Brett Meyer ’10

Chances are, if you walked into a shore establishment this summer looking for a cool drink after a hot day on the beach you found Sea Isle Iced Tea in the refrigerator. Being a Philly person, you may have had to give it a try and were impressed by this new drink.

Like so many other Delaware Valley delights, Sea Isle Iced Tea has a Prep connection: Brett Meyer ’10 was one of the people responsible for the idea and has helped to bring it to life. Today, you can purchase this taste of the Jersey Shore in five states, with three more to launch this spring.

“It started as a bit of a joke,” Meyer says. “Twisted Tea Light was a staple for me and my friends from Northeast Philly. My relatives and friends from other areas would often tease us about it, but we knew that it was something that people enjoyed. So a buddy of mine from Father Judge (Anthony Santilli) and I made the decision to start our own version.”

At the time, Twisted Tea held over 90 percent of the Spiked Tea market. How did Meyer and his team think they could compete?

“I guess we were naive, but I thought it could be a success,” Meyer said. “We wanted to use better ingredients and add a bit more alcohol to it because that is what we wanted when we were drinking it. I really thought people would be interested.”

They found a company to take a chance and make the tea but needed more. Twisted Tea is from Boston; they wanted their formula to have a beach town/Philly vibe. “We want to connect with the consumers,” Meyer says. “We created a brand on social media via Instagram and TikTok. We sell merchandise,  promote local bars and businesses where we sell, and hold launch parties. We want people to know that we are not just a drink brand, but we are a family-owned and operated brand. We care about the customer and want them to be a part of this fun atmosphere.”

Meyer thought of connecting to the famous Sea Isle Ice Company. “It is so well known at the shore and beyond,” Meyer said. “Felt like a no-brainer to connect.”

At first, Jeannie and Joe Romano, owners of Sea Isle Ice Company, were skeptical. Truthfully, they may have been more than that. “They laughed in my face,” Meyer says with a chuckle. “They weren’t sure if they wanted to be in the iced tea business. But I knew it could be a hit, and I was pretty persuasive. Their logo and name has been around for 60 years and is iconic. They eventually agreed, and took a huge risk.” 

They are probably glad that they did. “When we came out with it, it went nuts,” says Meyer. “At the time, it was just Twisted Tea in the marketplace. The recognition of our brand was immediate, and it went crazy. I knew it was going to do well, but I had no idea that it was going to be as big as it is today.” 

Soon that explosive growth compelled all involved to concentrate full time on Sea Isle Spiked Iced. “It grew way faster than we ever expected,” says Meyer, who now works 90+ hours a week to keep Sea Isle Iced Tea’s success rolling. That hard work is something he learned as a high school student.

“The Prep was the first place to challenge me,” he says. “I struggled with that, but I never gave up. It was complex, but so is my work now. I learned how to handle something difficult. I’m so proud that I graduated from the Prep.”

The diversity of the student body has helped Meyer professionally. “The Prep was such a unique environment,” he says. “You are friends with everyone. It gave me the ability to connect with all kinds of people. I learned that everybody is different, but that didn’t matter, we still connected. You don’t appreciate it as much when you are going through it, but it helped shape me and make me who I am today.”

And who he is is a success story, with the hard work and determination learned at the Prep underlining that success.