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A Makers of Minnesota Edition - Mixly Cocktail Mixers · Dishing with Stephanie's Dish

• 0:16
  SPEAKER_00: Hello, everybody, and welcome to Dishing with Stephanie's Dish.
• 0:19
  SPEAKER_00: This is a Minnesota maker edition,
• 0:21
  SPEAKER_00: which are always extra special to me because it's how I got started in the podcast space.
• 0:26
  SPEAKER_00: I'm here with Jonna Rosbach,
• 0:28
  SPEAKER_00: and she is the founder of Mixly,
• 0:30
  SPEAKER_00: which is a,
• 0:32
  SPEAKER_00: we'll call it a cocktail concentrate.
• 0:34
  SPEAKER_00: Is that what you would call it, Jonna?
• 0:36
  SPEAKER_01: I think you could.
• 0:38
  SPEAKER_01: I mean,
• 0:38
  SPEAKER_01: we still refer to it as a mixer,
• 0:39
  SPEAKER_01: but it certainly is more concentrated than typically what you find on shelf.
• 0:44
  SPEAKER_00: And what it is, is this delicious fruit forward mixer that you can mix with mocktails.
• 0:53
  SPEAKER_00: You can have it in a cocktail.
• 0:55
  SPEAKER_00: You can have it with sparkling wine.
• 0:57
  SPEAKER_00: You can just have it with, you know, soda pop.
• 1:00
  SPEAKER_00: Really, if you wanted to have it with 7-Up, it would be equally delicious.
• 1:04
  SPEAKER_00: What made you think that like this was a place in the market that there was a hole
• 1:09
  SPEAKER_00: that you could fill with this product?
• 1:12
  SPEAKER_01: So there was a couple of things.
• 1:14
  SPEAKER_01: I think the,
• 1:15
  SPEAKER_01: the first area was,
• 1:18
  SPEAKER_01: well,
• 1:19
  SPEAKER_01: we all,
• 1:19
  SPEAKER_01: we started the journey when we set out to,
• 1:22
  SPEAKER_01: you know,
• 1:22
  SPEAKER_01: wanted to do our own business and we love the idea of cocktails,
• 1:25
  SPEAKER_01: me and my business partners,
• 1:26
  SPEAKER_01: we love cocktails and just kind of the fuss of making great cocktail.
• 1:31
  SPEAKER_01: And then we went to the shelf to see, you know, curious what our mixers like these days.
• 1:35
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 1:36
  SPEAKER_01: And we were shocked to see, oh, oh my gosh.
• 1:39
  SPEAKER_01: It was bad.
• 1:40
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 1:41
  SPEAKER_01: bad, really bad, bad ingredients, bad branding, bad flavors, same old flavors.
• 1:47
  SPEAKER_01: And so we were just really excited.
• 1:50
  SPEAKER_01: One, I think just let's clean up the ingredient deck.
• 1:53
  SPEAKER_01: Like we all know in every other beverage category we've evolved.
• 1:56
  SPEAKER_01: So let's one step one, two, let's bring exciting flavors.
• 2:00
  SPEAKER_01: Like what you would want to see at a craft, you know, at a great bar at a, you know,
• 2:07
  SPEAKER_01: I think third, this was I was pregnant at the time.
• 2:11
  SPEAKER_01: The kind of sober, curious NA movement was just coming.
• 2:14
  SPEAKER_01: So like, let's make this versatile.
• 2:16
  SPEAKER_01: Let's make this for everyone.
• 2:17
  SPEAKER_01: So whether you're drinking or you're not, you can really make it your way.
• 2:22
  SPEAKER_01: And you're not no one's having to feel left out, you know, if they're not drinking alcohol.
• 2:27
  SPEAKER_00: I think a lot of products too thought that they were going to deliver on that message,
• 2:33
  SPEAKER_00: but then kind of few did because if you weren't having them with alcohol,
• 2:39
  SPEAKER_00: some of them didn't have the flavor punch.
• 2:42
  SPEAKER_00: Others, if you were drinking them strictly as a mocktail, they were a little too much.
• 2:47
  SPEAKER_00: Like you guys really seem to hit the right balance.
• 2:49
  SPEAKER_00: So go through your flavor profile because you've been pretty consistent too.
• 2:54
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it's really about a balanced cocktail.
• 2:58
  SPEAKER_01: So you're going to have, you know, you want the balance of the sweetness.
• 3:02
  SPEAKER_01: So obviously, or tartness, right?
