Bailey Smith and Josh Daicos tell us how they balance football with growing their drinks brand, which is only getting better.
They launched their alcoholic drinks brand Barry in 2023, and as they get ready to mark its third birthday, it’s us who get the gift because Barry has officially hit the shelves at Dan’s. Yep, just in time for finals season, you can get your hands on the Grapefruit Paloma, along with Baz’s personal favourite, the Guava and Prickly Pear. They’re a ready-to-drink take on a Highball, blended with soda and agave spirits, which are made from the agave plant, predominately found in Mexico.
The boys expanded Barry into agave spirits in 2024, but it was the shochu, vodka and soda water RTDs that started it all. After discovering Highballs in Japan, Bailey says there was nothing he enjoyed drinking as much back home. “So, we thought, why not do something made by the average punter, for the average punter?” Bailey was at uni studying a Bachelor of Business at the time, but he left to pursue Barry. “I would rather get on the tools and learn on the fly. We made a lot of mistakes and learned a lot along the way, but I feel like we’re really starting to get into our stride now,” he says.
Barry hasn’t been without its challenges, but Bailey says it’s about having the “blind faith” that everything will work out. “As much as things could have been done better or or different, it's the journey that's been the most fun.” He says the Barry team is just doing their best, on top of their jobs as footballers. “We choose to do it, and it's bloody hard at times, and it'd be easier not to, but that's where the passion part of it really takes over.”
Bailey says there are still times when he feels out of his depth. “We’re doing presentation decks and talking in boardrooms, trying not to swear, but I wouldn't change it because it’s taught us so much,” he says. “And I think through that, and not being perfect from the get-go, it’s hopefully where everyone can resonate with us as a brand.”
It’s safe to say Barry is definitely resonating. In fact, earlier this year, the team opened up the brand for crowdsourcing and offered its community the opportunity to purchase a piece of the business. Nearly 2000 investors jumped on board and crowdfunded more than $2.7 million that will be used to grow Barry.
Josh says that one of the best things about building Barry has been getting to know Bailey and Charlie off the field. “We‘ve grown really close over that time, and you always look at the footy fixture to see when you're playing one another, and there's definitely a bit of banter in the chat during the week.”
The night before this interview, Collingwood hosted Geelong at the ‘G, with the Cats – and Baz – taking the win. “It‘s fun going against [each other]. I was playing on Baz last night a couple of times and we're extremely competitive,” says Josh.
Football comes first, Josh says, but they’re passionate about the product and there’s a lot that the team can bring from footy to Barry, especially resilience. “It can sometimes be one step forward, two steps back – a start-up's not easy, but we've learned some valuable lessons through football and navigating any obstacles that may arise,” he says. “I feel like we‘re a really resilient group and it spurs us on to continue to chase success and prove ourselves in the market.”
The Barry range is low sugar, with natural sweeteners, low carb and it contains real fruit juice concentrate, which Josh says sets Barry apart. “It still tastes amazing, but it's a way of having a peace of mind when you're drinking it. I feel like people really appreciate it.”
The Grapefruit Paloma is crying out for an afternoon in the park with your mates. It’s all mouth-puckering grapefruit and zingy lime. As Bailey says, it is tart. As for his pick, the Guava and Prickly Pear, you can expect sweet guava, earthy prickly pear and fresh agave flavours.
For Bailey, working on the Barry brand helps to take the emphasis out of football results, and gives him other areas to focus on. “It doesn't take anything away from football, it gives you a greater perspective on life and [not being] pigeonholed into just being a footballer. You’ve got other ambitions and other goals, and you learn other things.”
Click image to shop
