Branded mixed drinks and alcoholic beverages have never been more titillating than they are right now in San Diego. Alcohol brands are flourishing with thrilling new flavors, exotic branding, and innovative up-versions of old favorites. From the craft beer boom to canned cocktails, let’s take a look at the proliferation of alcohol brands in San Diego.
The Surge of Boozy Bubbly Brands in San Diego
How did all this boozy branding hubbub get started in the first place? As with all things advertising and marketing, alcohol brands in the US strive to align with consumer mentality to win sales. In the case of San Diego, alcohol manufacturers have turned traditional branding and marketing on its head with the advent of new tastes and flavors coming to the market. There are also other contributing factors that have influenced the nouveau-alco scene. Let’s investigate exactly what has contributed to this recent proliferation of alcohol brands in San Diego.
Advances in Manufacturing Tech
In many ways, advanced technology could be considered the catalyst for colorful branding and creative advertising for alcoholic beverages. With advancements in canning and beverage manufacturing, samey-same brands like Coors or Corona are now able to add new flavors and styles of alcoholic bevvys such as hard seltzers, which have recently stormed market coolers around the nation. While national brands are now more free to expand consumer products (and their branding), San Diego has taken this liberation of libation to a whole new level.
San Diego and Capitalizing on the Local-Sustainable Slant
San Diego poses the “perfect storm” for the boom of boozy brands due to its fierce commitment to locally sourced ingredients and sustainability. Not only are these admirable ideals key selling points for both San Diego manufacturers and consumers, but the “homegrown” and sustainable movement in San Diego has also allowed for explosive creativity in terms of new tastes and new marketing.
Tapping Into San Diego’s Unique Consumer Market
San Diego has done exceptionally well at riding the wave of alcoholic beverage branding because it posits such an unconventional demographic than most cities in the U.S. San Diegans want (and we daresay deserve) something different. Local alco-bev purveyors have picked up on this and followed suit with extraordinary creativity in alcoholic beverage branding.
Different Types of Approaches to Alcohol Brands in San Diego
Whether it’s capturing the wellness brew market or tapping into the luxury beverage segment, San Diego brewers and alcoholic beverage crafters understand the unique demands of San Diego consumers, and you can see that passion in the proliferation of alcohol brands in San Diego. Here are a few examples of clever marketing of alcoholic beverages in San Diego:
Canned Cocktails
When you think of cocktails in a can, you can thank San Diego-based Cutwater for conjuring up tongue-teasing mixes like Whiskey Lemonade and Spicey Pineapple Margarita. Cutwater really started cutting into the alco-bev market with its unique branding styles and cocktail flavors in 2016. Other purveyors of delightfully decorated canned cocktails born in San Diego followed suit, including companies like You & Yours (known for the canned Blood Orange Gin & Tonic) and Melograno’s flight of four different canned cocktail flavors.
Craft Breweries
You might think of Portland when you think of craft beer, but San Diego is a champion in its own right for its craft breweries and cranking out exceptionally crafted brews. Take the North Park Beer Company, which has swept up multiple medals (including a gold) at the Great American Beer Festival for its English IPA. You might recognize North Park’s branding by Mr. Hoppy – a happy-go-lucky hops leaf – as part of their quirky (yet effective) marketing ploy. You might also be familiar with Coronado Brewing Company’s well-received mermaid logo, which has contributed to the beer’s impressive popularity in the San Diego County area.
Mocktails
Okay, so not technically an alcoholic beverage, mocktails and packaged mixers are becoming almost as popular as alcoholic consumer beverages. Take Snake Oil Co., based in San Diego, for example. They handcraft delightfully pleasing mixes coupled with sensational branding that make people gravitate toward their offerings. Simply add alcohol and go!
Conclusion
We hope this exposé on the proliferation of alcohol brands has opened your eyes to this industry that annually rakes in $1.2 billion for the San Diego region. And while this is such an exciting time to sample these libations, it can also lead to some potential hazards. With pretty packaging and clever brand designs, the temptation to try or overconsume these alcoholic beverages might be overwhelming for some. If you or a loved one is struggling with alcohol dependency, please seek professional alcohol treatment at one of the many treatment centers in Southern California today. That said, we should all tip our hats to the brilliant breweries and local distilleries for putting San Diego on the map with sensationally branded beverages!
