Out With Low-Alc? BuzzBalls and XXL Lead a Growing Trend
The siren call of a BuzzBall is hard to ignore.
Their multi-colored glow is inescapable at the checkout counter of your grocery or liquor store. The vivid spheres frequently pop up on social media memes. They are very likely the drink your most out-of-pocket friend is daring you to down at the beginning (or end) of the night.
But these little cocktail bombs aren’t anything to turn your nose up at.
In 2024, their estimated revenue was over $500 million. And at under $5 a pop, that isn’t too shabby—turns out there are more out-of-pocket people in your life than you thought.
So, what does the popularity of BuzzBallz and other drinks—including XXL, a line of high-abv flavored wines—tell us about consumers’ current drinking appetites?
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The Main Takeaways
BuzzBallz’s success underlines the power of RTDs
BuzzBallz were introduced back in 2010, and have ballooned in popularity. This tells us two things about current drinking habits:
For one, Americans love RTDs in general. According to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, RTD sales spiked 16.5% in 2024, while other categories saw flat or minimal growth.
And two, while a beautiful cocktail at a sleek bar is most certainly a vibe, a day poolside with a pre-loaded 15% abv, 200 ml cocktail is also, surely, a vibe of its own.
It appears the masses have landed on a middle ground for what’s considered cool or cringe, seemingly understanding that a drink of choice is situation-specific and that there’s nothing wrong with a little “trash cocktail” every now and again.
The return of sweet drinks and high abv
And, it turns out, wine is seeing a similar trend.
Launched in 2023, XXL has dubbed itself “the Moscato without manners.” It’s unclear whether the lack of manners comes from a wide range of almost candy-like flavors or from the alcohol content, which ranges from a casual 15% to 20%. Either way, the brand offers a new way to enjoy a glass of wine with less pretense.
Like BuzzBallz, XXL seems to challenge the recent trend of no- and low-alcohol options. The brand, which came in second to Josh Cellars in off-premise dollar value gains last year, sold 1.8 million cases in the United States in 2024.
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While not specifically encouraging extreme drinking (unless you count the best-selling XXL flavor Extreme Red Blend), they seem to imply, hey, it’s OK to reach for something sweet that’ll give you a strong buzz if that’s what you’re after.
The Guests
In this episode of the Wine Enthusiast podcast, we pull in two experts for their two cents on these products and the trends.
Resident spirits reviewer Kara Newman shares her thoughts on the RTD space, accompanied by a curated BuzzBallz tasting. The lineup includes Chili Mango, Tequila Rita and Espresso Martini Buzzballz.
To round it out with the wine side of things, Writer-at-Large Reggie Solomon does the same with XXL tasting through its Strawberry, Peach, Extreme Red Blend, Blackberry and Apple flavors, one of which is says offers aromas of “Blowpop.” His review and recommendations on XXL give guidance on how to enjoy it best—including over your salad.
More About the Podcast
The Wine Enthusiast podcast is your serving of drinks culture and the people who drive it. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple, Spotify and anywhere else you listen to your favorite shows. Visit the podcast homepage for more episodes and transcripts.
More RTD Coverage
- Is your RTD actually ready to drink?
- If you’re looking for easy canned wines to bring to your next outdoor gathering, try these.
- These RTD margaritas are also very good.
- Wondering what’s really in your ready-to-drink cocktail? We’ve got you covered.
In the shop
Wine Enthusiast Brilliance! Shatterproof Tritan Universal Outdoor Wine Glasses (Set of 6)
In Stock | $59
Episode Transcript
Transcripts are generated using a combination of speech recognition software and human transcribers, and may contain errors. Please check the corresponding audio before quoting.
Jordon Kaplan (00:07):
Hello and welcome to the Wine Enthusiast Podcast. You’re serving of drinks culture, and the people who drive it. I’m Jordon Kaplan, managing editor here at Wine Enthusiast. No and low alcohol has been a dominant theme in the industry over the past several years, but as the future of drink trends paved with candy like flavors and higher abvs, ready to drink cocktails continue to keep a steady hold on the market and the ever popular brightly glowing buzz ball is certainly pulling its weight. If you’re not yet familiar with a buzz ball, look no further than most checkout lines at your local liquor stores with a huge selection of flavors. They’re seemingly something for everyone and not to mention they’re fun. They look very fun. Similarly, over in the wine market, XXL is also using fun and dropping three tons to make its statement dubbing itself the Moscato without manners. Our conversation today explores what these products are doing differently and what their popularity says about current trends and consumers. To get to these answers, I’m pulling in Kara Newman, wine Enthusiast Spirits and RTD Taster and Reggie Solomon taster and writer at large for their respective thoughts on these brands.
