What an exciting week! Last night I officially launched The Tipsy Gypsy’s Tuesday night segment on Bar Side Jive! I am excited to bring y’all news and industry trends and dive into a whole different category of the booze world, covering beer and wine.
So let’s dig into last night’s episode!
Have you been a victim of the Claw? By that I mean have you had your first White Claw or a similar hard seltzer? This is a crazy trend that over the last year has increased in sales by 193% and is really coming up as the main competition for craft beers. Some off-premise (that’s liquor stores or groceries that sell alcohol) have claimed that for every 1 case of craft beer, 4 cases of spiked seltzers are being purchased in their stores.
But of course, there just can’t be one! Brands such as White Claw, Truly, Bon & Viv, and Henry’s have all been making huge marketing campaigns targeting the “healthy drinker”.
If you haven’t had a hard seltzer yet, think of a boozy version of a flavored sparkling water. These carbonated bad boys are 5% ABV, 100 calories and typically 2g or less of carbohydrates. They come in a variety of flavors from fruity to citrus to even some companies offer a plain version. On the show, guest Travis Austin said it best – “it’s this generation’s Zima.”
So what’s the best brand? I have a ton of friends who have their preferences so why not blind taste test DC on a flavor. So I took a popular flavor of Texas, grapefruit, and labeled cups “A” and “B” and one cup contained industry leaders Truly Grapefruit and another contained White Claw Grapefruit.
DC had never had a spiked seltzer so he was the perfect candidate! He ended up choosing cup “B” which was actually filled with White Claw’s Grapefruit. Let me know in the comments what brand you prefer because I know the debate continues.
Joining in on the fun and kicking off DC’s ART SIDE JIVE is Dallas local Travis Austin of Travis Austin Customs. I had the pleasure of being introduced to Travis’ signature wide brim Stetsons in Key West, Florida during the Mile 0 Fest. His passion is his custom leather jackets, but he has definitely become known for his signature headwear.
I highly recommend listening to his story to understand not only his brand, but following your creative passions. I absolutely love what his brand is doing for the local artist and music community and how he is giving back to artists to help them pursue their career. Not only is he taking over Dallas, but is currently expanded to Nashville and a Chicago brick and mortar is in the works. Make sure to check him out in the Dallas area if you are in the Oak Cliff Bishop Arts district.
After listening to Travis, we got a call from Little Big Town’s tribute band, Big Little Town. They are a local tribute band that really loves the 4-piece harmonizing sounds of Little Big Town. They have an incredible list of musicians and singers that have played with artists all over. You can find a schedule of their shows HERE.
My TOP SHELF EVENTS for you this week both happen Thursday July 18th.
TX Whiskey & Meat Church BBQ are having a Whiskey & BBQ Grilling Class in Fort Worth. Ticket cost is $65 for the evening of whiskey and BBQ.
If you love beer AND whiskey Oak & Eden has teamed up with Rahr Brewing for their Ale Series Launch Party tickets are $20 and includes two beer tastings, two whiskey tastings and food. Or $10 at the door gets you tastings and you can purchase food on site.
Make sure to tune in Thursday because we are celebrating National Daiquiri Day!
Remember you can always Watch or Listen to Bar Side Jive HERE! It airs live every Tuesday & Thursday at 7:30PM CST. You can also find any information on the show or about my host, DC, by checking him out HERE.
