Amanda Ellis
I took my first sip of Double Cola’s new BREWSKI Citrus Shandy by the pool, on my first pool day of the summer. It was blistering hot outside, yet too cold in the pool – and the perfect day to try a new summer drink.
The Caribbean blue can practically screams summer and fit right in alongside my colorful beach towel and pool bag.
The taste, at first, wasn’t what I expected. Pretty sweet. But as someone who doesn’t love the taste of beer in general, I liked it more and more after a few sips. Light, easy drinking for a summer day.
I’m not alone in my assessment that it drinks like a soda.
“There isn’t another product out there that contains our unique SKI Citrus Soda. Combining a light and crisp Kölsch-style ale with SKI creates a uniquely refreshing product that appeals to varying palates,” says Gina Dhanani, Chief Operating Officer at the Double Cola Company. “One of my favorite common bits of feedback we’ve received has actually come from people who don’t identify as beer drinkers. This consumer group tends to prefer cocktails or wines, but when they taste BREWSKI, they usually respond with something along the lines of ‘Ooh, now that’s good!’”
Cheers Beverages, a subsidiary of The Double Cola Company, introduced this revamped adult beverage last week. First unveiled in 2019 as a classic pilsner, and ultimately complemented by an American pale ale selection and an infused ale product, this new drink represents a radical, and flavorful, departure from Double Cola’s inaugural adult beverage lineup.
“This is our best adult beverage yet. The shandy-styled Brewski is light, refreshing, and jam-packed with the citrus flavor our Ski drinkers love,” Dhanani says. “When we initially decided to enter the adult beverage space, we did so with a more traditional line of drinks. Though those products were great-tasting, we realized that our most dedicated customers would prefer alcoholic beverages that include the hallmark flavors they’ve grown accustomed to with us, especially our ever-popular SKI Citrus Soda.”
A shandy is a beer mixed with a nonalcoholic drink, typically one with a notable citrusy palate. In the case of BREWSKI, the Double Cola Company blended a Kölsch-style beer with the sweet, tangy taste of the celebrated SKI Citrus Soda.
The process of product development took about three months.
“With many types of beer and varying ratios of SKI to beer, we worked hard and drank lots of SKI + beer combos until we found what we believed our SKI fans wanted,” Dhanani says. “We tweaked the product literally up until the minute the product left the tanks and was put into cans.”
Double Cola in-house designer Brianna Litchfield designed BREWSKI’s packaging to pay homage to both SKI Citrus Soda and Chattanooga – the “SKI lady” pictured on the can was inspired by weekend fun on Lake Chickamauga.
BREWSKI is produced in North Georgia, with plans to open a brewing operation in Chattanooga to supplement Double Cola’s sales, marketing and administrative functions already based here.
The new BREWSKI will be introduced to Double Cola markets in a staggered rollout throughout 2021, and will soon be followed by the unveiling of additional adult beverages from the 99-year-old Double Cola brand.
How does a company stay relevant at 99? Being attentive to beverage preferences based on location, demographics and a long list of other variables, Dhanani says.
“In general, we’ve seen a recent shift toward ‘better-for-you’ beverages,” she says. “That said, it doesn’t stop people from wanting to enjoy a sweet treat, such as a soda. Soda sales have declined over the last decade overall, but we have been fortunate to enjoy continued growth due to unique products, loyal consumers and the fact that since we’re a smaller organization the market isn’t fully saturated with our products. So, when we expand into new areas, our beverage lineup is eye-catching.”
Double Cola’s expanded product offerings have included coconut waters, energy drinks and now the new BREWSKI, with additional lines in the works to continue to meet ever-changing taste preferences.
Stay up to date at brewskibeers.com/.
