Welcome back to the BevNET spirits newsletter. This week we’re talking with a fast-growing RTD brand on why it broke with convention, and how it has paid off so far. 

What insiders are reading: Carbliss, SpikedAde and Happy Dad talk M&A strategies, and liquor channels see an uptick in THC sales.

Thanks for reading.

-BevNET spirits editor, Ferron Salniker

Nearly every ready-to-drink (RTD) startup founder hears the same piece of advice: stay narrow, go deep, and prove velocity before you scale. But Saint Spritz went a different direction, and so far, it has paid off. 

Saint Spritz followed the lead of other segment leaders in the crowded RTD category, who saw an opening to own their segment early. As the first hard kombucha, JuneShine took a wide approach as well by opening 30 states in two years. Dirty Shirley also let the market tell the founder where his now Sazerac-owned RTD worked (more on that at BevNET Live). 

After only testing four Target stores and retail in one state, Saint Spritz did a national rollout with the retailer, and has since prioritized more national grocery outlets. Chain business grew more than 900% in 2025, and it earned a Nielsen Top 20 ranking among all wine-based cocktails nationwide. 

What the CEO of Saint Spritz said: “We came to the conclusion that in every category there tends to be a number one and a number two. If we say no to this, somebody else will say yes.”

Some of that retail buy-in may be owed to co-founder JoJo Fletcher, star of The Bachelorette, who has activated some of her four million followers as fans and ambassadors, but there was still an element of good timing as the spritz took off on-premise, and good thinking to use wine as the base for more market access. It joins just a few other "celebrity" RTDs that have cracked the top sellers across wine and spirits-based RTDs, including Saul “Canelo” Alvarez’s VMC (Gallo) and John Daly’s Good Boy. 

Of course, there are still challenges:

• Distribution is in negotiation after the RNDC crumble. 

• Retailers are placing the brand in the wine section, versus next to High Noon. 

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Right Coast Spirits’ Italian Ice is expanding at Trader Joe's and riding high as it enters its third summer. The bottled cocktail more than doubled year-over-year during summer 2025, and may have its unique packaging to thank for driving new occasions. 

Read more

• In another Pacific Northwest transaction, Columbia Distributing will acquire a 30% stake in Idaho distribution company Hayden.

• Reyes Beverage Group officially locked in 11 former RNDC markets, adding 38 million cases to its more than 360-million-case business.

• More distro consolidation in NY as well.

Following months of legal drama, Uncle Nearest may be close to new ownership after its court-appointed receiver announced he has signed a LOI to sell nearly all the brand’s assets. 

• Pending court approval, the storied whiskey brand will go to an unnamed investment firm with an African-American ownership and leadership structure that pledges to keep its workforce and honor the brand’s history.
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Little Saints has pulled in $28 million in lifetime revenue, with only $5 million raised, and no institutional capital during its five-year lifespan. 

• In founder Megan Klein’s words, that fundraising strategy has been “f-ing painful.”

But that’s about to change.

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At BevNET Live NYC, attendees will hear from founders and retailers as they share lessons from their journey. I'm excited to hop on stage and chat with Mingle Founder Laura Taylor and Whole Foods Market's Samantha Fletcher about their retailer-buyer relationship, and Adam Kost on how he built and sold Dirty Shirley.
Join us!