• 3:05
  SPEAKER_01: So the fruit, whether like the strawberry, pomegranate, you're going to have some of that tartness.
• 3:10
  SPEAKER_01: We want to balance that then with a honey.
• 3:12
  SPEAKER_01: So we used a honey in our simple syrup base.
• 3:15
  SPEAKER_01: And that is really just gonna create a more balanced sweetness versus cane sugar can be really intense.
• 3:22
  SPEAKER_01: And then the benefit to a lot of people do prefer honey as a sweetener these days
• 3:26
  SPEAKER_01: over cane sugar and then acid.
• 3:28
  SPEAKER_01: So obviously it's lemon or lime in all of our flavors.
• 3:32
  SPEAKER_01: And that acidity is not only part of a great cocktail or can be part of a great cocktail,
• 3:38
  SPEAKER_01: but also for us,
• 3:40
  SPEAKER_01: that is what acts as our kind of natural stabilizer,
• 3:44
  SPEAKER_01: right?
• 3:44
  SPEAKER_01: So we are self-stable,
• 3:46
  SPEAKER_01: but because we,
• 3:47
  SPEAKER_01: you know,
• 3:47
  SPEAKER_01: lean into some of those,
• 3:48
  SPEAKER_01: you know,
• 3:49
  SPEAKER_01: to the using fresh lime and lemon.
• 3:52
  SPEAKER_01: It allows us to be shelf stable longer without having to add preservatives.
• 3:57
  SPEAKER_01: So I think it's right.
• 3:58
  SPEAKER_01: It's like the sweetness or tartness and then a really good acid.
• 4:02
  SPEAKER_01: And then we do have a lot of bring in a lot of earthy flavors as well.
• 4:07
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so we have like the pineapple basil lime.
• 4:11
  SPEAKER_01: So we're adding in,
• 4:12
  SPEAKER_01: you know,
• 4:12
  SPEAKER_01: the freshness of the babel basil or the mint cucumber mint lime has that,
• 4:16
  SPEAKER_01: you know,
• 4:17
  SPEAKER_01: really,
• 4:17
  SPEAKER_01: um,
• 4:18
  SPEAKER_01: refreshing element and same thing to like one of my favorites we just launched,
• 4:23
  SPEAKER_01: uh,
• 4:23
  SPEAKER_01: as part of our spritz line is the elderflower mint.
• 4:26
  SPEAKER_01: And that again, it's floral, it's refreshing with the mint.
• 4:30
  SPEAKER_01: It's, um, yeah.
• 4:31
  SPEAKER_01: So it's really all about, yeah, that combo to create a nice balanced cocktail.
• 4:35
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm talking with co-founder at Mixly,
• 4:39
  SPEAKER_00: Jonna Rosbach,
• 4:40
  SPEAKER_00: and you mentioned that you have this spritz line.
• 4:43
  SPEAKER_00: It is a new, we'll call it an extension.
• 4:46
  SPEAKER_00: Is that fair?
• 4:47
  SPEAKER_00: And why did you rebrand it and make it somewhat different looking than the traditional Mixly line?
• 4:53
  SPEAKER_00: I was curious what the thought process was there.
• 4:57
  SPEAKER_01: we were really inspired by the Italian coast.
• 5:00
  SPEAKER_01: And I know that's so cheesy, but we all, we love this.
• 5:03
  SPEAKER_01: Like everyone loves a spritz cocktail.
• 5:05
  SPEAKER_01: It's such a great summer, you know, sipper.
• 5:07
  SPEAKER_01: And we felt too that this was not only do we want to,
• 5:12
  SPEAKER_01: you know,
• 5:12
  SPEAKER_01: jump into the spritz scene with our Mixley take.
• 5:17
  SPEAKER_01: And it was a fun,
• 5:18
  SPEAKER_01: truly like Megan,
• 5:19
  SPEAKER_01: my business partner,
• 5:20
  SPEAKER_01: who's our designer,
• 5:20
  SPEAKER_01: she's just so creative,
• 5:21
  SPEAKER_01: wanted to have fun and see,
• 5:23
  SPEAKER_01: you know,
• 5:24
  SPEAKER_01: how a kind of different branding would do.
• 5:27
  SPEAKER_01: But I think it's also just,
• 5:28
  SPEAKER_01: you know,
• 5:29
  SPEAKER_01: it's an interesting test for us of how does a mixer that's for a single cause a
• 5:35
  SPEAKER_01: single type of cocktail do versus the versatility message we've had with Mixley
• 5:39
  SPEAKER_01: where you can make it with rum or tequila or vodka.
