Craig Conover has some explaining to do.
The “Southern Charm” star revealed why he decided to invest in an alcohol brand that is a direct competitor to friend Kyle Cooke’s Loverboy.
Speaking to Page Six exclusively, he told us that he “always” wanted to have an alcoholic brand in his investment portfolio that felt “true” to him.
“[Spritz Society] is wine-based and they’re great and they’re just so fun right now. It’s a fun summer drink,” he added about the sparkling wine brand.
The 36-year-old told us he first tried the “really good” brand while attending a Taylor Swift concert with girlfriend Paige DeSorbo, before discovering it had been co-founded by his friends and podcasters Claudia Oshry and Ben Soffer.
“So when [the opportunity] presented itself, I’m just such an easy sell. I’m just such a yes man,” he said with a laugh.
“I’m excited! Part of my investment came with designing my own flavor, I will have my own can.”
Despite founding pillow company Sewing Down South in 2018, Conover admitted that becoming an investor in an alcohol brand helped him see the “pains” that some of his friends –– like Cooke and Austen Kroll –– have gone through with their ventures in the industry.
“Obviously I’ve always had respect for Austen and Kyle and all of them, but being in the liquor business or wine liquor business now, I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh. This is this is a new territory,’” he told us.
Conover reiterated that he has “always respected Kyle’s hustle,” but he also “didn’t understand it at times” until getting involved in the industry himself.
“I understand why he’s had to work so hard, because the grind in the alcohol business is extreme,” he said while also applauding Cooke’s wife, Amanda Batula, and BFF Carl Radke for their dedication to Loverboy.
Conover clarified that he previously “offered to buy into” Kroll’s beer company, Trophop, but the latter declined the opportunity. He also said he “would have loved to invest” in Loverboy, but “that wasn’t an option.”
“I have nothing but respect for those guys and I will always be a Loverboy fan. But guess what? I’m all the way down in Charleston, and I’m on a different show and we’re going to have Spritz down there now,” he said.
The “Pillows and Beer” podcast host further explained that DeSorbo, 31, encouraged him to “have a conversation with Kyle” before he announced his investment in Spritz last month.
Conover and the Loverboy founder, 41, have been friends for years and have only gotten closer since the former began dating DeSorbo, who stars in “Summer House” with Cooke. Conover and Cooke have also starred in two “Winter House” seasons together.
Reps for Loverboy chose not to comment.
Conover teased that he might have “over-extended” himself with his latest investment. He is building a Sewing Down South store in Nashville, opening a bar in Charleston and just launched SDS for HD, a home décor collection sold in nearly 2,000 Kroger Family of Stores.
“This is only the beginning. It’s really about being more accessible to more people, so by collaborating with Kroger, we’ve found a way to put our products in front of more families across the entire country,” he said.
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The “Pillow Talk” author worked on the line for two years to ensure that their new products matched up “perfectly” with Sewing Down South.
“It’s taken me awhile to get there, but it’s it’s really is exciting. Every single piece that you find over the next few years in Kroger that’s from Sewing Down South was directly touched by us,” he told us, while adding the launch was “definitely a pinch me moment.”
Conover’s several business ventures will most likely be captured in the new season of “Southern Charm” –– which is currently being filmed.
“It’s always fun. I think we’re just trying our best to grow up, and I think what I’ve accepted is that there’s not really a playbook for life,” he teased.
“If we’re filming, you’ll see the the evolution of some people and maybe the difference in that with others. I think everyone is on their own journey, and just because other people do things that you might not understand, that’s OK.”
New episodes of “Summer House” air Thursdays at 9 p.m. EST on Bravo.
