The Appletini

Here at WinMark we work across many different categories, but we have a special passion for the spirits business.  We’ve helped grow over 50 leading spirit brands, but there is one initiative of which we are particularly proud:  The birth of the Appletini.

The invention of this iconic cocktail was the result of our efforts to help our client, the liqueur brand DeKuyper, market their new apple-flavored spirit Sour Apple Pucker.  Sour Apple Pucker was inspired by the Jolly Rancher candies and provided a refreshing and intense flavor experience.  It took off immediately as a new and intriguing “shot”, but we were challenged to create another way for consumers to enjoy it.  By marrying the classic martini with the fresh apple flavor of Sour Apple Pucker, we created and launched the Appletini, and the rest is history.  Thanks to our promotional efforts with influential trendsetters and key on-premise accounts, consumers enthusiastically embraced this delicious cocktail, and it became the #1 drink at bars and restaurants across the country. The drink ultimately became a cultural phenomenon and spawned a new cocktail revolution (leading to the Cosmo, the Pomegranate Martini and more…).

Our efforts behind the Appletini drove DeKuyper’s Sour Apple Pucker, originally seen as a niche novelty spirit, to become a major brand selling over 700,000 cases annually.