AUSTIN, Texas— CANTEEN Spirits, the collection of ready-to-drink spirit-based beverages, announced the launch of a new hard seltzer line — a Mexican-inspired, margarita-style hard seltzer now available on shelves in hundreds of stores across Texas.
Dubbed Cantina Margarita, the new seltzer is available in three flavors — original, strawberry, and mango. Each 12-oz can contains only 110 calories, 1 gram of sugar, and 1 gram net carbs and is brewed at 6% alc/vol, higher than big brand hard seltzers. Unlike their previous lines, the Cantina Margarita is made with alcohol produced from cane sugar, a departure from the company’s spirit-based model.
“After carefully examining the current RTD market, we saw the popularity of hard seltzers declining, with one exception. Mexican-inspired cocktails like margaritas and agua frescas are still growing, and doing so at a rapid pace. Expanding from spirit-based RTDs into the hard seltzer realm was a natural evolution for CANTEEN.”
Co-founder and CEO Brandon Cason launched CANTEEN in 2019 with a flavor-focused line of ready-to-drink vodka sodas. Since then, the company released two additional lines of spirit-based cocktails — a collection of gin spritzes and a collection of tequila sodas. Like all CANTEEN products, the Cantina Margarita line is geared towards health-conscious consumers with an eye for quality ingredients.
“With the Cantina Margarita, our goal is to provide Texas consumers with a locally-made, locally-owned alternative to big brand hard seltzers,” said Cason, who is a seasoned alcohol industry veteran.
As one of the first employees and Vice President of Marketing at Deep Eddy Vodka, Cason led the company to become one of the fastest growing spirits companies in the United States. He exited in 2017 and went on to co-found Waterloo Sparkling Water. As CMO, he made Waterloo a household name and one of best known brands in the sparkling water category. CANTEEN is an evolution of his work in the ready-to-drink industry, with a dedication to independent operation and production.
In 2021, Cason and his team opened a 60,000 square-foot-production facility in Austin, Texas. There, he produces all CANTEEN products and has even ventured into co-packing for several out of state brands.
“We’re proud to provide Texan consumers with a small business alternative to big brand hard seltzers. I bootstrapped this company in the Lone Star state and I’m excited to see how CANTEEN fans respond to our new innovation.
The Cantina Margarita is sold in three-flavor 12-packs with an average retail price of $17.00. It is available in hundreds of retailers throughout the state including 166 H-E-B stores, 34 Buccee’s stores, 180 Randalls stores, 180 Kroger stores, Tom Thumb and Albertsons, as well as a network of independent retailers. Each 12-oz can contains only 110 calories, 1 gram of sugar, and 1 gram net carbs and is brewed at 6% alc/vol.
About CANTEEN
CANTEEN Spirits is a line of ready-to-drink alcoholic beverages based in Austin, Texas. The latest addition to the company’s lineup is the Cantina Margarita, a Mexican-inspired, margarita-style hard seltzer, offering an RTD twist on the classic tequila cocktail.
CANTEEN was founded by Brandon Cason, a successful entrepreneur and co-founder of Waterloo Sparkling Water, one of the largest independent sparkling water brands in the United States. His wealth of ready-to-drink beverage knowledge and drive for authenticity in independent businesses led to the creation of CANTEEN in 2019, which has since expanded into four unique RTD lines.
CANTEEN products are authentically all-American, produced in Austin, Texas and available in all 50 states. The Cantina Margarita line is currently available online and in stores only in Texas.
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