Shivangi Sinha
As awareness around fitness and wellness continues to grow, consumers have access to an expanding range of food and beverage alternatives designed to support more conscious choices. This has also encouraged people to look beyond traditional products and place greater trust in brands that combine familiar tastes with thoughtfully selected ingredients. Featured on ABC’s ‘Shark Tank’ season 18, episode 3, Nutcase Milk brings that idea to the beverage aisle with its cashew milk. Made with cashews and clean ingredients, the drink offers a creamy, dairy-free alternative while providing functional benefits.
Nutcase Milk: Who Are They and What Do They Do?
Nutcase Milk grew out of a simple craving for something familiar, but with ingredients that made more sense for a health-conscious consumer. The brand was founded by Joelle “Jo” Weinand and gaming streamer Tyler “Ninja” Blevins. Jo, who serves as Nutcase’s co-founder and CEO, had been looking for a better alternative to the chocolate milk she remembered enjoying as a child. She wanted to recreate the nostalgic drink without the refined sugars, oils, and other ingredients she felt did not fit into a more conscious lifestyle. The idea initially came from a late-night craving, but it soon became more than a kitchen experiment. Jo began developing and testing the drink at her restaurant, where customer feedback helped demonstrate there was a market for a grown-up take on the childhood favorite.
Jo had already built experience as the owner of Wolf Down in Ottawa and previously founded XPR, an events and experiences company. She studied International Business at Carleton University. The path to finding Ninja was equally unique. Through a poker connection involving Jo’s husband, Shopify co-founder Daniel Weinand, the product eventually reached professional poker player Phil Hellmuth. After trying Jo’s chocolate milk, Hellmuth became an investor and advisor and helped introduce her to Ninja. The streamer liked what he tasted and eventually joined Nutcase as a co-founder. Best known for his career as one of the world’s biggest gaming creators, Ninja has also been involved in the product’s development, from sampling formulations to contributing to marketing strategy.
At its core, Nutcase is a cashew-based milk designed to offer the indulgence of chocolate milk with added functional benefits. Its electrolyte-focused formula contains cashews, pea protein, cocoa, agave, Himalayan salt, stevia, and other ingredients, with 150 calories, 8 grams of protein, 5 grams of sugar, 560 mg of potassium, and 45 mg of magnesium per serving. The product is dairy-free and contains no seed oils. Nutcase is a convenient, better-for-you alternative for consumers seeking both taste and nutrition.
Nutcase Milk: Where Are They Now?
Nutcase Milk has continued to build its identity beyond the product itself since its May 2024 launch, which was backed by a $2.5 million seed round comprising roughly $1.3 million from strategic investors and $1.2 million raised through crowdfunding. However, the company has also been open about the challenges of scaling a new beverage. Jo has publicly acknowledged that repeat purchases initially fell short of expectations, prompting the team to pause, revisit the formulation, and refine the product before pushing ahead with wider growth. Since then, the brand has expanded its circle of ambassadors, with DJ Steve Aoki joining alongside figures such as Mike Tyson and Mark Eteson.
The product line currently includes three flavors: Chocolate Chaos, Vanilla Churro, and Japanese Strawberry. A 12-pack of bottled Nutcase Milk is priced at $40, while powdered versions of the same flavors are available in boxes containing 15 servings for $30. The brand has also developed a merchandise line, including a $30 hat, a $35 Vegas Tee, an $80 hoodie, and $5 magnets and keychains, with some apparel also available in kids’ sizes. These are all available for purchase on their website and also at select Whole Foods stores. Nutcase is also building a creator community through its three-tier Nutcase Creator Program. The Rookie tier is aimed at creators with fewer than 50,000 followers and offers free quarterly product drops, a 15% commission, early access, and opportunities to earn merchandise based on views or sales. The One of Us and the F**kin’ Elite tiers are similarly structured with higher benefits.
The company has also launched ‘The Nutcase Study,’ a social media docuseries offering a behind-the-scenes look at the product’s development and production. Nutcase has even been seen at the X Games Winter Draft, an event connected to the X Games’ selection and preparation of athletes and competition talent. With new products, creators, collaborations, and content all forming part of its strategy, Nutcase appears to be positioning itself as more than a milk brand. It is building a lifestyle around its unconventional take on a childhood favorite.
You must be logged in to post a comment.