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With the help of a superhero movie star, a creative canned cocktail brand is looking to challenge the traditional ready-to-drink category.
Wyatt Russell, star of Marvel’s “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier,” the Disney+ series, and the upcoming “Thunderbolts” movie, and producer Richard Pitt introduced Lake Our Sparkling Cocktail last year and expanded distribution this year. The brand has 3.4 grams of sugar and 109 calories per can.
Lake Hour cocktails come in four variations: Honeysuckle Ginger, made with vodka; Rosemary Yuzu; Peach Jasmine; and Watermelon Cucumber, made with Blanco Tequila.
The idea to launch the brand came about when the two co-founders were discussing the RTD cocktail space and concluded that many drinks were “fake” and stale. They wanted to create a better alternative that would communicate the format to consumers who primarily drink beer.
Russell, the son of Hollywood icons Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn, said he and Pitt lamented that current hard seltzer and cocktail categories don't appeal to 30-something parents.
“They were all so sweet. If you had two, you’d binge or get a sugar rush,” Russell said. “We thought, ‘There has to be a way to make it taste subtle, like a sparkling cocktail, but also fun.’ So we started doing that.”
The brand's ethos was to evoke the co-founders' shared history of growing up on lakes and vacationing with their families. The branding and packaging are reminiscent of vintage catalogs and magazines with a nature theme. The product is currently available in select liquor stores and bars, and can also be purchased on the brand's website.
Pete's wife helped him combine flavors to find the perfect match.
“We didn’t sit down and try to do what most people like or what the market is for. We just picked our favorites and wanted them to be unique,” Peete said. “There were probably 10 different iterations of six flavors, and I narrowed it down to my four favorites. There are a few more that we’ve developed, and we’re excited to make more.”
Peete believes the RTD cocktail category is not a fad, but can evolve into a healthy alternative to beer. Continuing to grow its presence in the Northeast and expanding into California, Texas and Florida are key focus areas for the brand going forward, according to Russell.
“There are some fun things we've planned as we gradually get into the state, so we don't bite off more than we can chew,” Russell said. “You want to focus on maintaining the fans you've built and be mindful of the territory we're in now.”
