In an exclusive interview with Cheddar, Ketel One Botanicals announced the launch of the company's new Vodka Spritz canned cocktails.
"The opportunity that we're seeking here today, and that we're seeing, is a big gap in the ready-to-drink category," Carl Nolet Jr., an 11th generation distiller, said. "The ready-to-drink category is fantastic. It is blowing up. It is incredible. But nobody has created a [ready-to-drink] bar-worthy cocktail."
The spritz enters a market full of canned competitors. Hard seltzers are still seeing a massive amount of popularity, even during stay-at-home orders. When it comes to picking up a spritz over a hard seltzer, Carl's younger brother Bob Nolet, another 11th generation distiller, doesn't think they'll have a hard time convincing customers. He believes the family-run company's 329-year history of creating spirits will be the ticket. "That's where it starts."
"We're missing our bars and our restaurants. It is something that none of us have ever experienced in our lifetime," Nolet Jr. said. "But what we have created here is that time when you go to the beach, when you have a picnic, when you want to be with friends and yes six feet apart, etc. This is the perfect opportunity to relive that experience."
Nolet Jr. added that this beverage answers a question that's definitely been asked amid pandemic-related closures.
"Why does it taste so much better when you're in a bar than when you make it at home?" he posed. "We have really studied the drink and in this can right here... When you open it up, the incredible bubbles in there, everything, the taste profile is so unique and different."
The Nolets also contend that the vodka spritz option will appeal to health-conscious consumers. The beverage is 73 calories and contains no carbs, no added sugar, no artificial flavors or sweeteners, and is made from 100 percent non-GMO grain.
"Everyone is looking for less calorie intake," Nolet Jr. said, laughing, "Including for myself. My wife is after me every single day about my intake so I'm happy we have this."
The drinks will be available in three flavors: Peach & Orange Blossom, Cucumber & Mint, and Grapefruit & Rose. The Ketel One Botanical Vodka Spritz launches on September 1 in Arizona, California, Nevada, Texas, Florida, New Jersey, Ohio, Washington, and Illinois.
Nvidia on Wednesday became the first public company to reach a market capitalization of $5 trillion. The ravenous appetite for the Silicon Valley company’s chips is the main reason that the company’s stock price has increased so rapidly since early 2023.
Chris Williamson, Chief Business Economist at S&P Global, breaks down September’s CPI print and inflation trends, explaining what it means for markets.
A big-screen adaptation of the anime “Chainsaw Man” has topped the North American box office, beating a Springsteen biopic and “Black Phone 2.” The movie earned $17.25 million in the U.S. and Canada this weekend. “Black Phone 2” fell to second place with $13 million. Two new releases, the rom-com “Regretting You” and “Springsteen — Deliver Me From Nowhere,” earned $12.85 million and $9.1 million, respectively. “Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc” is based on the manga series about a demon hunter. It's another win for Sony-owned Crunchyroll, which also released a “Demon Slayer” film last month that debuted to a record $70 million.
The Federal Aviation Administration says flights departing for Los Angeles International Airport were halted briefly due to a staffing shortage at a Southern California air traffic facility. The FAA issued a temporary ground stop at one of the world’s busiest airports on Sunday morning soon after U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy predicted that travelers would see more flights delayed as the nation’s air traffic controllers work without pay during the federal government shutdown. The hold on planes taking off for LAX lasted an hour and 45 minutes and didn't appear to cause continued problems. The FAA said staffing shortages also delayed planes headed to Washington, Chicago and Newark, New Jersey on Sunday.
Boeing workers at three Midwest plants where military aircraft and weapons are developed have voted to reject the company’s latest contract offer and to continue a strike that started almost three months ago. The strike by about 3,200 machinists at the plants in the Missouri cities of St. Louis and St. Charles, and in Mascoutah, Illinois, is smaller in scale than a walkout last year by 33,000 Boeing workers who assemble commercial jetliners. The president of the International Association of Machinists says Sunday's outcome shows Boeing hasn't adequately addressed wages and retirement benefits. Boeing says Sunday's vote was close with 51% of union members opposing the revised offer.
The stunning indictment that led to the arrest of more than 30 people — including Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and other NBA figures — has drawn new scrutiny of the booming business of sports betting in the U.S. The multibillion-dollar industry has made it easy for sports fans — and even some players — to wager on everything from the outcome of games to that of a single play with just a few taps of a cellphone. But regulating the rapidly-growing industry has proven to be a challenge. Professional sports leagues’ own role in promoting gambling has also raised eyebrows.
