Spilling the Tee on the New Caddy Pack

Moose Coons and Andrew Fulton have been in the beverage business for a long time. Even before they launched Rocky Mountain Soda Co. in 2008, the men became steeped in mixers when they worked for Peach Street Distillers in Palisade. As Peach Street Distillers, however, Coons wanted a little more control over what went into products, aiming for what he called “fun beverages with ingredients you can pronounce.” He and Fulton brought that same mantra to the bevy of boozy beverages made by their new distilled spirits production company, Lifted Libations. Now four of their naturally flavored canned cocktails can be purchased in a mixed twelve-pack, aptly titled the Caddy Pack.

The two are big skiers, riders and golfers, and Coons says they wanted to "stick to what we're passionate about" when they came out with a pack to add to the current array of mixed packs on the market. For starters, they wanted their boxed booze to be fun. Despite its geriatrics-in-argyles legacy, golf has enjoyed a substantial increase in popularity over the past few years, especially among women and millennials. After all, what could be more fun than an all-day group activity during which you can drive tiny cars helter-skelter across well-maintained greenery while enjoying cocktails? And so the Caddy Pack was born.

Second, they wanted their mixed drinks to be inclusive. You may think that booze labels sporting such claims as “All Natural, Non-GMO, Gluten-Free, Kosher and Vegan” are obvious and unnecessary. But as it turns out, the average canned cocktail is likely to contain one or more of the following: gluten (in the form of fermented grains), GMOs (in the form of beet-derived sugars), cow bones (used as a bleaching agent) and sodium benzoate (a preservative). You won't find any of those ingredients in Lifted Libation cans; instead, the focus is on all-natural flavors. "If it says lime, there’s a lime in there,” Coons explains. The company also keeps its product environmentally friendly, opting for a BPA-free can with an easily removable label. (PSA: Typical sticker labels make cans non-recyclable.)

Each of the four cocktail flavors in the Caddy Pack starts with a base of organic vodka and clocks in at about 5 percent alcohol and 160 to 200 calories (less than your average canned cocktail), which makes them perfect for steady afternoon sipping. One of the highlights is Tee Time, a Lifted Libations bestseller that's the company's  take on an Arnold Palmer, with a seltzer kick, Teatulia’s organic black tea and an understated, not-too-sweet lemonade. The pack also includes the new Swing Juice cocktail, which is shocking in its ability to mimic Hawaiian Punch. The Moscow Mule offers an “extra spicy” ginger kick, while the Lifted Lemonade is so drinkable, you could probably do the entire front nine with one in hand.

Even in the flood of choices now filling the canned cocktail market, you don’t have to be wearing argyle to appreciate the attention that Lifted Libations has given its product — and the Caddy Pack would taste just as good poolside this summer as it does on the green.

The Lifted Libations Caddy Pack can be found at all major liquor stores statewide and at several golf courses. And remember, peel those labels before recycling your cans.