A new startup from a serial beverage entrepreneur is looking to create a splash in the growing wine-in-a-can market.
Rosé Spritz, founded in 2018 by Chicagoan BJ McCaslin, is a canned wine brand that offers a twist on the traditional wine spritzer with a 5% ABV beverage that combines rosé, sparkling water and fruit. McCaslin said sales were around $1 million in 2020 and he expects to do $4 million in 2021. Rosé Spritz sells at Jewel Osco, Meijer, 7-Eleven, Woodman's and other retailers, along with dozens of bars. It currently sells in 30 states, but around 75% of its sales are in the Chicagoland area, McCaslin said.
Rosé Spritz, which will soon be rebranding to Coastal Spritz, is a follow-up to McCaslin's previous venture Coco Café, a coconut water and coffee brand that sold to Vita Coco. Now with Rosé Spritz, McCaslin is tackling the booming canned alcohol market with a focus on bringing a convenient and healthier alternative to wine drinkers.
"We really wanted to focus on the wine drinker and really offer the wine drinker something pure and premium," McCaslin said.
The product comes in five flavors: watermelon, pineapple, black cherry, strawberry and orange. Each is 95 calories and is non-GMO, gluten free and has no added sugar. The 12 oz. can is another differentiator for Rosé Spritz, McCaslin explained, as most competing products come in 8 oz. cans.
Traditional wine brands like Kim Crawford, Dark Horse and Barefoot have jumped on the canned wine bandwagon. Newer entrants like Babe Wine, which was acquired by Anheuser-Busch in 2019, have also taken off with consumers. The growth in canned wine comes as the overall ready-to-drink alcoholic beverage market continues to boom, growing 80% from April 2019 to April 2020, according to Nielsen.
Rosé Spritz also joins a growing group of Chicago-born canned alcohol upstarts such as Luna Bay Booch and Vrai. Four Loko, a controversial malt liquor drink that first hit convenience store shelves in 2005, was also started in Chicago.
Under its new Coastal Spritz brand, McCaslin said the startup plans to launch additional canned wines, including a Sauvignon blanc, chardonnay and pinot noir. The startup has so far raised $2 million to date, and McCaslin said he expects to raise another round in mid-2021.
