The Art of the Pivot: Scaling Up with Our Ready-to-Drink Cocktails

Starting a business with one product is hard enough. Deciding to expand into something entirely different , that's where things get interesting.

When we launched Meyer Cocktail Co., we weren’t starting with a single idea—we were starting with a small lineup we believed in: our Old Fashioned mix, our Demerara Syrup, and our three original ready-to-drink cocktails (Bourbon Sour, Whiskey Sour, and Brandy Sweet). It was the foundation we'd perfected, and honestly, it felt like enough. We were proud of what we'd created, a lineup that brought Wisconsin supper club vibes into people's homes without the fuss.

But as we grew, we kept hearing the same thing from customers: "I love this, but do you have something I can just grab and go?"

That question sat with us. Not because we didn’t already have RTDs—we did—but because it confirmed what we’d believed from day one: people want real flavor and real quality, in whatever format fits their life.

And that’s where the “pivot” comes in. We didn’t change who we are—we committed (again) to the long game: expanding every line we started with, thoughtfully and on purpose. And let me tell you, doing that well has been one of the hardest, messiest, and most rewarding decisions we've made.

Why We Decided to Scale Up

The truth is, we did plan for this kind of growth from the beginning. We started Meyer Cocktail Co. with our Old Fashioned Mix, our Demerara Syrup, and our three original ready-to-drink cocktails—Bourbon Sour, Whiskey Sour, and Brandy Sweet—and we always knew we wanted to expand every one of those product lines over time.

But every time we decide to grow—whether that’s new RTD flavors, new mix variations, or new ways to use what we’ve already built—it still comes with risk. New suppliers, new production processes, new regulations, and new ways to fail.

But we kept coming back to one thing: convenience shouldn't mean compromise.

The question wasn't should we do this? It was can we do this without losing what makes us, us?

The answer became clear when we realized that our ready-to-drink cocktails could be an extension of our values, not a departure from them. Same quality ingredients. Same Wisconsin spirit. Just in a format that fit into busy lives.

The Reality of Getting the Flavors Right

Here's what no one tells you about creating RTD cocktails: it's not just about shrinking a recipe into a can.

We spent months (and then some) getting our original Bourbon Sour, Whiskey Sour, and Brandy Sweet dialed in. And we’re right back in that same behind-the-scenes mode now as we develop new RTD flavors to expand the collection—because expanding the RTD line has been part of our long-term plan from day one. And I'm not talking about casual taste tests at the kitchen table, though we did plenty of those too. I'm talking about working with beverage scientists, understanding carbonation levels, figuring out how flavors evolve in a sealed environment over time.

A bourbon sour drink isn't complicated in theory, bourbon, bitters, sugar, a touch of orange and cherry if you're feeling fancy. But when you're bottling it to sit on a shelf and still taste fresh weeks or months later? That's a whole different challenge.

We had batches that tasted perfect on day one and flat by day ten. We had versions that were too tart, too sweet, too boozy, not boozy enough. One batch of the Brandy Sweet was so syrupy we joked it could double as pancake topping.

Every failed batch felt like a setback. But it also taught us something.

We learned that balance isn't just about ratios, it's about how ingredients interact over time. We learned that "good enough" wasn't in our vocabulary, even when we were exhausted and over budget. And we learned that sometimes, the best thing you can do is throw out a batch and start over.

What We Learned About Ourselves as Business Owners

Scaling up forced us to confront some hard truths about what kind of business we wanted to be.

Lesson One: Your reputation is everything. When you're small, you can pivot quickly if something goes wrong. But once you expand, every decision has more weight. We couldn't afford to put our name on a product that was just "okay." That meant saying no to faster timelines, cheaper ingredients, and shortcuts that would've made life easier.

Lesson Two: Growth isn't linear. We thought once we figured out the recipes, the rest would fall into place. Wrong. Then came production challenges. Then distribution logistics. Then realizing our initial packaging design didn't meet certain state regulations. Growth is three steps forward, two steps back, and sometimes one step sideways into something you didn't even know existed.

Lesson Three: You can't do it alone. I'm stubborn! Ask anyone who knows me, but launching the more products to our RTD line taught me that asking for help isn't weakness. We brought in a business consultant. We leaned on other small business owners who'd been through it. We listened to our customers who told us exactly what they wanted.

Lesson Four: Imperfect action beats perfect planning. We could've waited another year to launch. We could've tested a dozen more flavor profiles. But at some point, you have to trust your instincts and put it out there. The market will tell you what works and what doesn't.

Every time someone tells us they brought our Bourbon Sour to a tailgate, or packed our Whiskey Sour for a camping trip, or served our Brandy Sweet at a party : it reminds me why we took the risk.

Because good things shouldn't be complicated. But creating them? That's always going to take work.

Cheers,

Cheri