• 5:42
  SPEAKER_01: Like, how does that resonate with consumers when it's like really easy?
• 5:45
  SPEAKER_01: It's a spritz.
• 5:46
  SPEAKER_01: You mix it with sparkling wine and there you go.
• 5:48
  SPEAKER_01: So we wanted to distinguish it a bit, have fun with it.
• 5:51
  SPEAKER_01: And then also it's just interesting to see how it performs.
• 5:54
  SPEAKER_00: Can you talk a little bit about that?
• 5:56
  SPEAKER_00: Because clearly to me,
• 5:59
  SPEAKER_00: that seems like people that have a marketing background that are doing sort of A-B
• 6:04
  SPEAKER_00: testing that are really as interested in the brand packaging and the messaging as
• 6:10
  SPEAKER_00: the actual love of the cocktail itself.
• 6:13
  SPEAKER_00: So what was your background and your business partner's background getting here?
• 6:17
  SPEAKER_00: Because it seems sort of packaged goods focused.
• 6:20
  SPEAKER_00: are correct.
• 6:21
  SPEAKER_01: Great punch.
• 6:23
  SPEAKER_01: Yes.
• 6:23
  SPEAKER_01: So my background is all CPG marketing,
• 6:26
  SPEAKER_01: came up through the agency world and then spent years in corporate marketing at two
• 6:32
  SPEAKER_01: different big food CPG firms.
• 6:35
  SPEAKER_01: And Megan, my business partner, the same.
• 6:39
  SPEAKER_01: So yes, we have that background.
• 6:40
  SPEAKER_01: Her background is design.
• 6:41
  SPEAKER_01: My background is more the marketing communication.
• 6:43
  SPEAKER_01: So
• 6:44
  SPEAKER_01: Some ways it's very helpful.
• 6:46
  SPEAKER_01: In some ways you have to take everything that you learned in your big CPG world and
• 6:50
  SPEAKER_01: forget that you learned it because it doesn't apply.
• 6:53
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah,
• 6:54
  SPEAKER_00: that's really interesting too,
• 6:56
  SPEAKER_00: because I think that's one of the,
• 7:00
  SPEAKER_00: if I'm talking with people that are manufacturing products or talking about
• 7:04
  SPEAKER_00: products and that's their background,
• 7:05
  SPEAKER_00: I usually do tell them that.
• 7:07
  SPEAKER_00: And you also don't have the depth of staff or even the depth of resources or time.
• 7:14
  SPEAKER_00: So you have to kind of move a lot faster than people are comfortable with.
• 7:19
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 7:19
  SPEAKER_01: Move faster.
• 7:21
  SPEAKER_01: And I think even as you think about like the marketing tactics,
• 7:24
  SPEAKER_01: things that we would do,
• 7:25
  SPEAKER_01: it's like,
• 7:26
  SPEAKER_01: it's so different when you already have brand awareness and distribution.
• 7:30
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 7:31
  SPEAKER_01: We made a lot of mistakes early on.
• 7:33
  SPEAKER_01: I was like, oh, that lesson, that thing I thought I did really well.
• 7:36
  SPEAKER_01: Like that does not apply to Mixly to what we're doing.
• 7:39
  SPEAKER_01: So what's an example of that?
• 7:44
  SPEAKER_01: I would say, for example, okay, spending on influencers, right?
• 7:48
  SPEAKER_01: Everyone wants to spend on influencers.
• 7:50
  SPEAKER_01: And I'm not to say that's wrong.
• 7:52
  SPEAKER_01: However, it is a very different game when you don't have influencers
• 7:58
  SPEAKER_01: on shelf presence.
• 8:00
  SPEAKER_01: Also, if you're truly going to invest in D2C, you have to do it right.
• 8:05
  SPEAKER_01: So if you're having influencers drive to your website, you really have to be focused.
• 8:10
  SPEAKER_01: And I think when we launched, we were trying to do too much.
• 8:12
  SPEAKER_01: We were doing retail and a little D2C.
• 8:15
  SPEAKER_01: So your spend in a tactic like influencer marketing is really not going to go far
• 8:20
  SPEAKER_01: in the stage we were at.
• 8:22
  SPEAKER_01: And that's where we learned to focus and prioritize early on.
