The Original Southside Expands Retail Presence With Whole Foods Market And RNDC Distribution

The Original Southside Expands Retail Presence with Whole Foods Market and RNDC Distribution

Premium Ready-to-Drink Gin Cocktail Now Available in Illinois, Ohio, and Massachusetts; Expanding to Florida and Texas with RNDC

(Los Angeles – March 27, 2025) – The Original Southside, the award-winning ready-to-drink gin cocktail made with best-in-class, certified organic ingredients, continues its national expansion with a launch in select Whole Foods Market locations across Illinois, Ohio, and Massachusetts. Known for its commitment to premium, high-quality products, Whole Foods Market is a natural retail partner, bringing The Original Southside to ingredient-conscious consumers seeking a sophisticated, ready-to-enjoy cocktail.

Further accelerating its growth, The Original Southside is expanding into Florida and Texas through Republic National Distributing Company (RNDC), one of the country’s leading spirits distributors. These two key markets represent a major step forward in the brand’s retail and on-premise strategy, ensuring greater availability for a growing audience of RTD cocktail enthusiasts.

“The Whole Foods Market launch is a huge moment for us,” said Meredith Mills-Merritt, founder of The Original Southside. “They recognize the demand for premium, organic RTD cocktails, making them an ideal retail partner. At the same time, our partnership with RNDC allows us to scale in major spirits markets, introducing more consumers to the quality and craftsmanship behind The Original Southside.”

This next phase of growth builds on momentum from 2024, when The Original Southside secured a national distribution partnership with Worldwide Libations, LLC. Since launching last spring, the brand has rapidly expanded from six markets to a growing retail footprint, with five additional markets launching by the end of Q1 and four more by Q2.

Inspired by a family recipe and the classic Prohibition-era Southside cocktail, The Original Southside blends organic cane sugar, organic lemon juice, and real mint with a proprietary premium gin. Using a historic compound gin method—where botanicals are blended directly into the spirit without redistillation—the cocktail delivers a bright, refreshing taste free from artificial flavors, colors, or sweeteners. Certified organic, vegan, and gluten-free, The Original Southside offers a cleaner, high-quality alternative in the RTD category.

With Whole Foods Market expanding its retail presence and RNDC driving distribution in Florida and Texas, The Original Southside is positioned for continued national growth in 2025. The cocktail is available in select retailers, including Total Wine, and for nationwide shipping at on The Original Southside website.