Uptown Wine Cocktails Voted Product of the Year 2021

CARROLLTON, Texas, Feb. 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- BuzzBallz, LLC/Southern Champion subsidiary, Uptown Wine Cocktails, a premium, shareable, ready-to-drink cocktail, has been named Product of the Year for 2021. Product of the Year is the largest consumer-voted award for product innovation, chosen by 40,000 American shoppers in a national survey conducted by Kantar, a global leader in consumer research. Uptown Wine Cocktails has been awarded the top honors as the most innovative product in Spiked Beverages.

This is a hallmark accomplishment, a true testament to the brand's devotion to quality, as this award was acquired less than a year after its launch. In April 2020, the brand launched with six flavors -- Mango Margarita, Strawberry Margarita, Margarita, Lemon Tea, Ruby Red Grapefruit and Chocolatini -- with limited distribution. Within months, the brand saw rapid popularity, gaining increased distribution across the country in a short period of time.

Many on the BuzzBallz, LLC/Southern Champion team, the parent company of Uptown Cocktails, credit the rapid growth to the high shelf appeal of the frosted bottle and colorful label, beautifully highlighting the flavor notes of each cocktail. They also agree that the use of premium, natural ingredients (juices or creams) in each cocktail, along with the omission of high-fructose corn syrup, ensures Uptown Wine Cocktails deliver on value and craft cocktail flavor; each is 13.9 percent ABV in a 1.75-liter bottle.

To hear the executive team discuss the brand, though the value is evident, to launch during the pandemic and still be met with such excitement and demand from both retailers and consumers is an accomplishment in itself.  

Consumer shopping behavior has rapidly shifted in the past year, and the annual Product of the Year Awards provides a trusted resource to easily guide consumers to the best new products on the market. With heightened online purchasing and decreased sampling opportunities, Product of the Year helps shoppers quickly cut through the clutter to save time and money with their distinctive red seal. 

"For all the obvious reasons, shoppers are spending less time in the supermarket than ever, but still crave new and innovative products to light up these difficult times. Because of this, we are more excited than ever to announce the 2021 Product of the Year winners and help shoppers find that 'great new product' when it matters most, however they do their shopping this year," said Mike Nolan, Global CEO of Product of the Year Management. "What makes Product of the Year so trusted is our unique process, which gives shoppers the confidence that each product with our iconic red logo is backed by 40,000 Americans. That's a powerful advantage for our 2021 winners, as a Product of the Year Award positions them as THE innovative leader in their category."

For over 30 years globally and 13 years in the USA, Product of the Year has championed brands by awarding their highly-coveted red seal to products that demonstrate innovation in their function, design, packaging, or ingredients. This year's winning products reflect the trends and categories that everyday shoppers care about most as they spend more time at home.

"It's such an honor to have Uptown Wine Cocktails recognized as a 2021 Product of the Year Award winner for the Spiked Beverage," said Tracy Frisbie, vice president of marketing for BuzzBallz, LLC/Southern Champion. "In a heavily saturated market, we're thrilled to have earned the distinctive Product of the Year seal that's backed by the votes of over 40,000 everyday consumers. We're grateful to have such an influential tool that we can leverage in our marketing efforts to help guide shoppers to our new innovation that's topping the category."

The 41 winners of the 2021 Product of the Year Awards were celebrated in a Virtual Awards Show, presented by Saturday Day Night Live alumni Rachel Dratch and Ana Gasteyer, on DailyMail.com. As additional resources, the 2021 Product of the Year winners are also highlighted in partnership with Hearst, including WomansDay.com, a leading online lifestyle destination, and Ensemble IQ, a premier business intelligence resource with revered publications, including Progressive Grocer, Store Brands, Drug Store News, Convenience Store News and CBD Retail Insights.

For further information about the 2021 Product of the Year winners, visit productoftheyearusa.com and check out this year's digital winner's catalog, "Inside Innovation," to learn more. Follow along socially on Instagram and Facebook @uptowncocktails and at #POYUSA2021 on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

About BuzzBallz, LLC/Southern Champion

BuzzBallz, LLC/Southern Champion is a woman-owned and family-operated Texas distillery, winery and brewery founded in 2009 as the result of Merrilee Kick's master's degree thesis project. In a little more than 10 years, BuzzBallz, LLC/Southern Champion has greatly expanded its product base and begun to grow into a worldwide brand. As the only combined distillery, winery and brewery in the US that is woman owned, this company has gained significant recognition, boasting distribution nationwide, several countries abroad and growing. The company maintains a fun brand message as they create high-quality, premixed cocktails, as well as small-batch spirits. Learn more at: http://www.southern-champion.com/ , www.uptowncocktails.com and www.buzzballz.com.

Contact:

Kim Diggs, PR/Communications Manager

972-439-1879 ext. 134

[email protected] 

About Product of the Year:
Product of the Year is the largest consumer-voted award for product innovation. Established over 30 years ago, POY currently operates in over 40 countries with the same purpose: Guide consumers to the best products in their market and reward manufacturers for quality and innovation. Product of the Year winners are backed by the votes of 40,000 consumers in a national representative study conducted by research partner Kantar, a global leader in consumer research. The award is a powerful merchandising program for marketers proven to increase product sales, distribution and awareness. Winning products are announced in February each year and receive the right to use the Product of the Year logo in marketing communications for two years.  For more information, visit productoftheyearusa.com.

About Kantar:
Kantar is the world's leading marketing data, insight and consultancy company. We know more about how people live, feel, shop, vote, watch and post worldwide than any other company. Working across the entire sales and marketing lifecycle, we help brands uncover growth in an extraordinary world. Kantar is part of WPP and its services are employed by over half of the Fortune 500 companies in 100 countries.

SOURCE BuzzBallz, LLC/Southern Champion

Related Links

http://http://www.southern-champion.com