(01:12):
Reggie Kara, thank you both for being with us today. Excited to have you. Happy to be here.
Reggie Solomon (01:18):
Yeah, so thrilled.
Jordon Kaplan (01:21):
So you guys know today we’re talking about some trends in the RTD space, but also some emerging trends in the alternative wine space. Interested in these because I think a lot of the industry right now has been focusing on the no and low kind of movement, and do these two particular products, buzz balls and XXL wine kind of fly in the face of that? Is that where our trends are going, especially when it comes to RTDs? I’m interested to hear you guys’ thoughts, but Kara, would you mind taking us through the space of where you see RTDs as they are right now and where they might be headed?
Kara Newman (01:57):
Oh yeah, absolutely. I’ve been reviewing RTDs for the magazine for I think close to two years at this point, and it has been astonishing to see just how many of them have come onto the market and also to see how the quality has changed over time. They’re not all fabulous, but there have been quite a lot of really, really good ones like close to comparable to what you might find in your favorite bar. Again, not all of ’em, but certainly quite a few. And then in terms of numbers, I did a little quick research, not to dwell too much on just the numbers, but in 2024, those are some of the most recent figures, even though this is according to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, even though in the same year last year Bach has sales were flat and tequila and Mez Health sales edge up just a little bit, 2% to be exact RTDs spiked 16.5%, which is huge compared to every other category in the spirits universe and I think wine and beer as well.
(03:02):
And then according to IWSR, there’s a different tracker of beverage alcohol trends, spirit based RTDs in particular, which seem to be gaining more popularity. Spirit based RTDs are forecast to grow 6% from 2023 through 2028. And if you have appetite for one more little stat, this one’s also according to IWSR, more than 3,400 new RTD products launched across 10 key marks, including the US in 2021. And by 2024, that actually slowed a bit to 1,800. And in part that’s because the RTD market has matured. It’s grown by such leaps and bounds that at some point it has to taper off a little bit. So that’s really where we are right now by the numbers.
Jordon Kaplan (03:54):
Interesting. So not one of my original questions, but I do wonder, do you think that this is the natural evolution from that seltzer boom that we saw a couple of years ago?
Kara Newman (04:03):
For sure. Yeah, I think there’s definitely some evolution in there. I know at first we saw lots of malt dev based flavor drinks. I mean, I know that we saw tequila, I’ve seen airquest, tequila, RTDs on the grocery store shelves made of out of malt Bev long before everything else. And I think spirit space, it took a longer while to catch up and in my opinion, the pandemic had a bit to do with that with more people who were consuming at home. And I think a lot of the spheres brands at that point turned their attention toward how do we find other ways to get consumers to enjoy our spheres as mixed strengths? If not everybody wants to actually mix them a la minu. But I think since the pandemic where we’ve really seen a lot of growth is in non-BAR environments. So for example, at stadiums, at concerts, that’s really where the growth is these days. And you still see the malt Bevs on the shelves. I mean, high noon hasn’t gone anywhere. You still see heart seltzers everywhere, but you definitely see a lot more, let’s say tequila based margaritas in cans, vodka sodas in cans sitting alongside them pretty much everywhere.
Jordon Kaplan (05:28):
Yeah, I definitely have noticed. So getting to one of our main stars of today, talking about buzz balls, a couple stats for you guys, 7 million cases in 2023 before their acquisition by RAC, I believe, and then an estimated over $500 million in revenue in 2024. These things are under $5 a pop, so they’re at every checkout counter. Kara, in your estimation, what do you think that this brand is doing? Well,
Kara Newman (05:57):
They’re doing a lot of things really well. I mean, they’re a really smart brand business wise. I mean, funny story, I tried it when they were first coming onto the shelves. I was attending a trade show and was brought in to do a tasting of this little brand at, I mean, let’s just say, I won’t say the name of the show, but it was one not known for super upscale brands. You see lots of vodkas packaged in bottles shaped like firearms and things like that. But the point is that I was brought in to try it, and the owner at the time, it was founded by a woman who was a teacher in Texas, and she brought up these really cute little cans and the visuals are so great. That’s one of the first things they’ve done super well. They look sort of like tennis balls or toys. They come in bright colors, they’re very tactile, they’re easy to hold. And I was told at that meeting, what’s so great about them, they float in the pool.
