Eastside Distilling announced the Company’s landmark entry into the fast growing Ready-to-Drink (RTD) market with the introduction of the Portland Mule Ready-to-Drink Cocktail.
Image: Portland Mule is being produced on Eastside’s own canning line. Photo: Courtesy of Business Wire.
Portland Mule will come in a 250ml, or 8.4 oz can, designed by the award-winning design team at Sandstrom Partners, and will have a 10.5% alcohol by volume. Eastside will focus initially on distribution in its home state of Oregon, but has aspirations to target national account customers in select regional markets across the U.S.
The Portland Mule is a refreshing elixir made with ingredients from Oregon’s favorite craft proprietors. It is the perfect balance of sweet and spicy Portland Soda with premium four times distilled Portland Potato Vodka, real lime juice (never from concentrate) and a very light touch of natural cane sugar – a little added fizz with zero added fuss. As RTDs have evolved by embracing the craft movement, there is strong demand in the premium space for a high-quality offering like the Portland Mule.
Portland Mule is being produced on Eastside’s own canning line. As the only in-house producer of 250ml slimline cans in Portland, the Company reaps competitive advantages such as reduced cost, superior control over finished product, easier prototyping and faster time to market. Eastside’s recently acquired Craft Canning + Bottling unit now also offers mobile canning services in the 250ml size. Together with Eastside’s lines, these are believed to be the only 250ml lines in the Pacific Northwest.
Eastside has been planning for the launch of its first RTD since installing its own slim line canning line in 2018. Expanding upon the skills of its award-winning master distillers to create the perfect cocktail and producing it 100% in house. Eastside intends to aggressively pursue the growing RTD market in 2019. As an industry category, RTD cocktails have grown rapidly, with growth expected to continue over the coming years. According to Technavio, a research firm, low alcohol RTD drinks are expected to be one of the best performing sectors through 2021, with an expected cumulative annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.2%. Growth is driven by changing lifestyle and alcohol consumption habits, including the convenience and portability of the cans.
Mel Heim, Master Distiller of Eastside Distilling, commented, “Crafted in collaboration with Portland Syrups, the Portland Mule combines Eastside’s award-winning Portland Potato Vodka, spicy ginger syrup made from whole ingredients, and a squeeze of fresh lime juice. We designed the Portland Mule to have a bold, balanced flavor with a refreshing finish. This Portland original is best enjoyed straight from the can or poured over ice. We hope everyone will enjoy as much as do.”
Grover Wickersham, CEO of Eastside Distilling, added, “We are entering the RTD market with the introduction of Portland Mule, a well thought out product as to ABV and serving size. It also has a very cool packaging design from Sandstrom Partners. With our ten-year history in bringing craft spirits to market, Eastside is ready to capitalize on the growth of the RTD market. Our in-house canning lines lower our cost and shorten our time to market. We will be following this initial ginger Portland Mule soon with some more great creative flavor variations of the Portland Mule cocktail that Mel Heim has developed with our partners at Portland Soda.”
Source: Company Press Release.