Sleep-deprived New Yorkers make switch to beef jerky to get caffeine fix 
 
 Rosier/News Gabriel Colinesco gives Perky Jerky smile of approval. 
 
 Put down that espresso. And forget about chugging another Red Bull. 
 
 Sleep-deprived New Yorkers have a new way to get their caffeine fix: beef jerky. 
 
 Tribeca inventor Matt Keiser, 38, came up with what he thinks is the world's first caffeinated beef jerky after spilling a can of Red Bull on the meaty snack while skiing in Utah four years ago. 
 
 Perky Jerky hit the Internet in August and will be sold in Sports Authority shops beginning next week. 
 
 "This is a great combination," said Keiser, who founded the company with his ski partner, Brian Levin, 37. 
 
 "It is like vodka and orange juice, or peanut butter and chocolate," Keiser said. 
 
 The odd treat sells for $2.99 for a 1 oz. bag and $4.99 for a 2 oz. bag. Each ounce contains 60 mg of caffeine - the same as slurping down a small cup of coffee or about one can of Red Bull. 
 
 The Daily News took the jerky to the streets, asking caffeine freaks to try the peppy - and peppery - snack. 
 
 Brave barista Keyon Revels, 24, walked away from working a Wall Street espresso machine to chomp on some Perky Jerky. "Ewww," Revels yelped. "It is disgusting. I like beef jerky. I like caffeine. But it is not a good combination." 
 
 Engineer and gym rat Sal Bouseliman, 41, said the jerky gave him an extra jolt while lifting weights at New York Sports Club. "I didn't crash after the workout like I do with Red Bull," he said. 
 
 simonew@nydailynews.com ||||| Chocolate-covered jerky? It’s no longer a wild idea, with Hershey’s on Thursday announcing plans to buy a tiny, trendy jerky company. 
 
 The Hershey Company, maker of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, Hershey’s Kisses and dozens of other staples of the candy aisle and checkout line, announced plans to buy Krave, a fast-growing business intent on turning jerky, essentially desiccated meat punched up with flavorings, into the next upscale snack food. 
 
 “It was essential from formative stages that we weren’t just going to enter the market and cannibalize the existing jerky consumer,” said Jon Sebastiani, a vintner and the founder of Krave. “We wanted to make a health food snack that would compete directly with Clif Bar and Chobani Greek yogurt.” 
 
 Terms of the deal, which was first reported by Reuters, were not disclosed. The Hershey Company announced it at the same time that it made public its sales and earnings in the quarter that ended Dec. 31. Revenues in the quarter rose 2.7 percent to $2.01 billion, while earnings grew 18.5 percent to $231.8 million, or $1.04 a share, which fell below the company’s expectations. Hershey also lowered its expectations for sales and profits this year. 
 
 Photo 
 
 The company, like other candy companies, has struggled with rising prices for chocolate and dairy products, two of the major ingredients in its products, as well as the stronger dollar. 
 
 In a news release, John P. Bilbrey, chief executive of Hershey’s, noted several longer-term trends buffeting the company’s business, including changes in traffic patterns in traditional retail outlets and changes in the way consumers snack. 
 
 Mr. Bilbrey said increased sales and distribution of salty, meaty snacks “by both mainstream and contemporary niche manufacturers,” rather than Hershey’s bedrock candy and gum products, had driven snack sales last year. 
 
 With the acquisition of Krave, Hershey is acquiring one of those niche companies that appeal to several current consumer passions. In growing numbers, consumers are looking for new companies and brands, in part out of distrust of older, more established manufacturers and in part out of a desire for authenticity that is increasingly rare in a global market. 
 
 Krave also taps into the market for healthier snacks loaded with nuts, whole grains and seeds that can stand in for a meal. And it appeals to those following the Paleo diet or simply seeking to eat more protein and fewer carbohydrates. 
 
 According to Euromonitor International, jerky sales accounted for close to half of the $5.9 billion in sales of what the research company calls “other sweet and savory snacks,” or snacks other than chips, pretzels, nuts, popcorn and dried fruit treats. “It almost warrants its own category like chips or pretzels at this point, it’s getting so big,” said Matthew Hudak, a Euromonitor analyst. 
 
 Mr. Hudak said many companies in the “sweet” business like Hershey were working to get into the savory business, and vice versa. “Hershey also has been dipping its toes into the premium end of the market,” he said. 
 
 For instance, Hershey in 2012 bought Brookside, a small Canadian maker of chocolate-covered dried fruit, nuts and fruit juice, the process for which is patented. 
 
 Appetite for jerky — Krave’s sales went from $17 million in 2013 to $36 million last year — has propelled growth of the Beef Jerky Outlet, a franchised jerky retail business that started in 2010 and now has 79 stores in 16 or 18 states. “We’ve got so many opening right now I’m not quite sure,” said Paul Lyons, one of the founders. 
 
 In addition to the standard range of jerky made from beef, poultry and pork, the Jerky Outlet offers an elk jerky and a salmon jerky, not to mention 3 Beer Rub Jerky and, for those who like a little more kick with their protein, a Ghost Pepper Jerky. 
 
 “I’m not so surprised that Hershey’s is buying this company,” said Scott Parker, co-founder of the Jerky Outlet. “They’re already in the snack market with confection, and they’re probably just trying to expand their reach. We’ve even played around a bit with a chocolate-dipped jerky.” 
 
 Krave’s jerky “is all-natural, no artificial ingredients and minimally processed, all of which are ‘health-halo’ for anyone looking to add more healthy items to their diet,” said Lizzy Freier, editor of Menu Analysis, a publication of the consumer research firm Technomic. 
 
 Ms. Freier noted that Krave’s jerkies also incorporated flavors that were hot trends, like its Sweet Chipotle Beef Jerky, Basil Citrus Turkey Jerky and Black Cherry Barbecue Pork Jerky. 
 
 Mr. Sebastiani said the company had deliberately courted women, hiring Jillian Michaels, a celebrity trainer, to promote its jerky. It also has worked to get its products into corporate dining halls and into the mix of snacks offered by the airline Virgin Atlantic. 
 
 He was introduced to jerky when he was training for the New York Marathon and needed a meal substitute that was high in protein but not sugar. 
 
 “It’s a great idea for a snack and a lot better for you than eating a snack bar or candy bars or even yogurt, some of which is loaded with sugar,” said Dr. Loren Cordain, author of “The Paleo Diet.”
– Next time you’re tired and hungry, don’t waste time pounding a Red Bull and a snack—get both fixes with some Perky Jerky. Available on the Internet and coming next week to Sports Authority outlets in New York, each ounce packs as much caffeine as one cup of coffee or a can of Red Bull. “This is a great combination,” a company founder tells the Daily News, “like vodka and orange juice, or peanut butter and chocolate.” Matt Keiser says the idea was born on a Utah ski slope 4 years ago, when he slopped Red Bull on some jerky. It got mixed person-on-the-street reviews, however. “It is disgusting,” one New Yorker says. “I like beef jerky. I like caffeine. But it is not a good combination.” But, says another, “I didn’t crash after the workout like I do with Red Bull.”