• 8:26
  SPEAKER_01: We launched, we went heavy into retail and that's what we did.
• 8:29
  SPEAKER_01: So influencers at our stage of the game don't make sense.
• 8:32
  SPEAKER_01: What makes sense is in-store tastings.
• 8:34
  SPEAKER_01: So that's where if I'm going to spend $100,
• 8:36
  SPEAKER_01: I'm better spending it on a brand ambassador doing an in-store tasting versus...
• 8:41
  SPEAKER_01: you know, an Instagram post.
• 8:43
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 8:44
  SPEAKER_00: And I think too, maybe you can speak to this.
• 8:47
  SPEAKER_00: I feel like the influencer world is changing and we're discovering that real influence is
• 8:55
  SPEAKER_00: is hard to come by and isn't always with the person with the 100,000 followers in a marketplace.
• 9:04
  SPEAKER_00: Like that maybe those micro influencers and doing an event or something that's
• 9:10
  SPEAKER_00: different might have actual more influence than the gal that has,
• 9:14
  SPEAKER_00: you know,
• 9:15
  SPEAKER_00: 50,000 followers and hold something up and her pretty smile,
• 9:21
  SPEAKER_00: just for lack of a better way of saying that.
• 9:23
  SPEAKER_00: But do you know what I'm saying?
• 9:24
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, we're all become very savvy.
• 9:27
  SPEAKER_01: I think we're very now we look at anyone who posts on.
• 9:30
  SPEAKER_01: And again, it's not it's not putting anyone down, but we do look at that.
• 9:33
  SPEAKER_01: I think we're all skeptical or we know now they're getting paid to say that that's
• 9:37
  SPEAKER_01: not you know,
• 9:37
  SPEAKER_01: it doesn't feel authentic anymore.
• 9:40
  SPEAKER_01: And I think,
• 9:40
  SPEAKER_01: too,
• 9:41
  SPEAKER_01: I think you're right in where the real influences and I will say influence in as it
• 9:45
  SPEAKER_01: relates to purchase for us.
• 9:47
  SPEAKER_01: has been in-store tastings, has been local media.
• 9:53
  SPEAKER_01: So partners like you,
• 9:54
  SPEAKER_01: and whenever we get the opportunity to be on local media or do an interview,
• 10:01
  SPEAKER_01: we see a direct correlation between that and sales.
• 10:05
  SPEAKER_01: Events are also different.
• 10:08
  SPEAKER_01: critical for us.
• 10:09
  SPEAKER_01: Not only,
• 10:10
  SPEAKER_01: and obviously you're in front of the consumer,
• 10:11
  SPEAKER_01: but people,
• 10:12
  SPEAKER_01: word of mouth,
• 10:12
  SPEAKER_01: like,
• 10:13
  SPEAKER_01: oh,
• 10:13
  SPEAKER_01: I saw someone,
• 10:14
  SPEAKER_01: they just told me to come down here.
• 10:15
  SPEAKER_01: Like these are really powerful tools that,
• 10:17
  SPEAKER_01: you know,
• 10:18
  SPEAKER_01: maybe to a sophisticated digital marketer,
• 10:21
  SPEAKER_01: like they may seem outdated,
• 10:22
  SPEAKER_01: but they're tried and true.
• 10:23
  SPEAKER_01: And for us right now, they work.
• 10:25
  SPEAKER_00: Well,
• 10:26
  SPEAKER_00: and you and I kind of,
• 10:27
  SPEAKER_00: I mean,
• 10:28
  SPEAKER_00: originally,
• 10:28
  SPEAKER_00: I think we met just through the cocktails and packaged goods and Minnesota makers.
• 10:33
  SPEAKER_00: But then you come to the Stone Arch Festival, you come to a lot of these festivals that I program.
• 10:40
  SPEAKER_00: And I try to explain to these packaged good culinary folks,
• 10:44
  SPEAKER_00: and a lot of them are local and many Minnesota or Midwest made.
• 10:49
  SPEAKER_00: You look at those events as an opportunity to sample, to trial and create brand awareness.
• 10:55
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, selling your product there is awesome.
• 10:58
  SPEAKER_00: And if you can get a return on your investment, that's great.
• 11:01
  SPEAKER_00: That's what everybody strives for.
• 11:03
  SPEAKER_00: But that it's also a big marketing opportunity to get in front of so many people.
• 11:08
  SPEAKER_00: And we see a lot of people.
• 11:10
  SPEAKER_00: that come to these events with their packages or their items and they don't sample.
