Frederick, Maryland, Flying Dog Brewery, has partnered with FX Matt Brewing Company, maker of Saranac beer, and Mass Bay Brewing Company, maker of Harpoon, to collaborate on a line of canned cocktails.
The joint venture is called Right Coast Spirits, and it just released its first product, Right Coast Spirits Vodka Whips. It comes in four flavors: orange, wild berry, watermelon and pineapple, and has 7.5% alcohol by volume.
“The idea for Vodka Whips was inspired by the Orange Crush cocktail, a wildly popular drink in the Mid-Atlantic,” said Ben Savage, Flying Dog’s chief marketing officer.
Fred Matt, president at Saranac said, “The three of us had a great working relationship already, so we realized if we worked together, we could get a superior product to consumers faster and more efficiently.”
Right Coast Vodka Whips is being released in 15 states on the East Coast, from Maine to Georgia.
“Not only has our partnership been beneficial for product development, but also for distribution,” said Dan Kenary, co-founder of Harpoon. “We have the ability to spread the availability of the product into each of our markets.”
The joint venture plans to make other versions of canned cocktails in the future.
Ready to drink packaged beverages, including seltzers and canned cocktails, are the fastest growing alcohol beverage category in the U.S.