|
Neubauer Artists LLC Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... |
Summary
Breckenridge Distillery, renowned for its whiskey, has introduced Breck, a new line of ready-to-drink vodka seltzers. These 5% ABV offerings, in lime, grapefruit, peach, and tropical flavors, are quickly gaining traction for their crisp, authentic taste and outdoor-friendly appeal. While the RTD market is booming, Breck stands out with quality ingredients and true-to-fruit profiles, reflecting its Rocky Mountain heritage. Founder Bryan Nolt emphasizes their balanced flavor. Despite facing significant tax disadvantages compared to beer-based RTDs, strong consumer demand for premium spirit-based options like Breck persists, with national availability slated for this autumn.
Resting easy at an elevation of 9,600 feet, Breckenridge Distillery has enjoyed status as the world’s highest whiskey-making operation since opening nearly two decades ago. Now the award-winning craft operation is ready to bring canned cocktails to new heights.
Earlier this summer the brand introduced an offshoot called Breck, specializing entirely in ready-to-drink (RTD) vodka seltzers. The 5% ABV offerings hit shelves in four distinct flavors: lime, grapefruit, peach and tropical. Delivering on a promise of crisp, fruit flavors in an outdoor-friendly format they are fast becoming a hit in the Rocky Mountain State and beyond.
It follows the success of RTDs as a whole: a $4 billion-a-year segment that has emerged as the industry’s strongest growth category, according to the latest data from the Distilled Spirits Council. But standing out in such a dense sector also comes with its own set of challenges. Cans of Breck establish separation by bringing true-to-flavor liquids into an easy-drinking body. The grapefruit tastes like actual grapefruit. The peach is undeniably peachy.
All of them are refreshingly effervescent. And each projects a definitive sense of place, with mountain silhouettes wrapped around the bright green labeling. Then there’s the value proposition: 4-pack cans retailing for as low as $11; 8-packs for as low as $19.
“Our new Vodka Seltzer is crafted for anyone looking for real flavor, balanced from nose to finish,” according to Breckenridge Distillery founder Bryan Nolt. “Born in the Rockies and inspired by mountain culture, it’s an easy-drinking 5% seltzer you can take anywhere, made with the same quality as our award-winning Breckenridge Vodka.”
And while you can take it anywhere, to buy it everywhere you’ll have to wait until this autumn when it becomes available nationally. Even then, the purchasing of spirit-based RTDs remains a complicated matter. In 45 states, they are taxed higher than their beer and malt-based counterparts – sometimes by as much as 55 times higher – despite often holding the same exact ABV within their respective cans. On top of that, spirit-RTDs are already federally taxed at twice the rate of beer-based RTDs. A special interest group known as Spirits United is currently lobbying Washington to help level the playing field.
But in the meantime, the fact that brands like Breck are enjoying broad success despite an unfavorable tax landscape shows that consumers aren’t just thirsty for the convenience of RTDs. They are willing to pay a premium to make sure those cans are filled with quality craft spirit.
BRECKENRIDGE, CO – DECEMBER 15: Nick Goepper skis to first place in the men’s ski slopestyle at the Dew Tour iON Mountain Championships on December 15, 2013 in Breckenridge, Colorado.