Our story
"I started with a pocket full of change, a vision, and just enough experience to make it real."
- Jason Hooten
Founded in 2012 by Jason Hooten, Prolific Beverage wasn’t born in a boardroom — it was built the hard way, earned through 26 years in the trenches of beer, wine, and spirits. No shortcuts. No safety net. Just firsthand experience, instinct, and a willingness to bet on himself when no one else would. From managing distributors and calling on national chains to getting his hands dirty in cellars and production, this wasn’t theory; it was repetition, failure, adjustment, and doing it all over again until it worked.
What started as 10 barrels of wine wasn’t a grand launch, it was a calculated swing with no guarantee. No polished portfolio. No money. No built-in audience. Just a belief that if the wine was right and the story was real, it would find its way. Fourteen years later, those 10 barrels have grown into 5,000+ cases annually across three distinct brands, each with its own voice, price point, and reason for existing. Different stories. Different attitudes. Same obsession with doing it right.
At Prolific Beverage, we don’t chase trends, we build with intention. Every label has a purpose. Every bottle carries a point of view. Whether it’s bold and rebellious, refined and heritage-driven, or mission-focused with something bigger behind it, the common thread is authenticity. No filler. No fluff. No pretending to be something we’re not.
We’re not here to be everything to everyone. We’re here to create brands that stand for something, that connect, that leave a mark…and yes, that actually taste like they should. Because in an industry full of noise, the only thing that matters is what’s in the glass and what it represents.
Jason Hooten
Founder
Most people ease into the wine business. Jason Hooten didn’t. He kicked the door in with a beer-soaked education, a cellar-stained shirt, and just enough stubbornness to bet on himself.
Fresh out of Sonoma State University in 2000 with a degree in Business and Marketing, Jason went straight into the trenches of the brewing world, cutting his teeth at Humboldt Brewing Company, Firestone Walker Brewing Company, Radeberger Group, and Newcastle Brown Ale. He wasn’t just along for the ride, he was in it. Managing distributors, grinding through national chain account management, and learning how the business really works when nobody’s watching. But spreadsheets and sales calls weren’t enough.
He wanted the grit. The hands-on. The part where things get messy. So he started brewing his own beer with a passion for creativity, not because he had to, but because he couldn’t not. Then the industry shifted. Big mergers. Corporate gravity. The kind of environment that either makes you comfortable…or makes you leave.
Jason left. He pivoted hard into wine, landing at McKenzie-Mueller Winery under the mentorship of Bob Mueller, a Napa Valley heavyweight who got his winemaking and viticulture education at Robert Mondavi Winery in the 1970s and helped shape the early vintages of Opus One Winery. That’s where Jason went from selling the story…to living it. Cellar work. Harvest chaos. Bottling lines. Endless blending sessions. And of course, sales and marketing. He learned wine the only way that actually sticks, by doing everything.
In 2012, he stepped out on his own and built Prolific Beverage the only way he knew how: from scratch. No safety net. No corporate backing. Just a mere pocket full of change, a handful of ideas, a few scars, and a willingness to figure it out the hard way. Alongside Michael Quinn, a seasoned Napa Valley winemaker and viticulturist, Jason set out to build something from the ground up, starting with just 10 barrels of Atlas Peak Cabernet. Ten. Not a portfolio. Not a lineup. Just ten barrels and a belief it could become something bigger. Fourteen years later, those ten barrels have grown into over 5,000 cases annually across multiple brands, each with its own voice, edge, and reason to exist.
Because standing still isn’t really his thing, Jason took a detour into the spirits world. In 2015, he co-founded Raff Distillerie, building a full commercial distillery in San Francisco’s Bayview District. There, he and his partners turned brands like Bummer & Lazarus Gin into recognizable names on shelves at national retailers like Safeway, Costco, and Albertsons, while landing placements in some of the Bay Area’s most respected bars and restaurants. Gin. Absinthe. Rum. Whiskey. Bourbon. He didn’t just sell it, he also made it.
