New Premixed Cocktail Line, Uptown Wine Cocktails, Named Editors' Pick and Best New Wine of 2020

Published
10/08/2020 by

Only months after its April launch, Uptown Wine Cocktails has won two major awards in grocery and convenience – Progressive Grocer's Editors' Pick and Convenience Store News' Best New Wine of 2020.

The BuzzBallz, LLC/Southern Champion team entered the cocktail line in both contests this summer. According to Convenience Store News, nearly 100 companies entered to win in 38 categories.

In mid-August, the team learned that the Uptown Wine Cocktails Chocolatini was granted Best Wine by the publication.

The team was granted the Progressive Grocer's Editors' Pick win even earlier – the end of July. The accomplishment was published in the magazine and on the site mid-September.

The mark of success for this brand didn't begin or end with these awards, however. Over the past few months, Uptown Cocktails has been one of the top-selling brands under the BuzzBallz, LLC/Southern Champion umbrella and has already been named a top ten premixed cocktail by *Nielsen.

"The reason it's doing really well is the [ready-to-drink] space has exploded," said Blair Casey, Vice President of Sales at BuzzBallz, LLC/Southern Champion. "Millennials want their cocktails and they want them now. In grocery stores, they prefer the ease of picking up a full cocktail on the go instead of having to go home with a bunch of ingredients to make one cocktail."

Flavor innovation and premium packaging are also factors that make Uptown Wine Cocktails stand out on shelves. There are currently six bold flavors – Lemon Tea, Ruby Red Grapefruit, Margarita, Mango Margarita, Strawberry Margarita and Chocolatini; all of which are made with natural juices or creams. Each cocktail is 13.9 percent ABV and sealed in a 1.5-liter, frosted bottle.