It’s a bit of a new twist for me, but as mybeerbuzz.com expands it’s coverage to include seltzers, meads, ciders and spirits, I’ve been lucky enough lately to try some new beverages and I’m finding them to be really good. Today I’ll be sampling a canned cocktail that is Bourbon and cola-based and it has some really interesting origins.
The producer is called Black Yeti Beverage and the cocktail itself is called Grisly's Cosmic Black. Founded by Eric Trueheart and Samantha Franklin in 2020, I think you’ll find that their background makes for some interesting and enjoyable beverages as well as some entertaining marketing (see their Instagram account here). Here are the full details from Black Yeti:
Locked down during COVID with nothing but their love of cocktails to sustain them, Eric Trueheart and Samantha Franklin started experimenting in their kitchen, then made the leap to pursuing their pandemic passion project: developing their own canned cocktails. Now, they're finally realizing their dream: "to create a business that could make people happy."
Trueheart, a former writer for cult classic Nickelodeon cartoon "Invader Zim," and Franklin, once a rock star who played the Vans Warped Tour with her band The Holograms, faced a few obstacles, including the pandemic-created aluminum can shortage. But the couple persevered, and now their company, Black Yeti Beverage, is partnering with Orange County distiller Surf City Still Works to start bottling their locally made cola/bourbon ready-to-drink beverage, called "Grisly's Cosmic Black," just in time for the return of summer party season. The couple started bottling the first batch of their locally sourced drinks June 17 at Surf City (a spot with great factory visuals).
"We're really approaching this from an elevated cola perspective. A lot of people are trying to recreate the $18 bar cocktail experience in a can, but we knew the can is part of the experience of a 'canned cocktail.' It's welcoming and friendly and delicious. We embraced the can."
I’m no expert (yet) with canned cocktails. but I think this Grisly's Cosmic Black is a great place to start. On the surface, this may look like a classic Bourbon & Cola cocktail, but I promise you it’s much more. First off, this is “gourmet cola” so the base flavor is rich and satisfying and much more flavorful than a standard cola. The cola is sweet and slightly spicy and it serves as a really nice balance beverage for the Bourbon to follow. The bourbon used in this cocktail is 2-year high-rye Bourbon and it definitely sneaks in later in your first few sips. The resulting blend is really enjoyable and it is loaded with complex flavor combinations in both the cola and Bourbon. I should mention that this cocktail has zero added sugar and only 120 calories in each 12oz can….or as Black Yeti puts it, “no one should waste their work-out on a beverage, that is what pie is for.”
Overall I found Grisly's Cosmic Black to be a really enjoyable ready-to-drink cocktail in a can. The gourmet cola really makes for a unique and flavorful experience and the balance between sweet and boozy Bourbon is spot on.
Get out there and try Grisly's Cosmic Black for yourself, and when you do try it, be sure to let us know what YOU think.
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