Revolution Experiment, parent company of local liquor brand Karate Cowboy, is debuting a new line of all-natural non-alcoholic cocktail mixers under the label Simple Times Mixers.
“We learned from Karate Cowboy how important good mixers are in promoting a brand,” said Revolution Experiment CEO Mark Tinus. “You can make the best spirit in any category but if you’re going to end up throwing it in crappy mixers your product is going to be dragged down. Too many times the liquor takes the rap for a bad cocktail.”
Tinus says the three flavors in the launch lineup — strawberry lemonade, blueberry sweet tea, and pineapple mule — will each work well when mixed with a variety of different spirits.
“People want versatile products that they can put vodka or bourbon or whatever spirit in, versus needing a mixer for every type of alcohol,” said Tinus.
Currently packaging runs produce around 35-50 bottles, but Tinus is interested in scaling up manufacturing either in-house or by contact manufacturing, in the same ilk that Karate Cowboy is produced through Middle West Spirits.
“We’d have to scale it up in the right manufacturing way and not cut corners by bringing in artificial anything, which I think is the flaw of many of the mixer brands that grew really fast,” said Tinus. “We’ll grow slow if we have to to get the right product but we’re not going to start throwing in added flavors just to increase capacity.”
In addition to expanding production, Tinus has plans to add additional products to the portfolio including seasonal mixers, with 10-12 different mixers as a target.
“Most of the flavors we’re trying to do are unique flavors that you can’t otherwise get in market, so you’re probably not going to see us do a margarita mix because there are plenty of them out there,” said Tinus.
Simple Times Mixers use all natural ingredients and are pureed and pasteurized at 1400 Food Labs (formerly The Commissary). 32oz bottles, which produce 8-10 cocktails, retail for $12.
Tinus is working to get FDA approval to make Simple Times Mixers a shelf stable product, a certification he hopes to have by November and which will allow Simple Times Mixers to be sold at retailers. In the interim, you can pick up a bottle at the Pickerington Fall Farmers Market or Made Local Marketplace, or contact the company on social media to purchase in advance of the retail launch later this year.
