We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Melanie Nelson And Anita Goodson. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Melanie Nelson and Anita Goodson below.
Hi Melanie Nelson and Anita Goodson, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.
Anita and I founded Spirited Brands out of a shared passion for cocktails and healthy living. With her deep Mexican heritage and cocktail expertise, Anita crafts the most incredible drinks—she is a true artist. Her creations were so exceptional that I knew we had to share them with the world, so we decided to can them. But we weren’t just focused on making another beverage; we wanted to create a more mindful canned cocktail.
We were shocked to discover that some of the leading canned cocktails contain over 300 calories and 20 grams of sugar per can. This information is often omitted from the packaging. That’s why transparency became a priority, ensuring that every can lists nutrition facts and ingredients. We identified a gap in the market for something refreshing, low-calorie, low-ABV, vegan, and naturally flavored—without sacrificing quality or taste. Our Soula and Sokē cocktails each have 140 calories and the ideal 5% ABV. All our ingredients meet the strictest natural grocer guidelines and contain no artificial sweeteners.
With the rising demand for mindful drinking, we believed our cocktails would resonate with consumers. People are drawn to our branding, but the feedback from our samplings has been incredible—once people try the drinks, they love them!
Melanie Nelson and Anita Goodson, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
Spirited Brands is a beverage innovation company that is dedicated to crafting premium canned cocktails that are both mindful and delicious. We focus on building exceptional cocktail brands that prioritize quality and transparency. Our flagship products, Soula and Sokē, perfectly embody this purpose. Soula, inspired by Anita’s rich Mexican heritage and the belief that we are all part of something greater, is crafted with premium agave wine from Blue Weber agave plants from Jalisco, Mexico, offers a fresh, modern take on the classic margarita. Sokē takes a modern approach to Japan’s legacy beverage, sake. Made with premium Junmai sake, natural Asian fruit flavors, and the perfect amount of bubbles, it reimagines sake with a delightful twist that consumers are loving!
We are also proud to be a woman-owned business and recently received our Women’s Business Enterprise National Council certification.
Do you sell on your site, or do you use a platform like Amazon, Etsy, Cratejoy, etc?
The alcohol industry is highly regulated, which unfortunately means we can’t sell our products on platforms like Amazon or Etsy. Instead, we operate through our own website, www.SipSpiritedBrands.com. Due to the three-tier system, which mandates a separation between producers, distributors, and retailers, we work with licensed partners who handle fulfillment and shipping on our behalf. While we’re unable to ship directly to consumers, this setup allows us to reach our audience effectively and remain compliant with industry regulations.
What’s been the best source of new clients for you?
Our best source of new clients has been good old-fashioned cold calling and sampling. For retailers and restaurants, our sales team personally visits each business to introduce our products. Once they sample our cocktails, the response is overwhelmingly positive, and they often express interest in carrying them. This hands-on approach allows us to showcase the quality and uniqueness of our offerings, effectively building relationships and expanding our client base. Additionally, we conduct a lot of sampling events inside the retail locations that carry our products. We are big believers in the philosophy of “liquid to lips”—people need to try our cocktails, and when they do, they often make a purchase.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.SipSpiritedBrands.com
- Instagram: @soulacocktails. & @sokesoda
- Facebook: Soula Cocktails & Soke Sokda
- Linkedin: Spirited Brands