• 11:14
  SPEAKER_00: I'm like, oh, wow.
• 11:16
  SPEAKER_00: You know, that is like you need to sample.
• 11:19
  SPEAKER_00: Well, we just don't want to give product away to the looky loos.
• 11:22
  SPEAKER_00: It's like, well, those looky loos are also purchasers.
• 11:25
  SPEAKER_00: You have to see them as the consumer that they are,
• 11:29
  SPEAKER_00: even though they're standing there with holding their kid's hand who's eating a
• 11:31
  SPEAKER_00: sweaty popsicle and holding a beer.
• 11:34
  SPEAKER_00: They still shop, too.
• 11:36
  SPEAKER_01: That's, that's, that's exactly it.
• 11:38
  SPEAKER_01: And a lot of these events,
• 11:39
  SPEAKER_01: you know,
• 11:40
  SPEAKER_01: one,
• 11:40
  SPEAKER_01: I will tell you,
• 11:41
  SPEAKER_01: like,
• 11:41
  SPEAKER_01: because we have,
• 11:42
  SPEAKER_01: you know,
• 11:42
  SPEAKER_01: seven,
• 11:43
  SPEAKER_01: eight different flavors.
• 11:44
  SPEAKER_01: I love when people are like, can I try one of each one?
• 11:46
  SPEAKER_01: I'm like, please.
• 11:47
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, because then like, I'm going to upsell you on my bundle package.
• 11:50
  SPEAKER_01: No,
• 11:50
  SPEAKER_01: but I do think to let some of these events,
• 11:53
  SPEAKER_01: you know,
• 11:53
  SPEAKER_01: we'll hear well,
• 11:55
  SPEAKER_01: you know,
• 11:55
  SPEAKER_01: I don't want to carry around glass right now.
• 11:56
  SPEAKER_01: Do you have a card I can take with you?
• 11:58
  SPEAKER_01: Like, where can I find you?
• 12:00
  SPEAKER_01: And I really do believe that these people,
• 12:02
  SPEAKER_01: they're taking a picture of our booth or they're taking our card.
• 12:05
  SPEAKER_01: It was a great interaction.
• 12:06
  SPEAKER_01: They may not buy us now, but I think we're top of mind.
• 12:08
  SPEAKER_01: And when they see us, you know, on shelf at France 44, like hopefully that's when they purchase.
• 12:13
  SPEAKER_01: So.
• 12:14
  SPEAKER_00: I was thinking about you guys recently because it seems natural with the launch of
• 12:19
  SPEAKER_00: the Spritz line that you might consider canned cocktails down the road.
• 12:24
  SPEAKER_00: Is that something you're thinking about?
• 12:26
  SPEAKER_00: Or I was even thinking about we're seeing now like Tattersall just launched a bunch of cocktails in a
• 12:33
  SPEAKER_00: I call it a slap bag for lack of a better term.
• 12:36
  SPEAKER_00: It just is the party girl in me.
• 12:37
  SPEAKER_00: But the sort of canned you miss the can, you miss the bottle.
• 12:42
  SPEAKER_00: And it's just in this plastic thing that has a handle that you can carry around.
• 12:46
  SPEAKER_00: You can put it on the boat.
• 12:48
  SPEAKER_00: Are any of those packaging options something you guys might look at down the road
• 12:52
  SPEAKER_00: or getting into the full canned cocktail?
• 12:55
  SPEAKER_01: I think so.
• 12:55
  SPEAKER_01: I think packaging for sure.
• 12:58
  SPEAKER_01: You look at other brands, mixer brands like Filthy and right there in that bag.
• 13:04
  SPEAKER_01: And it's really great for if you think about expansion into on-premise and airlines.
• 13:09
  SPEAKER_01: So I think for sure packaging we would look at.
• 13:14
  SPEAKER_01: In terms of ready-to-drink cocktails in a can,
• 13:16
  SPEAKER_01: you know,
• 13:17
  SPEAKER_01: the market's so saturated right now that I could see it maybe one day we've scaled
• 13:23
  SPEAKER_01: and we're in thousands of doors,
• 13:25
  SPEAKER_01: you know,
• 13:25
  SPEAKER_01: retailers nationwide,
• 13:26
  SPEAKER_01: and people want to see that from Mixley.
• 13:29
  SPEAKER_01: But at this point, I think it would just be too expensive to try to stand out in the noise, but...
• 13:34
  SPEAKER_01: I think that's really smart.
