Two Roads Breaks Into Spirits-Based RTD Segment with Daybreaker Vodka Cocktails

Unlike the narrator in the Robert Frost poem from which it takes its name, Two Roads Brewing is doubling back and venturing down a new road.

The Stratford, Connecticut-based craft brewery has launched Daybreaker, a family of ready-to-drink, vodka-based cocktails, available in three flavors: Blood Orange, Cran-Lime and Meyer Lemonade. All three are mixed with real fruit juice and vodka distilled at Two Roads’ Area Two research and development space.

“The juice character is all real fruit juice, not any flavorings or processed flavors as seems to be the norm with RTDs — or a lot of them anyway — or with seltzers,” master brewer Phil Markowski told Brewbound.

Each 12 oz. can of Daybreaker checks in at 7% ABV and contains about 2 oz. of craft distilled vodka, fruit juice and sparkling water. One can is nearly equivalent to a cocktail prepared by a bartender when ice melt is factored in.

“It’s about convenience, it’s about portability, you take the cocktail wherever you go,” Markowski said. “We do anticipate they will have tremendous appeal over the summer.”

Daybreaker, which began rolling out last month, is sold in 4-packs in a territory that is “just a little bit smaller” than Two Roads’ 17-state footprint, Markowski said. So far, the craft brewery has not had to seek out different wholesalers to sell the product, as most in its network are licensed to sell spirits-based products.

Two Roads aimed to strike a balance between classic cocktails and modern flavors.

“The cranberry lime is inspired by the Cape Codder, and I think it is fair to say it’s very much a Cape Codder,” Markowski said. “But the blood orange was modeled after an updated version of the classic screwdriver.”

Meyer Lemonade, in Markowski’s view, is “several steps or notches above the hard lemonade concept.”

Daybreaker isn’t Two Roads’ first foray into the $8.5 billion ready-to-drink segment, which includes hard seltzer. The company launched H2Roads Craft Hard Seltzer in 2019; similar to Daybreaker, it contains real fruit juice, which gives it color, rather than the standard clear liquid of most other hard seltzers. H2Roads is available in the brewery’s full distribution footprint.

With vodka distillation for Daybreaker under its belt, Two Roads will turn its attention to other spirits, including gin, whiskeys and rum, which will be sold on-site.

“We’re a brewery, so we’re in a particularly good position to produce malt whiskies,” Markowski said. “That’s something we intend to get into as soon as we fully develop the gins and vodka is all set to go. And then we’ll probably start playing around with rums as well, and bourbons and probably rye whiskey. So we’re gonna go the gamut with the distillery.”

For the full story on Two Roads Brewing, visit Brewbound.com