Overview: San Antonio-based Epic Western is entering the vodka category with a new line of canned lemonade cocktails. The launch begins in October 2026 across Texas before expanding to other markets by early 2027.
The Full Story
Four varieties are included in the lineup: Mango, Blueberry, Cran-Raspberry, and Pink Lemonade. Each can holds 12 ounces of liquid with a quaffable 4.5% ABV. The products are sold together in variety 8-packs for $19 per pack at Texas retail price. Co-founder and CEO Adam Love states that every category must clear the same bar regarding taste, noting it took hundreds of formulas to reach the standard.
The expressions all rely on cold-pressed citrus, alongside an unnamed premium American vodka, to deliver refreshing, fruit-forward and fizz-free liquids with only 90 calories per can. Underscoring his point, Epic Western had this product percolating in the tastelab for well over a year. The exhaustive approach echoes the way in which Love and Co. landed on that initial Ranch Water offering back in 2021; it was the culmination of two years worth of R+D.
Production & Profile
The cans feature fizz-free, non-carbonated beverages. This format is driven in large part by a new crop of Gen-Z consumers who prefer RTDs that don’t make them feel full or bloated. These drinkers have veered away from beer and traditional cocktails – longtime mainstays of the 21-30 year-old demographic.
Brand & Industry History
Since its debut in summer of 2021, Epic Western helped reshape the canned craft cocktail landscape. The San Antonio startup entered the space with one of the industry’s first premium Ranch Water offerings: tequila and soda – a Texas staple. Recent analysis suggests that the tequila-based ready-to-drink market is worth an estimated $4.8 billion USD.
What This Means
Epic Western’s first departure from its tequila-based origins is a clear signal that it feels confident in a recipe that’ll stand out. That formula is fairly simple, too: ingredient-driven, additive-free, flavor forward. Indeed, each of these new expressions tastes authentically like the fruit represented in its respective colorway.
Consumer Takeaway
The cans go on sale in Texas starting this week, where they will retail for $19 per 8-pack. The launch will expand shortly thereafter into Tennessee, South Carolina and Colorado. And Epic Western plans to take its Vodka Lemonade beyond these existing markets to the Midwest and Massachusetts by early 2027.
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