NVL wine spotlight
Elegant, Cheeky, and Playful
Guess What? It’s Bubble Butt BY LAURIE JO MILLER FARR
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t the intersection of seltzer and rosé in a 250 ml can, presenting...Bubble Butt. It’s a cheeky name for a playful product that has hit the shelves after three years of work in search of perfection. This could be love at first sight. Just one look at the attention-grabbing packaging (pink hearts pop on a striking black background), and it’s obvious that Bubble Butt is something different, stronger than a traditional hard seltzer. So, what are the unique points of differentiation? First, the new Bubble Butt Rosé Seltzer is 8.4% alcohol, about double the alcohol typically found in other hard seltzers. Second, it’s not malt-based or synthetically flavored like the leading hard seltzer brands. And third, it’s made from 100% California grapes. What else? “The bubbles rival champagne,” said Andrew Nelson. Newly named as a Wine Enthusiast 40 Under 40,” he’s president of WarRoom Cellars (“All For Wine. Wine For All.”) Nelson’s business partner, Ken Warwick, adds caché with a British accent as the Emmy Award-winning co-creator and executive producer of “American Idol.” “It’s fun; it’s meant to tickle your brain,” they suggest. Indeed. During audience trials to test several potential
“ It’s fun; it’s meant to tickle your brain.” name choices, “Bubble Butt” brought forth an overwhelmingly positive response. The tagline (rhymes with Bubble Butt) is: “Guess what?” Forgettable, it’s not. Where did the idea originate? Nelson tells the story, “Three years ago we set out to make champagne in a can. We didn’t succeed. Butt, we persevered. Traveling to Washington and Oregon, looking to Portugal, drinking Vinho Verde, drinking hard seltzer, the product evolved. Every year we improved.” In cleverly combining the three fast-growing categories of rosé wine, sparkling wine, and hard seltzer with the massively trending category of canned wine, Bubble Butt creates an emerging category of its own. “It’s the most unique product —and the most difficult — we’ve ever made,” said Nelson. “But if you love sparkling wine, rosé, or hard seltzer, then you’ll love Bubble Butt.” The “workhorse” classic California wine grapes in Bubble Butt are Burger and French Colombard, harvested at low sugar
levels of 16 to 17 degrees Brix (wine grapes are generally harvested between 21 and 26 degrees Brix). The lower Brix translates to more vibrant acidity and crisp, refreshing flavors. Pure fruit flavors are captured and enhanced with a cool fermentation in stainless steel. The final step is seltzer, added immediately before canning at super high carbonation levels to create a superior sparkling profile. This last step is at a California 7-Up bottling facility, no less. One imagines the charming, svelte “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” actress Audrey Hepburn (she’s another of Nelson’s inspirations) would strongly approve. Each can contains only 137 calories, 2.5 grams of sugar, and less than eight carbs. Bubble Butt is 100% natural, gluten-free, and vegan-friendly, too. In late 2020, Bubble Butt Rosé Seltzer launched online sales with free shipping in California. A four-pack of 250ml cans sells for below $15. WarRoom Cellars is also known for heritage brands Bonny Doon Vineyard (acquired in early 2020), Lapis Luna, The Big Red Monster, Wildlife Wine Club, and Hallmark Channel Wines. FOR MORE INFORMATION drinkbubblebutt.com WINTER 2020
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