AUSTIN, Texas— Me & the Bees Lemonade, the woman and Black-owned lemonade company founded by teen social entrepreneur Mikaila Ulmer when she was just four years old, announces its top SKUs of all-natural lemonade is now available in more than 1,200 Publix stores across seven states and its Classic flavor is now sold as a multi-unit club pack in 22 Costco locations in Texas and Louisiana.
“What a double whammy milestone moment for Me & the Bees with the largest single distribution deal in our history thanks to Publix and our first ever club pack offering thanks to Costco,” said founder and CEO Mikaila Ulmer. “We are so excited to make it even easier for our ‘bee-lievers’ all across the south to pick up our lemonade just in time for lemonade season and national pollinator month happening now!”
Me & the Bees’ Lemonade is made with premium all-natural ingredients, including honey as well as flaxseed, a key ingredient to Mikaila’s great grandmother’s recipe upon which the business was founded in 2009. As a purpose-driven brand, Me & the Bees always keeps its mission of saving the bees at the forefront. With its “Buy a Bottle. Save a Bee.” philosophy, the company helps fund initiatives via its non-profit organization, the Healthy Hive Foundation, which is dedicated to increasing bee awareness and safe environments through research, education, and preservation. These distribution deals will help Mikaila further realize her dream of helping save the bees while serving as inspiration for other young entrepreneurs who are passionate about launching purpose-based products.
- Classic Lemonade – Reminiscent of a good old-fashioned lemonade, it strikes just the right balance between tart and sweet.
- Prickly Pear Lemonade – Cheerful prickly pear cactus fruit makes taste buds hum, thanks to the aromas similar to a raspberry and watermelon combination.
- Black Cherry Lemonade – The latest addition to the brand’s lemonade lineup blends ripe, black cherries with classic lemonade for a new flavor sensation.
“Further expanding our geographic footprint in the Southwest and Southeast with the launch of Me & the Bees’ top three SKUs at Publix and the placement of a multi-unit club pack in Costco in Texas is a continuation of our tremendous distribution growth, which now allows us to reach consumers via 6,000 retailers across all 50 states,” said Tom Izzo, vice president of business development, Me & the Bees Lemonade. “These partnerships with two of America’s top retailers is an example of serving Me & the Bees’ consumers and fans via the best retail partners at the right time.”
Costco now offers a new club pack of 12 bottles of Me & the Bees Classic Lemonade at its Austin, Houston, San Antonio Baton Rouge, Lafayette, and New Orleans stores. Costco shoppers at 22 stores in those cities can sample the product thanks to in-store tasting demos on June 2 and June 10.
“Me & the Bees Classic Lemonade strikes just the right balance between tart and sweet and our new club pack is a great find when going on a ‘treasure hunt’ for products at Costco, as it offers a perfect way to sip and share all summer long,” said Mikaila.
The lemonades will also be available to Publix and Costco customers via Instacart. It will be distributed to Publix by KeHE, one of the nation’s top wholesale distributors of natural, organic and specialty products. The new Costco club packs will be distributed directly from Me & the Bees Lemonade.
Now offering five flavors in nearly 6,000 distribution points across the country, the certified minority-owned company continues to experience high growth from its humble beginnings ranking as an Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Company in the U.S. and the number one ready-to-drink lemonade growth brand in its category.
About Me & the Bees Lemonade
In 2009, when Mikaila Ulmer found her Great Granny Helen’s flaxseed lemonade recipe in a 1940s family cookbook, she was excited to give it a try and tied the sales that started at her lemonade stand to help save the bees from the very beginning. In 13 years, what started as a lemonade stand in a front yard in Austin, Texas, has quickly grown to a national brand with distribution to all 50 U.S. states. In addition to Publix and Costco, Me & the Bees Lemonade can be found at Cost Plus World Market, H-E-B, Natural Grocers, Target, The Fresh Market and Whole Foods Market, as well as at various local retailers and restaurants, and online at GoPuff.com and at meandthebees.com. The shelf-stable lemonades contain no high-fructose corn syrup, no preservatives or additives, and are made with premium ingredients including U.S. Grade-A honey, real lemon juice, and flaxseed, which is rich in omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants. The company donates a portion of the proceeds from every bottle of lemonade it sells to the Healthy Hive Foundation to help educate consumers about the bees’ role in the ecosystem and the alarming decline in the bee population.
For More Information:
https://www.meandthebees.com/