Episode
How The Original Southside Is Raising the Bar for Ready-to-Drink Cocktails With Founder Meredith Mills-Merritt
- Published
- Jun 8, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 3531
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Summary
Founded by entrepreneur Meredith Mills-Merritt, The Original Southside is a premium ready-to-drink cocktail brand bringing a fresh, elevated approach to the rapidly growing RTD category. Inspired by a cherished family recipe created by her mother, Meredith transformed the classic Southside cocktail—a refreshing blend of gin, lemon, and mint—into a bar-quality canned beverage made with organic ingredients and a commitment to transparency. Drawing on her background in prestige beauty and product innovation, she applies a product-first philosophy to every aspect of the brand, from ingredient sourcing and formulation to packaging and design. The result is a cocktail that prioritizes quality, simplicity, and a clean ingredient profile without compromising on taste. Beyond building the brand, Meredith is also a co-founder of the Clean Alcohol Collective, an initiative advocating for greater ingredient transparency across the alcohol industry. Through The Original Southside, she is helping redefine what consumers can expect from ready-to-drink cocktails while challenging industry norms around formulation and disclosure. In this episode, Meredit also discusses: How a family canned cocktail recipe became a viral brand Why alcohol should have ingredient labels so consumers know what they're drinking How the beauty industry's "clean" movement influenced beverage innovation Ditching dull drinks in favor of bold, modern branding The rise of health-conscious consumers and how they're reshaping the alcohol market The challenges of building a small alcohol brand in a distribution-controlled industry Debunking common myths about gin, tequila, and vodka being "healthier" choices Why indulgence and moderation can coexist in today's wellness culture We hope you enjoy this episode and gain…