After six years running two companies at once, he made another call most people wouldn’t: he walked away from the spirits world. Jason doubled down on wine, teaming up with longtime friend Eric Lyman of Judd’s Hill Winery to push his wines further – sharper, more intentional, more unapologetically Prolific. Today, as the wine industry shifts under everyone’s feet, Jason isn’t sitting back, he’s leaning in. He’s expanding into private label programs through his collaboration with Eric Lyman, turning change into opportunity and ideas into something you can actually put on a shelf.
Jonathan Hooten
Sales and Marketing
With more than 30 years in the adult beverage industry, Jonathan Hooten has built a career helping brands grow through smart strategy, strong relationships, and data-driven decision making. His experience includes leadership roles with Coors Brewing, Ninkasi Brewing, Constellation Brands, and Trinchero Family Estates.
Throughout his career, Jonathan has worked closely with national retail chains, including Safeway and other major accounts, developing sales programs, analyzing market trends, and identifying opportunities that turn shelf space into sales. His expertise in sales analytics, distributor management, and retail execution helps brands compete and win in an increasingly crowded marketplace.
At Prolific Beverage, Jonathan leads sales and marketing initiatives across the portfolio, bringing decades of industry knowledge and a practical, results-focused approach to growing the business.
Eric Lyman - winemaker
Winemaker
Eric Lyman didn’t take the traditional path into winemaking. Before earning acclaim for crafting award-winning Napa Valley wines, he served in the U.S. Navy and worked in pharmaceutical production, proving that precision, discipline, and attention to detail translate surprisingly well from the lab to the cellar.
In 2009, Eric traded pharmaceuticals for fermentation, returning to school to study viticulture and fermentation science. Since then, he’s built a reputation for producing wines that consistently overdeliver, spending more than a decade as Head Winemaker and Cellar Master at Judd’s Hill Winery in Napa Valley.
His wines have earned numerous 90+ point ratings from critics including Robert Parker and James Suckling, along with multiple Gold Medals at the San Francisco International Wine Competition. At Prolific Beverage, Eric oversees winemaking for Gangster of Love and private label wines, combining technical expertise, hands-on craftsmanship, and a relentless pursuit of quality in every bottle.
Michael Quinn - winemaker
Winemaker
With more than 45 years in Napa Valley vineyards and wineries, Michael has built a reputation as a respected winegrower and winemaker. His career includes time with iconic Napa names such as Stanley Ranch, Beaulieu Vineyard (BV), Charles Krug, and Chandon, where he developed a deep understanding of both vineyard management and winemaking.
Michael believes great wine starts in the vineyard, a philosophy that has guided his career for decades. Today, he works closely alongside Jason Hooten on Andrew Cotti Wines, helping craft the brand’s small-production, sub-appellation Cabernet Sauvignons and Bordeaux varietals sourced from some of Napa Valley’s most distinctive vineyard sites. He also plays an important role in the development of ONE FLOCK Wines, bringing his vineyard expertise and winemaking insight to wines enjoyed by consumers across the country.
At Prolific Beverage, Michael brings decades of experience, hands-on craftsmanship, and the kind of vineyard knowledge that can only be earned through a lifetime among the vines. When you’ve spent nearly half a century doing the work, you learn that great wine comes from respecting the land and letting the vineyard tell its story.
Brian Pearson
Wholesale Development Manager
After serving his country in the U.S. Marine Corps, Brian Pearson took the same grit, discipline, and refusal to quit into the adult beverage industry and never looked back. Over the last 27+ years, he’s built a reputation for doing what many can’t: opening doors, building distributor relationships, and turning brands into real business.
At just 23 years old, Brian jumped headfirst into launching a niche product, learning firsthand that success in this industry isn’t handed out, it’s earned through long days, tough negotiations, unexpected setbacks, and a willingness to adapt when things don’t go according to plan. Manufacturing issues, distributor challenges, and regulatory roadblocks weren’t obstacles; they were part of the education.
Today, Brian leads Prolific Beverage’s national wholesaler development efforts, identifying new distribution partners, expanding market reach, and managing current U.S. wholesalers succeed. He understands that great brands don’t sell themselves, they require the right people, the right strategy, and relentless execution.
Part relationship builder, part problem solver, and part industry strategist, Brian has spent nearly three decades helping brands navigate one of the most competitive businesses on earth. When it comes to growing distribution and building lasting partnerships, he’s the guy!