Bright Cellars Closes $11.2 Million Funding

Bright Cellars, which uses a rapid, data-driven research and development cycle to prove out new wines, said it closed on $11.2 million in Series B funding, led by Cleveland Avenue with participation from existing investors Revolution Ventures and Northwestern Mutual.

Proceeds will allow the company to advance their data platform, further personalized education, expand their portfolio of winning wines, and scale operations.

Bright Cellars members receive a personalized selection of wines based on an introductory quiz as part of their monthly experience, along with information on each match and a serialized introductory-to-expert level wine education. They then rate their selections to power an algorithm that improves their future matches.

The result, the company says, is it “is proving out new successful wines in an industry that has struggled to attract a modern consumer. Top rated wines for different segments of Bright Cellars members are frequently unique in the market and highlight how the wine industry has failed to understand it’s consumer.

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Speakeasy Scores $2 Million Funding

Speakeasy Co., a technology company and e-commerce platform for the wine & spirits industry, announced a $2 million dollar seed round led by Trog Hawley Capital LLC with participation from other notable investors, including Revolution’s Rise of the Rest Seed Fund.  Proceeds will be used for general corporate purposes.

Since January 2020, Speakeasy Co. has scaled from roughly 40 to over 280 brands on the platform as of August 2021, helping partners survive the pandemic. With the top brand selling hundreds of thousands per month, e-commerce is now a differentiator to thrive in the new digital world. Speakeasy Co. partners include many emerging brands and major suppliers, spanning ready-to-drink beverages, wine, beer, spirits as well as Tesla Tequila.

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Woodford Reserve Cocktail Mixers Debut in Williams Sonoma Stores

The new co-branded cocktail  mixers are a result of a partnership between Woodford Reserve, the world’s No.1 selling super-premium American whiskey and Williams Sonoma, the design-led and sustainable home retailer.

The Old Fashioned, Whiskey Sour and Mint Julep cocktail mixers are now available at Williams Sonoma stores across the U.S., online at www.williams-sonoma.com and at the Woodford Reserve Distillery in Versailles, Ky., for $18.95 per 16 fl. oz. bottle.

Additionally, Woodford Reserve and Williams Sonoma will be leading virtual online cocktail classes on September 15th and 29th where consumers will learn how to make the signature cocktails and hear about the history of bourbon from Assistant Master Distiller Elizabeth McCall. Additional products and experiences with the partnership will be announced in the coming months and years.

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Cathead Distillery Doubles Time in Barrel for Old Soul

Cathead Distillery, the first legal distillery in the state of Mississippi and a 2020 James Beard semi-finalist for Outstanding Spirits Producer, released its 2021 Small Batch Old Soul Bourbon, a high rye whiskey coming in at 90 proof.

The 2021 release is aged even longer than its Old Soul predecessors (over four years vs. the previous 2-year-old spirit.).The new rendition offers a unique mix of tasting notes, including toffee, dried fruits, fresh leather, cocoa, and undertones of banana nut muffins.

With just 88 barrels produced, Cathead’s Old Soul features a hand-selected precise blend of whiskeys distilled in Mississippi and Indiana—with each barrel reviewed by nose and palate. Aged onsite at the Jackson, Miss., distillery, the strong Southern heat and humidity offer an ideal environment for maturation, allowing Old Soul to produce older flavor notes throughout its maturation.

SRP: $44.95.  The new bottle is available for pre-order with nationwide shipping via shop.catheaddistillery.com as well as at select retailers in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas.

 

“Adding rare and unique bourbons to our whiskey portfolio continues to be a major focus for us,” said Cathead Co-Founder Richard Patrick. “With a nod to bourbon traditions of the past and future whiskeys to come, we’re thrilled to share this high-rye Old Soul rendition with Cathead loyalists and whiskey fans, alike.”

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Monaco Cocktails Expands Distribution, Rolling Out New Variety Pack to 270 Sam’s Club Stores

The expanded retail availability with Sam’s Club brings consumers the convenience of Monaco’s on-trend, canned cocktails in an affordable 12-pack variety format. Including three cans of each flavor, the new pack in Sam’s Club features Monaco’s most popular varieties, Sun Crush, Lime Crush, Citrus Rush, Blue Crush.

“As we rapidly grow our retail footprint, we are excited to introduce a new variety 12-pack to nearly 300 Sam’s Clubs stores and increase access for our best-selling RTD flavors to consumers across the U.S.,” said Don Deubler, CEO of Atomic Brands. “The demand for canned cocktails is booming, and our new variety pack is a testament to our commitment for bringing even more convenient formats to the marketplace that customers are seeking.”

The new Monaco Cocktails 12-pack is exclusively available for $22.98 at select Sam’s Club stores across the United States, with focused distribution in FloridaCaliforniaIllinoisMichigan and Ohio, while supplies last. Monaco Cocktails also retails at convenience stores nationwide for $2.50-2.99 per 12 oz. can.

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Smirnoff Embraces Decades of Commitment to Inclusivity, Fun with New ‘Vodka for the People’ Campaign

“We thought it was only fitting that our ‘Vodka for the People’ campaign be just as versatile and flavorful as our Smirnoff portfolio,” said Jennifer Holiday Hudson, Smirnoff North America Brand Leader. “The future belongs to the people, and with ‘Vodka for the People,’ we want to find opportunities to invite our drinkers to tell us what they’re looking for next. Whether it’s the delicious cocktails they can’t wait to try, organizations they’d like us to support or being a part of a neighborhood get together, we want to give the people what they want!”

As part of the new campaign, the world’s No. 1 vodka has enlisted a star-studded roster of talent – including actor and producer, Kaley Cuoco and comedian, actor and game show host, Anthony Anderson, who both share Smirnoff’s ethos that welcoming everyone leads to the best times. The first videos in the series to go live will feature Cuoco set to Pitbull’s newest global release “I Feel Good,” whose lyrics were customized for the campaign and perfectly set the stage for an at-home party where all adults are invited to gather – and drink responsibly – with Smirnoff No. 21.

Smirnoff’s “Vodka for the People” officially kicked off in August across TV, digital and social with more exciting announcements to come spanning the entire Smirnoff Trademark. Following the initial launch, the platform will be the starting point for future Smirnoff campaigns with new additions featuring a dynamic set of influencers and fun activations tapping into cultural conversations to truly be ‘for the people.’

The first campaign extension combines America’s favorite sport – football – with the people’s vodka – Smirnoff – for a first-of-its-kind partnership that will highlight the brand as the “Vodka for the People” who love football. As one of the first-ever official spirits sponsor of the NFL, Smirnoff will convert winning plays all season long by releasing new spots starring Anthony, showing up at fans’ watch parties and other activations, as well as on broadcast integrations, digital and social content.

In addition to its “Vodka for the People” campaign, Smirnoff is formalizing a Fund to centralize all its charitable endeavors, specifically those with a strong focus on diversity and inclusion. Officially named the “Smirnoff for the People Fund,” the initiative continues the brand’s support of communities, organizations and individuals that embody the Smirnoff-way of welcoming everyone in and will continue to do so moving forward. In recent years, Smirnoff has committed hundreds of thousands of dollars to deserving organizations, such as The Phluid Project, Transgender Law Center and Black Girl Ventures, and looks to further that commitment with future donations through the Fund.

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