(06:57):
I was like, that’s an interesting selling point. I can’t remember a single thing about how it tasted. You see them everywhere. They’ve done a great job at designing the package. They’ve done a great job at distributing. You see them everywhere. And I think one of the smartest things they’ve done is they put this out in spirits based, wine-based and malt bev based formula. So that means they can go anywhere just depending on local laws. You could see them at grocery stores and liquor stores and convenience stores, stores. That was a pretty smart strategy. And when I heard that req purchased them, I was like, yep, that tracks.
Jordon Kaplan (07:37):
The wine-based is super smart. I mean, tons and tons of places you see no liquor in grocery stores. So I agree, a very smart strategy. So let’s quickly talk about the abv. It’s a tiny ball. How many ounces are we actually looking at for a standard serving of Buzz Balls?
Kara Newman (07:54):
I mean, these are 200 milliliters and it’s 15% abv.
Jordon Kaplan (07:59):
What is that telling you by their popularity and the shift in the market you think?
Kara Newman (08:07):
I mean, it’s six and a half ounces. I’m looking at two of them milliliters, one six and a half ounces. I mean, that’s a pretty substantial size. I mean, if a typical spirits pour is anywhere from one and a half to two ounces and even combined with mixers, I mean this is a full serving, a generous, full serving. I’m not sure if that answered the question you’re asking.
Jordon Kaplan (08:31):
Yeah, I mean it’s begging my question of where the trend towards is going. And Reggie, I’m interested in your thoughts on this too because our other star is the XXL wines, which is I believe, labeled the Moscato without manners, and I believe that their founder had a mission to support a higher ABB product that I think didn’t take itself quite so. And I’m just wondering if you guys see a consumer trend towards wanting a higher A BV or maybe a product that doesn’t necessarily insist upon itself.
Reggie Solomon (09:06):
I mean, I think Kara will be the person who can talk a little bit more about the trends, but I can tell you what the wines that I try, most of them were 16% by XXL and one was 21%. And I can tell you the 16 percents and the 21 percents, they were all balanced. I mean, it sort of follows a trend in wine where we’ve seen climate change raise the abbs of wine over time, but wineries have been able to balance things so that it doesn’t feel out of character, it doesn’t feel over alcoholic. And I would say that these RTDs that I try from XXL were really balanced. I didn’t feel the alcohol the way that I expected that I would feel. And so I think that some of the trends that we’re seeing in the wine industry with just the wine making techniques and the techniques of RTD making, they’re a little bit more advanced. They don’t feel out of character. They feel, I don’t like the word smooth, but they feel balanced.
Jordon Kaplan (10:08):
And just for comparison for a quote, regular bottle of wine, where would you see a high a B like that in a large Zinfandel?
Reggie Solomon (10:17):
Oh yeah. I mean, so for wine enthusiast, I review the wines from the lair and bojo leis, and I’m going between 12.5 to 13.5, maybe 14% in a hot year in a warm vintage. So 16% is what I mean. That technically gets you, I think, into a different tax bracket for taxes on a BV levels. But red zens really over extracted red zens 16%. You don’t find that naturally except for certain great varieties which take a lot of sun.
Jordon Kaplan (10:55):
All right. And then Kara, what do you think about the success of something like buzz balls with that higher A BV in mind in comparison to this sort of no and low alcohol trend? Are we moving away from that? Are we trying to find a middle ground? What do we think about the current climate for that?
Kara Newman (11:15):
Well, I mean Dev fool’s advocate, I don’t know that I agree that we’re moving towards higher A BZ necessarily. I think the markets of two minds, you have completely different sets of consumers, and I think there’s actually a huge demand for lower A BZ right now. I’ve seen so many vodka sodas come in that have barely any A, B, Z at all. I mean, we’re talking like 3%, 4%, and there’s just enough. I mean, you get these cans and it’s 90% fizz and just a small amount of vodka soda, tequila soda, you know what I’m saying? And there’s a big demand for that. People sometimes want these sessionable pressures, but on the other end of the spectrum, I mean again, it’s a very different market. I think there are people who want stronger drinks that are more similar to what they might get at a bar, and I see a lot of brands, I think of Tip Top. They do these really small but powerful drinks in cans and they’re really quite good. Or I think of Social Hour, which is another bartender driven canned cocktail, also rather high A BV. But I mean that’s what a regular cocktail is. It’s going to have more of a punch and probably more flavor compared to just a simple long drink.
