Cape Tide Hard Tea on the Rise

Friendships forged at Fenn during the countless hours, days, and months collaborating on class assignments, playing together on sports fields, and sharing the stage during music and drama performances endure long after classmates move on from Monument Street. 

Alumni Ben Carbeau, Ollie Cheever, Harrison Hill, and Peter Nelson—all hailing from the Class of 2017—share such a lasting friendship, creating the perfect springboard for a business partnership that ultimately launched the beverage brand Cape Tide Hard Tea. 

While Ollie and Harrison graduated after their eighth grade year, Ben and Peter remained at Fenn for their ninth grade year. The foursome could have easily drifted apart after parting ways, but that couldn’t have been further from the reality that unfolded as Fenn alumni.

“Despite all going to different high schools and colleges, we have still spent every single break and vacation together,” said Ollie.

Each summer, the boys would reunite, often at Ollie’s family home on Cape Cod. There, they would enjoy the sunshine and even more so each other’s company. At one point, they decided to entertain themselves with a “brew your own beer” kit.  

“[What we created] was pretty bad,” joked Ben, “but we really enjoyed working on it together so we kept tinkering around with different things.”

With the tremendous growth of craft beverages and breweries, the foursome decided to try their hand at creating a beverage that wasn’t abundantly available in the market: a hard iced tea made with vodka and real fruit juice. After some trial and error, they landed on something that they thought could work.

Cape Tide Hard Tea officially launched on Memorial Day 2023, predominantly on Cape Cod. The friends were able to get it into the hands of 100 accounts during the initial launch, and that number has continued to grow. They describe the venture as a “fun learning experience.”

“It’s often said that if you go into business with people you’re close with, it can damage the friendship you have,” said Ben, “but we have put our friendship at the forefront of the business, which has created a strong and efficient team.”

During the process of bringing their product to market, the friends had fantastic conversations with numerous people in the industry, including some with Fenn connections. As newcomers to the space, the advice they received was incredibly beneficial to the fledgling beverage manufacturers.

Tom First, a co-founder of Nantucket Nectars, had two sons attend Fenn (Tim ’17 and Luke ’19) at the same time as Ben, Ollie, Harrison, and Peter. He was instrumental at the start of their business journey and continues to serve as their mentor today. Rob Todd ’83, founder of Allagash Brewing in Portland, ME, also guided the foursome. 

“Rob has had so much success with Allagash,” remarked Ben. “Connecting with him was incredibly helpful to all of us. It goes to show that the Fenn community—both on and off campus—is always willing to help and support each other.”

Naming the beverage and building the brand was a particularly “fun, yet tedious, process” as they prepared to bring their product to market. 

“We wanted a brand that was local and authentic to the Cape—a place that has meant so much to our friendship over the years,” shared Ben. “That’s what is at the very core of the brand. That is what Cape Tide represents.”

While some decisions aren’t always the easiest, the foursome points to the opportunity to learn and grow as a team as a skill they first worked on honing during their time at Fenn.

During their later years in school, the boys played on the varsity soccer team coached by Bob Starensier (Star), Jason Rude, and Freemon Romero ’04. Ben fondly remembers his ninth grade season and he and Peter helping the team take home 1st place in the 2017 Eaglebrook Junior Soccer Tournament.

“That team was an early example of what can be accomplished when people work well together, and our coaches really played a role in that,” he remarked. “We worked really hard, but it was also a lot of fun. That sentiment is something we try to carry into our business now.”

The essence of Sua Sponte and the School’s four core values continue to play an equally vital role in their lives long after their Fenn years.

“Sua Sponte is ingrained in every Fenn boy,” said Ben. “You don’t think of it daily, but that mindset of taking initiative and pursuing what you’re passionate about is really what Sua Sponte represents when you graduate from Fenn.”

With their friendship and budding business intact, the four founders of Cape Tide Hard Tea are eager to grow their brand. They are looking to expand into Greater Boston and MetroWest this summer, while continuing to focus on the success of their sales on the South Shore. That success hasn’t gone to their heads, according to Ollie, as they understand how lucky they all are to be in this together and where it all started. 

“There is something truly special about the friendships made at Fenn,” he remarked. “I’m so grateful to be able to do this full time with my best friends.”