• 13:36
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I think that's really smart, actually.
• 13:38
  SPEAKER_00: And also, there is so many cool packaging options.
• 13:41
  SPEAKER_00: Like if you think of the Capri Sun size,
• 13:43
  SPEAKER_00: or even if you think of the small canned,
• 13:47
  SPEAKER_00: not cans,
• 13:48
  SPEAKER_00: box,
• 13:49
  SPEAKER_00: small box like wine,
• 13:50
  SPEAKER_00: I could just see that being a cool packaging idea for you.
• 13:54
  SPEAKER_00: And also one of the things I love is you do have this rainbow box.
• 13:57
  SPEAKER_00: sort of branding and when you put all of the line together in a packaging item it
• 14:03
  SPEAKER_00: really feels like you're getting a lot i think you have the is it 45 for your do
• 14:09
  SPEAKER_00: you call it your pride package
• 14:11
  SPEAKER_01: Rainbow package.
• 14:11
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 14:12
  SPEAKER_01: We'll call it pride.
• 14:13
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 14:14
  SPEAKER_00: And I always think of it as pride because I have a key daughter.
• 14:17
  SPEAKER_00: So when I hear rainbow, like, okay, right away.
• 14:21
  SPEAKER_00: I thought that was a really clever way to market that because it gave you an
• 14:24
  SPEAKER_00: opportunity to try all of them.
• 14:26
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 14:27
  SPEAKER_00: So the jury's probably still out because the spritz line is new, but so far, are you having fun with it?
• 14:34
  SPEAKER_00: Does it feel like it was a good risk to take?
• 14:38
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, we are.
• 14:38
  SPEAKER_01: We're having fun with it.
• 14:39
  SPEAKER_01: We already flew through our first batch, like what we produce.
• 14:43
  SPEAKER_01: So that's great.
• 14:45
  SPEAKER_01: So we're on track to like what we projected it to do for us, which is awesome.
• 14:50
  SPEAKER_01: And we launched it primarily as, you know, an event in kind of online product.
• 14:55
  SPEAKER_01: We are in some booth and some shelves here in the Twin Cities,
• 14:59
  SPEAKER_01: but we just wanted to kind of see again,
• 15:01
  SPEAKER_01: like,
• 15:01
  SPEAKER_01: how can we do this as a test?
• 15:04
  SPEAKER_01: And do a smaller kind of more, you know, smaller launch.
• 15:07
  SPEAKER_01: And then we'll see from there if it sticks with us for the long term.
• 15:10
  SPEAKER_00: I do love the idea of being able to have that on an airline as you're going on a trip.
• 15:18
  SPEAKER_00: Like I know Sun Country has had a good relationship with Crooked Water Spirits and
• 15:22
  SPEAKER_00: our friend Heather Manley.
• 15:24
  SPEAKER_00: But like I could see a spritzy kind of version of that and really covering all
• 15:29
  SPEAKER_00: those warm weather destinations.
• 15:32
  SPEAKER_00: And that would be so fun, wouldn't it?
• 15:34
  SPEAKER_01: Yes.
• 15:35
  SPEAKER_01: From your lips to God's ears.
• 15:36
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 15:38
  SPEAKER_01: No, I agree.
• 15:39
  SPEAKER_01: And that's certainly I think we know we can produce in four ounce bottles.
• 15:44
  SPEAKER_01: We have that capability.
• 15:45
  SPEAKER_01: And so obviously glass isn't ideal for airlines.
• 15:48
  SPEAKER_01: So back to your, you know, the packaging conversation.
• 15:51
  SPEAKER_01: That's something that we're looking at.
• 15:53
  SPEAKER_01: And how do we how do we break into that market?
• 15:55
  SPEAKER_01: Because I agree.
• 15:56
  SPEAKER_01: I think we've all been.
• 15:58
  SPEAKER_01: you know, on a plane and wanting a good cocktail and your mixers are pretty limited.
• 16:02
  SPEAKER_01: It's, you know, a Coke, a Sprite, whatever they got or a Bloody Mary, you know, a Bloody Mary, but yeah.
• 16:08
  SPEAKER_00: All right.
• 16:08
  SPEAKER_00: So if anybody's listening, cause we have a lot of fans, the Sun Country route, that would be great.
• 16:13
  SPEAKER_00: And you could mix it with they like to support local female driven companies.
• 16:18
  SPEAKER_00: So that's exciting.
