My thoughts about ready-to-drink cocktails and coolers is changed forever courtesy of the team at SoCIAL LITE Vodka
Last night I took a trip down to Sugar Beach to see what was good at the Toronto Wine & Spirits Festival. I had come to find a new and inspiring story, which I quickly realized would be pretty challenging considering almost all the booths were hosted by large corporations who hire good-looking girls and guys to push products most of us have already heard of.
Speaking of big name brands, one of the first things I saw after entering the festival was a Jameson’s Irish Whiskey booth to which I thought, “FUCK YEAH!, this should get my night started out right”. Jameson’s and I have had a lengthy history of long nights and good times together, and it’s really my go-to shot whenever I’m out getting slizzard. I was disappointed however to be told that I was not allowed to have the whiskey straight, and that the booth’s staff were only permitted to use it for some kind of cold-brewed coffee cocktail. After unsuccessfully pleading with the guy behind the counter to just let me taste the booze on its own I accepted to give the cocktail a try. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t what I wanted. I felt my love and fond memories for the brand die a little bit when I realized it was just another part of the wheel that is the Ontario alcohol industry and the LCBO; which is for the most part just a giant a circle jerk of large corporations releasing products based on the needs of unmet “target demographics”.
I had come to this festival to meet someone who could tell me a story about their brand, and the journey that led them to where they are now. After circling the venue for about an hour, I had essentially given up until my girlfriend approached me with what looked like a clear cocktail of some kind. She was super excited about it and encouraged me to take a sip, but I told her I’m not really into cocktails. She then told me it wasn’t a cocktail, it was a cooler. A cooler? As I took a sip I thought to myself, maybe this girl doesn’t know me as well as I thought she did. I mean we’ve been together for almost five years, why would she think I’d be interested in a cooler?
Aside from canned caesars, I’ve never been a fan of the “read-to-drink/coolers” category that’s riddled with colourful concoctions that are really just bad hangover sentences
As usual however, my woman was right, and my whole view of “ready-to-drinks” were thrown right out the window; I had to learn more about this stuff! She led me into the tent of local Toronto mixologists-in-a-can, SoCIAL LITE Vodka, who advertised a 4% tall can with only 80 calories in it. Any company trying to promote a health-conscious drink usually flies below my radar, but something about these guys was really refreshing to me.
The drink was first crafted in co-founder and ultra-marathons runner Dan’s kitchen so he could have something to share with family and friends while continuing to live his healthy lifestyle. The company SoCIAL LITE Vodka was founded when he quit his day job and teamed up with long-time engineering buddy Kevin, who Dan claimed, “…could read an MBA level textbook in a night and implement a new strategy the next day”. Dan also proudly boasted the experience of his second partner, Neetu, who had worked for a large soda brand before quitting her safe career and joining the SoCIAL LITE team. Okay yes, these guys had a tasty drink, and yes they were all really friendly and energetic but I hadn’t yet heard the story I really wanted. While Dan was pitching us his brand he kind of said in passing that they had been backed by Arlene Dickinson of CBC’s Dragons’ Den. I stopped him immediately and inquired further.
He said that he had always thought that pitching his company on a national television show sounded a bit lame, but through the encouragement of everyone around them they finally caved and gave it a shot. “We applied on the Sunday night, and we got a call from Arlene’s people at 12:30 in the morning on the Wednesday asking if we would be willing to meet with her in the next coming weeks.”. After a failed attempt on the online version of the popular CBC show, Next Gen Dragons Den (watch the video here), Dan told me how they prepared every detail of their pitch and were very confident about their chances of making a strong impression on Arlene. When they got into the room, Arlene sat across from them at a large table, and demanded to try the drink before any of the team members could even get a word out. It was a bit of a curveball, but the SoCIALLITES agreed. In very dramatic fashion, Arlene cracked the can and spun around in her chair for what seemed like a lifetime. As Dan, Kevin, and Neetu began shooting looks at each-other trying to edge one of them to start talking Arlene spun back around and said, “this is great! you can start your presentation now”. The rest is history, and SoCIAL LITE Vodka can now be found in over 300 LCBO locations.
I know this is a long post but I was really inspired by their story. Its got all the components I want to express with Liqly; the experience of people with a passion for booze, and of course a delicious drink. I’ve always thought the ready-to-drink/cooler category is in serious need of some innovation and this product is just right for the job. Order this on a hot day this summer to save yourself some time at your next cocktail party!