Jordon Kaplan (12:41):
Okay. Do we think that there’s generational preferences on the two? Do you think that millennials and people older than that are kind of gravitating towards a lower A BV or who’s leading the interest in the low?
Kara Newman (13:00):
I mean, possibly. It’s hard to say. I haven’t seen statistics on the precise demographics. I mean, right now the generally accepted demographic wisdom is that younger drinkers, gen Z are not drinking as much. Although as I’m saying, because I know we’ve also seen studies that have contradicted that and that older millennial Gen X looking for stronger, stronger abv more traditional serves, but it’s hard to really characterize. I haven’t seen anything that really satisfies me in terms of saying, oh, if you’re this old, do you want something that’s this strong or not?
Jordon Kaplan (13:38):
Yeah. Okay. So let’s talk about in terms of XXL. Reggie, do you think that this product is a good entry point into wine for people who might be intimidated by it?
Reggie Solomon (13:51):
Well, I mean one of the things when I was tasting through these wines, and we can talk a little bit about them later, we talk a little bit more specifically about them. I thought that these wines were really great to be poured over ice and to be enjoyed on the backyard. I mean because hot here and I just kept thinking, I would love to open this, put this in the fridge, which I did all of these and a little bit of sparkling water and have these beverages, sort of less of the alcohol with the volume, even though that they’re concentrated with their flavors, I found them really compelling as a mixer in addition to if you wanted to enjoy them on their own, they’re relatively sweet. So for me, I prefer a little less sweetness. So I like that. It is, to me, it’s a great wine base to make other things and when we talk a little bit more about the specific wines, we can get into that. But yeah.
Jordon Kaplan (14:56):
Amazing. Let’s talk about the marketing of these two products. I know we touched on it a little bit with buzz balls, but Reggie, what was your impression of the marketing from the bottles?
Reggie Solomon (15:07):
Yeah, I mean I think that they are definitely going for a younger audience, I mean, it’s a very straightforward marketing. It’s hitting you right there. It demands your attention and it doesn’t give more information than the consumer wants to consume. I was actually very impressed with the restraint because what they were doing was presenting a product and giving a picture of what the consumer could expect on the label and it delivered without going into too much tech.
Jordon Kaplan (15:41):
Okay. And then Kara, I know we talked a little bit about what you thought that they were doing, right. Is there anything else about the way they’ve marketed it that has impressed you or with the success that they’ve had so far?
Kara Newman (15:53):
Well, this one, I can say with authority that they have captured Gen Z’s attention. I mean, this one, it is a market leader for Gen Z specifically. They’ve done a great job at making it look like something fun, eye catching. It kind of looks like a toy. And you also mentioned yourself, Jordan, that you’ve seen it position at counter displays all over the place. They’ve done a great job at making sure that it’s easy to find, easy to see, accessible, to get,
Jordon Kaplan (16:23):
I mean, and the fun and the shape. I can picture a million marketing campaigns right off the top of my head, so I feel like they have a lot of room with the way they’ve designed and packaged this.
Kara Newman (16:33):
Yeah, they’re cute. They literally, they stack, they literally stack on top of one another. They’re fun. They made it fun.
Jordon Kaplan (16:41):
Yeah, they’re summary, but they look like Christmas ornaments. They’re versatile even,
Kara Newman (16:47):
And they float in the pool
Jordon Kaplan (16:48):
And they float in the pool.
Reggie Solomon (16:51):
Hey Karen, do you put these in the fridge or did you pour these over ice? I was just curious.
Kara Newman (16:56):
That’s a good question. I did not pour them over ice. I haven’t opened them yet. I do have some ice cubes here with me. I was going to try them both ways, but I think RTGS are almost always better over ice.
