In this latest round of distribution news, we check in with Gay Water, plus Inspiro Tequila, hard water “cocktail” Bluebird, Nosotros agave spirits and Wahaka Mezcal.
Gay Water Hits Total Wine & More
The canned vodka sodas named for a popular cocktail in queer bars is now in all Total Wine & More locations in New York and New Jersey.
Gay Water initially launched online in 35 states across the U.S. and on the ground in New York in July. The company planned to focus on New York on-premise first, starting by reaching out to queer and queer-allied spaces, founder Spencer Hoddeson told BevNet in July. But strategy has shifted slightly to focus more on off-prem given the brand’s “current resources” he said.
“We have yet to really tap into on-premise in any of our states and will be pushing for more on-prem accounts as we scale our team out this winter and leading into the spring months,” he said.
The brand plans to be in Total Wine & More stores in San Diego and Los Angeles locations in the next few weeks and is widening its distribution with MHW Ltd to include California.
Inspiro Moves Into Several States
After launching in Illinois in May of 2022 with Breakthru Beverage Group, Inspiro Tequila is now expanding distribution into Missouri (also with Breakthru Beverage), Georgia (with United Distributors), Massachusetts (with M.S. Walker) and Michigan (with Benchmark Beverage Company as its sales agent).
Additional markets are planned for the first quarter of 2024, including Florida with Breakthru Beverage.
The female-owned company also announced it has become certified as a B Corporation, formalizing the company’s commitment to transparency.
“I don’t know if being a B Corp provides any additional business opportunities, but going through the arduous process and documenting all of our efforts lends credibility to everything we are doing,” said founder and CEO Mara Smith.
The company now has vendor guidelines to aid in finding diverse vendors, shares its values with employees and contractors, and now has a process in place to track the sponsorships, grants and in-kind donations it provides. Smith was one of the first to certify as additive-free through the Tequila Matchmaker program, and has used bourbon and rosé barrels to create the sweeter tasting notes preferred by its mostly female demographic without the use of artificial flavors, which she says has helped the tequila to distinguish itself itself on the shelves of retailers like Whole Foods and Total Wine & More.
Bluebird Expands to Tennessee
Bluebird Hardwater, the first RTD combining premium spirits with non-sparkling water, has expanded into Tennessee. The state marks the company’s third since debuting in New York and Florida in February.
The brand has established over 850 accounts including deals with Total Wine, ABC Fine Wine & Spirits, and most recently, the grocery store chain Winn Dixie.
Distribution will be with Tennessee Crown, and lays groundwork for what the company says will be a strategic national distribution plan in 2024. Jose Morales, a 20-year industry veteran and former head of business development at Bravus Brewing Company recently joined Bluebird Hardwater’s team as the vice president of distribution. Bluebird will also invest “strong financial support” in distribution for the first half of 2024 in addition to unlimited tasting support, said a spokesperson for the company.
Nosotros Accelerates Distribution at Spec’s
Nosotros Tequila & Mezcal and Republic National Distributing Company (RNDC) announced increased distribution of Nosotros’ agave spirits in 48 additional Spec’s Wines, Spirits, and Finer Foods locations in Texas. Nosotros entered Texas with RNDC in 2020, and the partnerships with Spec’s and Total Wine are a cornerstone of its expansion strategy in Texas for 2023 and beyond, said Nosotros Co-Founder and CEO Carlos Soto in a press release.
The move gives Nosotros a new foothold in Houston –– where Spec’s is the largest liquor retailer –– and stronger presence in other key markets including Dallas, Fort Worth, Austin, and San Antonio.
Wahaka Mezcal Partners with Lanterna Distributors in the Mid-Atlantic
Wahaka is continuing its expansion into Maryland, Delaware and Washington DC with Lanterna Distributors, a leading wine and spirits distributor in the Mid-Atlantic region. Launched in 2010, Wahaka Mezcal is unique from many mezcal brands as its entire lineup is owned and produced from one mezcal producing family in Oaxaca, Mexico.