4 minute read
A Healthy Way - Canteen RTDs
A Healthy Way
CANTEEN SHAPES THE HEALTH AND WELLNESS RTD SPACE
By Joseph Luparello
As the ready-to-drink category continues to unfold, shaping on-the-go drinking experiences, the mega frenzy of brands launching in the space envelops all aspects in the industry. As such, more brands innovate in flavor and style with canned creations evolving to suit the needs of all different types of imbibers.
It’s no surprise that a spirit brand would zero in on the health and wellness sector. Austinbased RTD brand Canteen offers an alternative to canned drinks with an overly sweet reputation. Targeting the health-conscious drinker, Canteen specializes in refreshing, low-calorie, spirits-based canned cocktails. Its offerings are crafted from premium spirits with natural flavors, making each can of Canteen low in carbs, sugar, and sodium, as well as gluten-free, non-GMO, and vegan.
The inspiration behind Canteen stems from the demand for a more premium beverage option made with strictly high-quality spirits. The team saw an open door for a product that not only incorporated real vodka but also possessed a rich, bold flavor that didn’t come at the expense of quality ingredients.
The Canteen portfolio includes Vodka Soda, a vodka-based canned cocktail, Cantina, a tequila-based canned cocktail, and Gin Spritz, a gin-based canned cocktail. Each line contains a variety of delicious flavor combos, including Watermelon and Cucumber Mint Vodka Soda, Ranch Water and Grapefruit Paloma Tequila Soda, and Blossom and Citrus Gin Spritz. These expressions are made with an impressive but simple list of healthy alternatives in the ingredients and approach, making Canteen the better-for-you choice.
Bartenders can utilize these fun and flavorpacked drinks to put a contemporary spin on the classics, like a Moscow Mule. As a bonus, the cocktails contain several ingredients in just one can, so they are a sustainable alternative by reducing waste.
The folks at Canteen firmly believe in the continued growth of RTDs as more drinkers lean in toward convenient, on-the-go, and lowABV options. It’s evident that consumers are no longer settling for artificial additives, and are craving quality products, refreshing taste profiles, and portability. Along with Canteen, other leading RTD brands in the space report exponential growth, demonstrating that the future is in offering ready-to-drink cocktails.
Canteen recently revealed an all-new packaging design across its three lines, alongside a larger eight-can variety pack for the vodka soda line. The new Tropical Variety Pack includes the ultra-refreshing Strawberry, Pineapple, and Lime flavors, while the eight-pack edition of the Classic Variety Pack includes Watermelon, Black Cherry, and Lime. The goal is to continue providing customers with new ways to enjoy all Canteen expressions.
As a beverage known for fun and functionality, the long-term plan is to stay influential in the health and wellness, fitness, sports, music, and hospitality spaces: consistently building relationships with the tastemakers and patrons that occupy them.
If you’ve turned away from the booming RTD category because of the sugary selections, it’s time to experience the glory of it all, the healthy way, with Canteen.
It All’s the Buzz
By Terri Marshall
AWARD-WINNING BUZZBOX SCALES UP THE RTD CATEGORY IN QUALITY AND SUSTAINABILITY
While playing bartender for a family event, buzzbox Founder and CEO Rod Vandenbos had an epiphany. He had gone to the store to buy all the spirits, the mixers, and the coolers. While he assembled the variety of cocktails, his young daughter ran by. He asked her what she wanted to bring to the party. This brilliant five-year-old brought him her favorite juice box, “fruit juice cocktail.” Adult juice boxes would be simpler than mixing all these cocktails, he thought.
GETTING THE BUZZ GOING
Vandenbos collaborated with local bartenders to produce some popular well-balanced cocktails. Then he brought his production team in to develop the recipes that would allow him to scale up his bartenderdriven cocktails.
When the cocktails were all set, he worked with the Tetra Pak company to develop their proprietary aseptic package for real cocktails. The aseptic packing provides the best way to ensure product safety and longevity, especially when shipping cocktails. The science behind the packaging allows buzzbox to use top-shelf, high-proof spirits, and allnatural ingredients, ensuring the highest quality and freshest tasting cocktails.
LET’S TALK ABOUT PREMIUM COCKTAILS IN A CAN
Bringing an added level of quality to RTD’s, buzzbox only uses top-shelf spirits and all-natural ingredients: no artificial flavors, color, or stabilizers. They produce their vodkas, gins, and whiskeys and procure some of the best rums and tequilas on the planet. Based in California’s Coachella Valley, they also get most of their fruits and vegetables from local farmers. The cocktails contain a higher ABV ranging from 12% to 14%.