Jordon Kaplan (17:08):
That actually is interesting to know. Even you think the sparkling ones where you think are better poured out,
Kara Newman (17:15):
They’re always better chilled and when I’m testing them for the magazine, I will test them both straight and over ice. And every time, I mean bar none, they’re better either over ice or chilled like espresso martinis or let’s say ready to drink Manhattans. That would typically be served up. I mean, they’re always better if they’re shaken over ice or poured over ice. They must often be formulated with dilution in mind.
Jordon Kaplan (17:42):
Okay, so let’s get into the fun part. Let’s do a little tasting. Reggie, do you want to start with the XXL and just let us know what you’re tasting?
Reggie Solomon (17:52):
Yeah, so I got five flavors, apple, strawberry, blackberry, peach and Cali Extreme 21. So of course I usually start when I’m tasting here, white wines to red wine. So I’m going to start with the lightest. So I started with apple, which I really liked. So this is the note that I wrote for this wine. I just tasted it this morning a couple hours before we just got on. So I got freshly sliced Granny smith, apple pair skin and sour apple blow papas, which are spritz with a twist of lime on the nose. It’s sort of like a sweet sour apple candy flavors you might get at the store on the checkout owl on your way off the store. But the palette is creamy and texture, sort of like an adult lollipop, and it would pair well with fried and salty foods.
Jordon Kaplan (18:48):
Okay. Do you find that a traditional tasting vernacular can be applied here or could you describe them that way?
Reggie Solomon (18:57):
Yeah, I mean, I don’t know how not to use a traditional tasting vernacular. For me, it’s just the only thing that’s sort of different here is I didn’t comment on the level of sweetness. So here, because all the wines were sweeter, I didn’t necessarily make that part of a note because it’s part of what it is.
Kara Newman (19:21):
Low pop is such a good tasting note. I love that
Reggie Solomon (19:26):
It really tasted like a apple blow pop.
Jordon Kaplan (19:30):
Well, I’m interested to hear your next up.
Reggie Solomon (19:33):
So the straw, this one I was sort of, I didn’t know what to expect and for me this was muddled strawberries and rad raspberries that were sort of flirting with blackberry, and even though there’s a blackberry flavor, I sort of got this there. So I don’t know if they were made in the same place and it just sort of merged. But this was really berry compote to me that was sort of accented by dry red cherry flakes. It was robust, but yet springy,
Jordon Kaplan (20:03):
I think that this is one of their better sellers.
Reggie Solomon (20:05):
Oh, the strawberry.
Jordon Kaplan (20:06):
Yes.
Reggie Solomon (20:07):
Did they indicate how consumers typically use this or whether or not were people drinking this straight up or over ice like Kara recommended?
Jordon Kaplan (20:18):
I think the moniker Moscato without manners means it’s up to you. I think you can choose your own adventure when it comes to it. I don’t think that there’s a lot of rules when it comes to X xl, which I think is extremely fun.
Reggie Solomon (20:32):
I like irreverent. So then I’ll get to the blackberry. So this one, this wine sort of opened with warmed blackberry think like sun baked going foraging in the summer and August and finding those ripe wild strawberries out in the middle of a field, but it flirted with Hawaiian punch and a little bit of peach skin. So the blackberry fruit had just a little bit of elder flour almost mixed in it, and cais at the end. I thought this was one you could easily pair with a steak. I was drinking this and thinking this would be what I would have with the steak if I wasn’t having cabernet. And then I’ll finish the last two. So the last two one was a peach, which I love peach sparkling sodas, which is I’m from Georgia originally, so for the peach state. So I was particularly excited about this one.
(21:27):
So for this one, this one was really a gentle peach soda with white nectarine aromas, but with just a little sprinkling of white blossom. So the palette was more baked peach than fresh peach, but there were sort of hints of white rose petal and just a little bit of cise, which was interesting. I wasn’t expecting that this would be the one that I would ideally pour over ice and then pour in a little sparkling water on top that would make this one ideal. And even maybe a freshly cut piece of peach as a slice to put on the edge of the glass. That’s how I would serve it up to a guest.
Jordon Kaplan (22:06):
I was going to say, are we having this with slices and a pitcher on the porch on a really hot summer day, kind of what it sounds like to me?
Reggie Solomon (22:14):
Yeah, totally. You could put all sorts of fruit and here it make it sort of like a peach sangria type thing.
