Gardenista – turning cocktail love into brand love
While we’re all obsessing about RTDs, we’re forgetting about the other horse in the race.
A lot of the bev industry discourse, this year, has been dominated by one thing: the RTD. Enthusiasm for small, portable formats couldn’t be greater.
But for this episode of NEWBIES – where we profile young drinks brands – we’re talking about a space that’s stacked with potential and a little bit overlooked: ready-to-serve.
“RTD’s story is largely written – it delivers convenience and variety in single-serve formats,” says Jason Merz, Director of Marketing at Gardenista. “Ready-to-serve, on the other hand, is still early in its evolution, and its behavior with consumers is fundamentally different.”
According to Jason, what’s really driving the big format shift is a renewed desire to share – not just drinks, but moments and experiences. Right now, the RTD category is consolidating, he says, meanwhile RTS shelf space is expanding, and it’s the next growth story. Gardenista is well-poised to tap into that.
From the Colorado mountains to you
Picture it: a dining room filled with a sea of glowing green glasses. It’s the usual scene at Matsuhisa in Aspen, which has become known for its bright green cocktail, named The Gardener.
Gardenista’s founders tried it, loved it, and partnered with the restaurant team to turn it into a bottled cocktail – available as tequila, vodka and bourbon versions, all mixed with the garden herbs, jalapeno and lime that made the original such a hit.
And Jason attributes a lot of the brand’s success to that vibrant green liquid. “You can have beautiful packaging, strong distributor relationships, and the best shelf placement in the world (we’re fortunate to have all of those too) – but none of it matters if the liquid doesn’t exceed expectations.
“We’ve been intentional about getting the product right, even if that means taking more time. We’re not chasing what’s right now – we’re focused on building something that lasts.”
Don’t rush
Jason really emphasizes this point: brands cannot rush. Consumers are far more discerning than they’re often given credit for, he says, and they know when something is opportunistic, or made too quickly.
That behavior has created a situation where a lot of product on shelf is interchangeable - and we’ve written about how chasing the trend high can be disastrous.
“The brands most at risk are those that hurried to market simply to grab early share – cutting corners on ingredients, leaning on existing brand equity, and prioritizing speed over substance,” says Jason. “That approach may drive initial trial, but it wears thin quickly and in many cases it’s already eroding trust with consumers in ways that will take time to fully measure.”
How the garden grows
Beyond the liquid, Jason says the brand has learned a lot about what drives growth.
In Gardenista’s first year they operated on a test-and-learn approach, experimenting with paid, earned, shared and owned media to figure out where their audience was, and where they needed to show up.
Quickly, they understood that large, mass consumer events directed people to familiar and ‘safe’ choices, while the smaller, curated gatherings drew in the more adventurous crowd that would appreciate Gardenista.
Jason credits social media, PR and out-of-home – particularly wild postings – as pivotal in building early awareness. And he says they had a lot of success by sending physical mailers to retail accounts, and following them up with well-timed sales visits. E-comm and direct-to-consumer has also been successful, opening up a national audience, as well as a pool of customer data and insights that a lot of startups can’t access so early on.
“The biggest takeaway so far has been staying open-minded: some of what’s worked best has come from trusting instinct, listening closely to our partners, and being willing to test ideas others might overlook.”
And by the way, Jason knows what he’s talking about. Prior to Gardenista he was at Deep Eddy Vodka, guiding the brand from an early startup, through acquisition, and into a nearly 2-million-case business.
Finally, as we do with all of our NEWBIES, we asked him:
What’s the brutal truth you've learned about building a bev/alc brand?
“You have to be in it for the right reasons. This may be one of the most challenging moments in the industry’s history to launch a beverage alcohol brand – consumers are more discerning, economic pressures are real, and shelves are more crowded than ever. But the truth is, there are always challenges; the list just changes.
What I’ve learned is that good products and authentic brands still find a way forward. If you don’t genuinely believe in what you’re building – and why you’re building it – the inevitable headwinds will expose that quickly. Being in it purely for the money isn’t enough. You need conviction, patience, and a reason to keep going when the easy paths disappear.”
Is there anything you’d do differently?
“It would be building a peer network sooner – connecting earlier with founders who were navigating the same challenges and exchanging real, hard-earned learnings. Somewhere along the way, the idea took hold that you’re supposed to go it alone or follow a single, prescribed path.
What I’ve learned is that there are many routes to success, and most of them are already being traveled by people who are willing to share what they’ve learned – often while looking for that same support in return. The journey gets clearer, and more sustainable, when you stop trying to do it all by yourself.”
THE NEW RULE
Faster isn’t better. We get it, the industry is under intense pressure and hype cycles move at lightning pace – but you can’t speed-run a brand.
Enjoyed this? Now try:
-The brand the wine world needs
-The THC spirit that understands the power of restraint
-The anti-hangover cocktail in a can
The New Rules is a labor of love by nihilo.agency. Need design support for your brand? Reach out! hi@nihilo.agency
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