Can't be bothered to mix a cocktail yourself?
Or are you too poor to ask a bartender to make one for you?
Then squeezable pre-mixed alcohol pouches are for you!
The new trend in booze-you-can-use is pouches — soft, squeezable packets normally associated with children's snacks — serving pre-mixed cocktails. Ad Age reports:
Sales of alcohol pouches jumped 153% to $154 million in the year ending June 23, according to Nielsen.
Smirnoff, Arbor Mist, and Parrot Bay are among the cocktail brands which have pouches on offer. Arbor Mist has positioned its pouch as an easy way to make frozen cocktails—just store it in the fridge, squeeze it out, and you're done. No blender or fruit needed.
Arbor Mist launched its line in Walmart (in Merlot Blackberry, Pinot Grigio White Pear and White Zinfandel Strawberry flavors), and already a booze brand Class War has begun: A spokesman for Brown Forman (owns Jack Daniels) said the company had no plans to join the fad.
Of course, the packs do carry the stigma of being invented by food marketers to feed babies. But consumers are not expected to punch the tops with a little straw, like a juice pack. They open with a cap on the top because they're designed for pouring out, not sipping directly from the pouch like a toddler.
Unsurprisingly, people are already figuring out ways around that. This blogger notes, "there’s nothing stopping you from popping one in yourself (except maybe your date of birth, but hey, that’s what Bigs and RAs are for). So just grab a few, freeze them overnight and get yo’ illegal classroom-drank on the next day—all without ever using a blender or fake ID."
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