Jordon Kaplan (22:20):
Lovely. And I think your last one is they’re noted bestseller and also our juggernaut A BV as we discussed earlier.
Reggie Solomon (22:28):
Yeah, I mean I didn’t feel the 21%. I mean, again, this is something I think that people have gotten better at balancing out higher alcohols as it’s a trend just in the wine industry in general. So for this one, I got fresh blueberry boysenberry, dry cherry aromas. There were rose hip, but with a little bit of young tender strawberry leaf. One of the things that’s really interesting about this wine is that the palette was sort of like cocoa powder dusted. So you get these sort of chocolate ar aromas, but with just a tinge of forest floor and mushroom, which was interesting. I wasn’t expecting a little bit of savoriness, so this was a chameleon. I’d pair this with chocolate grilled meats and toasted nuts
Jordon Kaplan (23:17):
Actually. And this is your extreme red. I’m surprised that more people aren’t intimidated by that. I love that it’s their bestseller.
Reggie Solomon (23:25):
That’s so interesting. For me, it would be the peach and the apple, but I’m glad other people are liking other things.
Jordon Kaplan (23:33):
Well, thank you Reggie for your expertise. You’re welcome. Now we’ll move over to Kara with her buzz balls. She’s going to be doing a live tasting for us, so I’m interested to see in your reactions and your notes here, and I would love to, if possible, if you wanted to liken them to a classic cocktail, if that comes to the top when you’re giving a tasting.
Kara Newman (23:54):
Okay. Alright, I’ll do my best. Okay, so first up is the tequila Rita, and there’s an apostrophe Rita. They’re not actually calling a margarita, but all what in it? I mean, it is exactly the same things as you find a margarita tequila. Oh, and vodka and triples sec with lime and lemon juices, natural flavors and FD and C yellow number five. So I mean, I give ’em points for transparency. I mean it pours buly sort of an opaque sort of straw color and smells kind of lemony limey. It’s not quite the same bright green like lime green that the container shows, but yeah, sure. It looks more like a natural margarita color. It’s very sweet. Yeah, you get the sugar up front. Yeah, a little bit of effervescence, not too much. I mean it’s more like sweet char. I don’t really taste the tequila. There’s nothing that really strikes me as like agave.
(24:59):
I’m pouring the rest over ice. Just this. Get a little swirl. Don’t out me on my really casual drinkware here. This is a non-professional quality tasting. This is just for fun and over eyes. Yeah, it’s also very, very sugary. A little tart comes out on the end. I don’t really taste any alcohol at all. It’s very easy drinking, crushable, citrusy more than anything else. It’s citrusy. That’s where, I mean, I guess that lemon lime lollipop flavor, like Reggie mentioned lollipops. That’s in definitely the back of my mind. But yeah, that’s where I come down on the tequila. Rita,
Jordon Kaplan (25:37):
Interesting that no alcohol is coming up with the vodka and the tequila in there.
Kara Newman (25:43):
And I mean, it’s not like it’s 0% A BV either. I mean, 15% is still pretty hefty. That could really knock you down, especially if you have a couple of them. I mean, just for comparison, full strength is usually 40% A BV, so there’s some dilution here, but there’s still a fair amount in there. And then Nesta. Hey Kara, can I ask you a quick question? Yeah, of course.
Reggie Solomon (26:07):
What percent of the RTD category generally is sweet versus dry? I’m curious, just as a category as a whole, what have you found in your tastings of this category?
Kara Newman (26:20):
I’d say it’s largely sweet. I mean, when it comes to dry often it’s almost a tinge of sweetness. There are not a lot of savory RTDs I come across. There’s some, but I’d say it’s largely a very sweet category. And when I think of margaritas in particular, I mean that’s probably the, I don’t know if it’s the number one. I think probably vodka based are our number one, but I think tequila’s probably hot on its heels after that, and margarita cocktails specifically as an RTD format is definitely out there as a leader. So I think it’s important or it to be done right to sell, but I also think it’s a hard drink to really screw up. I dunno if I’ve ever tried any and said, oh, this is just outright terrible. The margarita is an easy one to do well, I think.
Jordon Kaplan (27:13):
Okay, so just for this group, we’re going to be doing canned dirty martinis. I’ve had one, it was not my favorite. I imagine it has to be hard. I imagine it has to be hard. All right, what’s up next for you, Kara?