• 16:19
  SPEAKER_00: So talk about you mentioned one of the spritzes is sort of an elderflower profile.
• 16:24
  SPEAKER_00: What's the other one?
• 16:25
  SPEAKER_00: It's orange, right?
• 16:26
  SPEAKER_01: Bitter orange cherry.
• 16:28
  SPEAKER_01: So that's really, you know, reminiscent of Aperol spritz.
• 16:32
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so yeah, it's, uh, it's again, it's other, it's another well-balanced, uh, mixer.
• 16:38
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and it really is just like this delightful summer zipper and you can mix it.
• 16:44
  SPEAKER_01: You don't need to add sparkling wine.
• 16:46
  SPEAKER_01: You can just add, you know, soda water and it still works.
• 16:49
  SPEAKER_01: So, yeah.
• 16:50
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 16:50
  SPEAKER_00: So let me ask you, um,
• 16:52
  SPEAKER_00: Are there any products or like packaged goods that you're using or seeing lately
• 16:58
  SPEAKER_00: that you're just like,
• 16:59
  SPEAKER_00: and doesn't necessarily have to be food,
• 17:01
  SPEAKER_00: that you're like,
• 17:01
  SPEAKER_00: oh,
• 17:02
  SPEAKER_00: I just love this product.
• 17:03
  SPEAKER_00: It's so clever.
• 17:03
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 17:09
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, the olive oil, the, the, the green bottle.
• 17:14
  SPEAKER_01: Yes.
• 17:15
  SPEAKER_00: Yes.
• 17:16
  SPEAKER_01: Grazi, is it called?
• 17:18
  SPEAKER_01: Yes.
• 17:19
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, the branding, the packaging, the storytelling of the Spanish olive oil, it actually tastes good.
• 17:27
  SPEAKER_01: Like it is, I'm obsessed.
• 17:29
  SPEAKER_01: And that's another one too,
• 17:30
  SPEAKER_01: where I thought once I saw it,
• 17:32
  SPEAKER_01: I go,
• 17:32
  SPEAKER_01: yes,
• 17:33
  SPEAKER_01: another category that has really yet to evolve and more in packaging,
• 17:38
  SPEAKER_01: right?
• 17:38
  SPEAKER_01: Like
• 17:38
  SPEAKER_01: I'm sure all you know the olive oil is and not all pretty equal but just in terms
• 17:43
  SPEAKER_00: of the design I was like this is so exciting and it feels super fresh and like you
• 17:50
  SPEAKER_00: have to try it yeah because everybody buys olive oil but there is something about
• 17:54
  SPEAKER_00: that product and I actually haven't purchased it yet because I'm like the person
• 17:58
  SPEAKER_00: who would be like oh that's just a marketing gimmick you can you
• 18:01
  SPEAKER_00: Because I'm just like, cause I'm cooking all the time, but I do think it's super clever.
• 18:06
  SPEAKER_00: And also when we look at,
• 18:08
  SPEAKER_00: you know,
• 18:09
  SPEAKER_00: who's coming back into the kitchen and learning to cook,
• 18:12
  SPEAKER_00: it's a lot of millennials and date nights and kind of,
• 18:15
  SPEAKER_00: there's a more fun factor.
• 18:17
  SPEAKER_00: And I think that olive oil has hit that right on the head.
• 18:20
  SPEAKER_00: So that's a really good one.
• 18:20
  SPEAKER_00: I hadn't thought about that before.
• 18:23
  SPEAKER_00: In town,
• 18:24
  SPEAKER_00: are you like,
• 18:25
  SPEAKER_00: are you doing anything fun or do you have any restaurants that you love or what do
• 18:28
  SPEAKER_00: you do for fun?
• 18:30
  SPEAKER_01: Oh my, well, um, we, you know, I will say this for fun.
• 18:35
  SPEAKER_01: I've got kiddos.
• 18:36
  SPEAKER_01: So we're a Minnetonka Maynards is like our standard.
• 18:39
  SPEAKER_01: So if anyone from Maynards is listening, I've been trying to get like Mixley on the menu.
• 18:43
  SPEAKER_01: I'm like,
• 18:43
  SPEAKER_01: I would love to enjoy my own mixer while I'm out here,
• 18:46
  SPEAKER_01: but I feel like it just feels like that's the summer place out my way,
• 18:50
  SPEAKER_01: but I did just eat at Starling.
• 18:51
  SPEAKER_01: Um, did you love it?
