Our latest distribution roundup finds Eva Longoria’s Casa Del Sol securing a national deal with Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits and Hella Cocktail Co’s new RTD margarita line building a California footprint, while Ponyboy Slings celebrates a packaging refresh with bigger moves into Nashville and Kentucky. Plus, news from Madam Paleta, DIO, Pantalones, Mezcal Amaras and Renais Gin.
Casa Del Sol Hires CCO; Leverages Major Distributor
Actress and entrepreneur Eva Longoria’s Tequila Casa Del Sol has announced a deal with Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits (SGWS), which will now handle the tequila’s distribution across 41 U.S. markets and Canada.
The news comes in conjunction with the brand’s appointment of Sean Eckhardt as chief commercial officer. Prior to joining the Casa Del Sol team, Eckhardt served as senior vice president of U.S. Sales at Bacardi USA where he drove the sales strategy for brands including Patrón and Grey Goose.
Casa Del Sol’s four expressions – Blanco, Reposado, Añejo, and 11:11 Angel’s Reserve – are currently available in 45 markets throughout the country as well as throughout Mexico, Canada and France, which the brand recently launched in following a partnership at Vogue World: Paris in June.
Now, the brand will leverage the distributor’s access to high-volume accounts while pursuing on-premise traction. The Casa Del Sol internal team will be focusing on “hyper strategic neighborhoods in major cities” to get the brand into more influential bar and restaurant accounts.
“I’m going to call it the best-of-both strategy,” said Eckhart. “We’re going to leverage Southern’s strength, which is national accounts, big regional accounts, big partnership accounts.”
In addition to its active celebrity owner – who’s co-starring in the latest season of Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building – Eckhart said the brand’s aging process in cognac barrels, as well as its co-owner and female distiller Carmen Gonzalez Alfaro make the brand stand out amongst its peers in the saturated category.
Ponyboy Slings Launches In Whole Foods, East Nashville
Ponyboy Slings has been busy since winning the 2023 BevNET Cocktail Showdown in December.
Founded by two bar industry veterans in Kentucky, the bourbon-based RTD cocktail brand moved into the East Nashville market this week, with a wider launch expected come spring 2025. The company is working with Best Brands Distribution.
Ponyboy Slings is also launching in Whole Foods Market throughout the state of Kentucky with plans to expand strategically into more markets in the year to come with the support of its in-house team.
The canned cocktails debuted in July 2023, aiming to bridge the gap between traditional bourbon culture and a broader, more whiskey-curious audience. The company also refreshed the packaging for its fan favorite My Cherry Amour, darkening its colors to differentiate more from its other pink-hued can, Bourbon Popstar.
Hella Cocktail Co Builds A Base In SoCal
The latest innovation from Hella Cocktail Co., Hella Margaritas, has hit the shelves of BevMo!, Total Wine & More, Whole Foods Market, Mother’s Market, and Ralph’s, in addition to over 200 local liquor stores across Northern and Southern California.
Launched in May, Hella Margaritas is the first bev-alc line from the bitters and mixer producer. The Pineapple Margarita made with Hella Aromatic Bitters has “become a cult favorite,” according to co-founder Eddie Simeón.
The milestones mark the brand’s promise of making California, where Hella Margaritas are produced and manufactured, its first stop before expanding to additional markets. The company has backed that commitment by executing in-store demos at key accounts, sponsoring community events, leveraging digital in-store rebates, and solidifying partnerships with California-based content creators and influencers, said Simeón.
Other Notable News:
- Mezcal Amarás has significantly expanded its retail footprint and is now available at 125 Total Wine stores across the U.S.
- Renais Gin is now available at Total Wine across all 43 California locations,the first major U.S. retailer to carry Renais, just shy of three months since the expansion to the states.
- Matthew and Camila McConaughey’s Pantalones Organic Tequila will be joining Casa Del Sol in the SGWS network nationally, the brand announced earlier this month.
- After launching in DIO’s home state of New York in July 2023, the RTD brand has secured a distribution partnership with Imperial Beverage Company in Michigan. DIO is now available in Florida as well, with plans to expand to more states by the end of 2024.
- Flavor infused tequila brand, Madam Paleta Tequila, has announced it has joined the Total Wine & More shelves throughout Texas. After making progress in its pilot market of College Station, Texas, the female-founded and focused brand launched statewide this year with RNDC.