Kara Newman (27:29):
Okay, so bright yellow container with red letter inks, a chili mango, and definitely spicy margaritas. Again, huge category out in bars and definitely up and coming in RTDs. I do see quite a few spicy marg variations. I assume that’s what this is meant to be. Yeah, tequila and vodka with natural flavors and certified color. That’s what this says. Okay, so it’s actually a pretty bright color. Bright color. It’s orange. Wasn’t expecting that because the container is yellow, but it’s sort of like a mango, E orange, soda orange, and has a really, really bold, pleasing tropical fruit scent. Yeah, that’s nice. Okay. Flavor sweet upfront then. Yeah, there’s a kind of sizzle in the back to be sure. Yeah, kind of has a, I wouldn’t say it’s quite Kool-Aid, but it’s kind of on the Kool-Aid spectrum. If there’s a mango Kool-Aid flavor and they’ll pour that one over ice.
Jordon Kaplan (28:38):
What kind of spice level are you getting?
Kara Newman (28:42):
Oh, it’s pretty mild. I mean, I’ve only had one little taste of it, and the second one, sometimes it sneaks up on you after a bit, but I would say this is not too bad. I mean, kind of like a small sprinkle of cayenne pepper and just hits you on the back of the to yeah, I mean very candy light. Yeah, the heat does definitely sneak up on you with the second sip for sure. So if somebody likes a good spicy, it does remind me of sometimes you’ll see mango dipped in chili patio. You’ll see street vendors selling them sometimes, and that very much reminds me of this though. I’d say it’s definitely more handy than true chart fruit, but yeah, this is fun. I would try it. I would recommend it.
Jordon Kaplan (29:31):
Okay. Are we having it over ice with a chili lime rim or something?
Kara Newman (29:37):
Oh, that would be a really interesting interpretation. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I think the tequila would probably appeal to a wider, the tequila. Rita would probably appeal to a wider group, but if someone really loves a spicy mar and some people love a spicy mar, I think the chili mango might be on your radar. And then the last one I’m doing is the espresso martini, so it’s a brown container with white lettering, and the listing was in it malt beverage. Oh, so this one’s not the RIC based. So this one is malt bev with coffee and other natural flavors, and it pours that Well, it looks like coffee. I mean, it’s brown, not effervescence. It smells like coffee. Ah, okay. Yeah. Let’s see. Well, it drinks like a really very thin coffee. You get your bodega coffee and maybe they put a little too much water in there.
(30:44):
Yeah, not my favorite. I’m not sure if I would’ve responded differently. This had been the spirit based version, which I assume probably would be vodka based, like a traditional espresso martini. I can say that espresso martini and coffee based spirits have been among the most popular flavors coming out RTDs. I actually pulled some stats on this according to IWSR espresso martinis and similar drinks like carillo and white Russians. They’ve definitely led the RTD expansion, and so I feel like this would be an important one to get right. I’ve had quite a few ready to drink espresso martinis in our reviews, and I can say with conviction that they can be done very well. They can be done with really interesting espresso flavor, texture, really good coffee flavor. They can be done in kind of a creamy style. Sometimes they pour out of cans. I feel like this is a missed opportunity because there are all these nitro coffees that come in canned format that you open and they pour these beautiful crema and foam on the top, and this one does not. It’s okay. It’s not my favorite of the three,
Jordon Kaplan (32:03):
I am curious about the occasion for that one and those specifically because so much of the espresso martini fun is like the presentation and performance. I’m curious where we’re drinking a espresso martini, RTD.
Kara Newman (32:20):
Probably if you’re somewhere where you just want to keep on going, it’s the late night party. You want to rally at the end of that concert. I don’t know. Yeah, I think there they’re more fun at a bar to be sure. Maybe at home you’re fancy and you have good glassware, but I’m not sure that’s the buzz ball vibe. Yeah, so I would probably steer someone toward the two tequila vodka drinks that I just try first.
Jordon Kaplan (32:46):
Okay. So maybe our pool day is the right day for those two.
Kara Newman (32:51):
Yeah, I’m not sure anyone’s drinking espresso martinis at the pool. Well, if they
Jordon Kaplan (32:55):
Are, would definitely want to know that
Kara Newman (32:56):
Person.