• 18:53
  SPEAKER_01: I loved it.
• 18:55
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, the food was great and the cocktails were fabulous.
• 18:58
  SPEAKER_01: What was so interesting is they had some like cranberry Red Bull based cocktails, which I have not had.
• 19:07
  SPEAKER_01: Talk about party days, vodka Red Bulls.
• 19:10
  SPEAKER_01: It's been a minute since I've had that.
• 19:13
  SPEAKER_01: But anyway, it was on their cocktail list and surprisingly, it was really, really quite delicious.
• 19:18
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, I might have to check that out because it sounds a little weird.
• 19:21
  SPEAKER_01: I'm like, okay, Red Bull, all right.
• 19:24
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, right.
• 19:24
  SPEAKER_01: I know on this beautiful elevated space, we have Red Bull on the menu.
• 19:28
  SPEAKER_01: I have to try it.
• 19:29
  SPEAKER_01: So yeah.
• 19:30
  SPEAKER_00: I still feel like whenever we get something on the like west of St.
• 19:36
  SPEAKER_00: Louis Park, I live in Golden Valley.
• 19:38
  SPEAKER_00: So, you know, we're still building out kind of the scene on the west side.
• 19:43
  SPEAKER_00: And there's always been a good kind of late culture party scene.
• 19:46
  SPEAKER_00: But
• 19:47
  SPEAKER_00: And maybe like we don't maybe it's not even fine dining,
• 19:51
  SPEAKER_00: but just getting something that's a step above the chains feels so welcome and so
• 19:57
  SPEAKER_00: right on right now.
• 19:58
  SPEAKER_01: Absolutely.
• 19:59
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 20:00
  SPEAKER_01: Like I mean,
• 20:01
  SPEAKER_01: so even like an Excelsior ley line,
• 20:03
  SPEAKER_01: that's just been such a really nice addition to the Excelsior food scene.
• 20:08
  SPEAKER_00: You know, Ivy and Hopkins is another one.
• 20:11
  SPEAKER_01: Pink Ivy and Hopkins.
• 20:12
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 20:13
  SPEAKER_01: Fabulous.
• 20:14
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 20:15
  SPEAKER_01: Amazing cocktails.
• 20:16
  SPEAKER_01: And I will say too, excellent food and the value for what you get there is incredible.
• 20:20
  SPEAKER_01: I love that space.
• 20:21
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 20:21
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I do too.
• 20:22
  SPEAKER_00: It's fun to see.
• 20:23
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm excited for the new grocer's table sister restaurant next door.
• 20:30
  SPEAKER_00: I think that'll be fun.
• 20:31
  SPEAKER_00: And
• 20:33
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, no, same.
• 20:34
  SPEAKER_01: That's it.
• 20:35
  SPEAKER_01: And I just can't believe like, I'm so excited.
• 20:37
  SPEAKER_01: You know, Lindsay has done so well with Grocer's Table.
• 20:40
  SPEAKER_01: I'm excited for her to expand.
• 20:41
  SPEAKER_01: Every time I go in that place, it is just buzzing.
• 20:43
  SPEAKER_01: So I'm sure she's going to do a great job.
• 20:45
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, with the dinner concept.
• 20:47
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I think so too.
• 20:48
  SPEAKER_00: Well, it's been super fun to catch up with you.
• 20:50
  SPEAKER_00: I just,
• 20:51
  SPEAKER_00: I saw the Spritz and I thought,
• 20:52
  SPEAKER_00: oh,
• 20:52
  SPEAKER_00: I can't wait to talk to her about,
• 20:54
  SPEAKER_00: about them and why she did it the way she did it and what her thinking is.
• 20:57
  SPEAKER_00: And I knew you'd have some really insightful thoughts about it.
• 21:01
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm excited to try it too.
• 21:03
  SPEAKER_00: I haven't tried it yet, but I promise I will.
• 21:05
  SPEAKER_01: Okay.
• 21:06
  SPEAKER_01: Well, I think I can hook you up if you need it.
• 21:08
  SPEAKER_00: I'm going to see you guys soon.
• 21:10
  SPEAKER_01: So, all right.
• 21:11
  SPEAKER_01: Well, thank you, Stephanie.
• 21:11
  SPEAKER_01: I appreciate it.
• 21:12
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it's always fun to have you on.
• 21:13
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks so much.
• 21:14
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, likewise.
• 21:15
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, bye-bye.
• 21:15
  SPEAKER_00: Bye.