
informed by my experience with cocktails.
Because of my work with Owney’s, I
have a pretty good understanding of what
people like in their cocktails.”
Each fl avor has been designed to target
diff erent physical and emotional benefi ts
and promote balance within the body and
mind, which was really important to Firtle
to incorporate in the drinks.
“Th ere are functional benefi ts to ginger,
and pineapple plays well with ginger.
Th ere are functional benefi ts for blueberries,”
said Firtle, referring to the Coastal
Immunity and Tidal Defense. “A lot of
herbs taste pretty funky, so we use fruit
juice to balance that. Sea salt, which is in
every drink, is not just anti-infl ammatory,
it helps the fl avor pop and pays homage
to the ocean. Th is coupled with feedback
from the fl avor house led us to where
we are now.”
A key element to Rockaway is the company’s
commitment to protecting the
environment. When Firtle fi rst started
to build the company, she was connected
with the organization 1% for the Planet,
which connects companies to help accelerate
smart environmental giving. As a
Rockaway, Queens native, it was particularly
important to Firtle that the company
was paired with an organization that was
committed to saving beaches.
As a member of 1% for the Planet,
Rockaway donates 1 percent of its sales
to the local NYC chapter of Th e Surfrider
Foundation, a global nonprofi t dedicated
to protecting the world’s beaches.
“Always from the beginning, Rockaway
has been my personal happy place.
Rockaway Beach is where feel the most
at home. I knew the company had to be
driven to help save the ocean,” said Firtle.
“1% for the Planet matched us with a nonprofi
t member of the group who suggested
that Surfrider NYC would be a good fi t
for my personal goals.”
Right now, Rockaway is only available
online for purchase. However, Firtle has
plans to get Rockaway in stores in New
York City and Long Island next year.
“We had to launch digitally due to the
current climate; it was hard to launch traditional
distribution this year,” said Firtle.
“But we have a strategy to get Rockaway
in stores with a suggested retail price of
$1.99 in New York City and Long Island
in 2021.”
Rockaway’s sparkling waters are available
for purchase with free shipping
nationwide ondrinkrockaway.com. Packs
of eight are available for $32.99 and packs
of 16 are available for $39.99. Combo
packs and subscriptions are also available.
Th is story originally appeared on amny.
com.
NYC Parks breaks ground on renovation of Woodside park
BY BILL PARRY
bparry@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
Offi cials broke ground on a $1.87 million
reconstruction project at Woodside’s
Doughboy Park.
Th e renovations, made possible by
an allocation provided by Councilman
Jimmy Van Bramer, will include the plaza
surrounding the park’s World War I
memorial statue and the seating areas and
provide new drinking fountains and pathways
to the site.
“Doughboy Park is a charming and historic
neighborhood jewel that off ers a
peaceful green oasis in Woodside,” NYC
Parks Queens Borough Commissioner
Michael Docket said. “Th anks to Council
member Jimmy Van Bramer, we’re providing
community members with an
inviting, enhanced green space for passive
recreation and refl ection.”
Th e project also includes reconstruction
of the existing retaining wall and the 9/11
Memorial plaque and fl agpole. Additional
upgrades will include improved security
lighting and drainage, new plantings and
a revamped pathway for easier access to
the park’s dog run.
Bounded by Woodside Avenue, 52nd
Street and 39th Road, Doughboy Park is
just 1.71 acres but includes the memorial
statue and plaza dedicated to those
who served, including 34 people who
lived or worked in Woodside who lost
their lives in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist
attacks.
Th e statue depicts a World War I-era
infantryman, or “doughboy.” British soldiers
referred to American infantrymen
as “doughboys” because of the large round
buttons on their uniforms. Th e buttons
reminded the British soldiers of the cakes
or biscuits known as doughboys. Statues
of American infantry soldiers are also
called doughboys, and there are bronze
doughboys in all fi ve boroughs. Th e park
hosts annual Memorial Day and Sept. 11
observances.
“Th e $1.8 million I’ve allocated to renovating
Doughboy Plaza will make this
space beautiful,” Van Bramer said. “It’s
a space that honors so many who have
died in service to others. I’m thrilled
to have fought for this great park in
Woodside and excited to see the construction
start.”
Th e project is expected to be completed
in fall 2021.
Photos courtesy of Rockaway
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