Jordon Kaplan (33:00):
As far as a savory RTD trend, is there one cocktail that sort of does do that really well?
Kara Newman (33:09):
For sure, that would be the Bloody Mary. The Bloody Mary really is just a runaway when it comes to the RTD category in general, and obviously savory cocktails are a big part of that. And I can actually say I just came back from the specialty food show, the Fancy Food Show, and I’ve never seen so many bloody Mary mixers, not necessarily radio to drink already with alcohol, but everything from Golden Farm to Table Bloody Mary mixers to high end super spicy Turbocharged Bloody Marys
Jordon Kaplan (33:46):
Turbo scares me a little.
Kara Newman (33:48):
If you can do an extreme one, we can do a Turbocharged Bloody Mary RTD.
Jordon Kaplan (33:54):
That’s true. That’s true. Everyone needs a little more hair on their chest. Okay. So for both of you, just some good takeaways and some unexpected takeaways.
Reggie Solomon (34:07):
I mean, the unexpected takeaway for me was I really didn’t realize how great these would be as potentially mixers. I was thinking about all the things that I could add a dash of this to make it better. I was even thinking of cooking Thai food and adding in a little bit of the peach and a little bit of the apple as like, really, how can I get these flavors without having to have a fresh apple or a fresh peach or a fresh blackberry? I was just thinking about how I could use this in ways that I hadn’t thought about, including in salad dressings. I was thinking if I put a little bit of this blackberry into my vinegarette or the strawberries of my vinegarette, this might work and it might give me a nice kick. So that was the unexpected nice thing for me. Other than that mean, I thought the wines were actually really nice for what they are for the category that they are in The extreme Cali Extreme 21, I’m so curious how people are drinking this and what they’re pairing it with and whether they’re consuming it over just ice and having it straight, or whether or not bartenders are making this with cocktails.
(35:26):
I just found it a very, I don’t normally find wines like this with an herbal character. It had the sweetness, but there was a definite sort of mushroom forest floor herbal character that would make it a food pairing partner more so than the others. I wouldn’t write off this category in my kitchen. I often keep raspberry cordials and other things that I nick sometimes with salad dressings to give things MPH or to add to a souffle. And so now I’m thinking this is a lower A BV version of something that I’ve been using in a other way. And I’m thinking, well, this could be, if I could keep this in my fridge for a long period, this could actually be a lower alcohol way to spice things up the way that I’ve been spicing up with heavier alcohols.
Jordon Kaplan (36:22):
So potentially a good option, especially if you’re a wine only cocktail and a restaurant, that these could be a great additive to a wine cocktail. Yeah. Okay, Kara, good. Unexpected.
Kara Newman (36:36):
I think there’s a lot of good options in the RTD category, and one of the things I keep coming back to is when you’re drinking them, they’re all about convenience more than anything else, and I think it’s a good thing that you could have an option communities at say a brunch or a barbecue at home. I think the unexpected is something that we were just literally just came to mind as we were having this conversation and you said, I don’t know who’s drinking the espresso martini at home in the pool, but I want to get to know them thinking, you know what? It’s actually it’d be a great option for an at-home brunch. I mean, instead of just having a picture of mimosas, I would be really happy to go to someone’s brunch in their backyard and be presented with an option to crack open my own espresso martini and just drink it while hanging out around the pool. There’s something for everyone. I like that.
Jordon Kaplan (37:37):
Yeah. Or in your bachelorette kickoff weekend kit. I could see it there too.
Kara Newman (37:44):
Yeah. Yeah. There are a lot of applications for reviews. Yeah.
Jordon Kaplan (37:47):
Okay. So I think what I’ve learned is these two products are versatile, which I think is probably a lot of what they aim to be. And yeah, I’m interested to see where both of these products go and how they evolve and how the market responds to ’em. And I thank you both greatly for your time and for your expertise on this. Thank you both again, so it feels like we’re back to balance. If no and low calls to you follow your heart, but there’s no shame if your preferences lead you to a little more sugar and a responsible buzz or even a salad dressing.
I want to thank Kara and Reggie for their time and taste Buds, and remember, you can email us your comments and questions at podcast@wineenthusiast.com. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple, Spotify, and anywhere else you listen to your favorite shows. You can also go to wine enthusiast.com/podcast. For more episodes and transcripts. I’m Jordan Kaplan. Thanks for listening
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