LiveWire Cocktail Company just announced a new canned cocktail in its ready-to-drink (RTD) line – the Rocket Queen.

The rum-based Rocket Queen is the work of Erin Hayes, which she named after her favorite Guns & Roses song. The former bar manager of Lost Lake – Chicago’s iconic tiki bar – mixed Magdalena Rum with absinthe, red pomello citrus, cinnamon, and pandan.

“Rum and tropical drinks are too often expected to be overly sweet and juicy,” says Erin Hayes, currently partner and director of sales & trade advocacy for Portland, OR-based Westward Whiskey.

“Rocket Queen turns that notion on its head with the balance of citrus, spice and complexity. I’m excited to convert people who might typically go for classics like a Moscow Mule or a Paloma into rum fans with this cocktail!”

The delicious tribute to Guns & Roses is the first rum drink in Live Wire’s line up of RTDs. It’s an updated take on the classic tiki cocktail Jet Pilot.

Hayes developed a taste for tropical drinks during a combined five years spent leading the bar at both Lost Lake and Three Dots and a Dash. She even co-wrote the drink menu for the former, including the year it won the impressive title of “Best American Cocktail Bar” (2018).

The tropical theme of the tiki bars is carried over into the can’s artwork, thanks to a gothic inspired design by Chicago artist Corinne Halbert. Each bartender gets to select the artist to design the can for their LiveWire RTD.

“My love for the macabre drew me to Corinne’s art the first time I saw it,” said Hayes. “I am a goth girl at heart, after all. Her creepy, horror driven, sex positive, femme forward work is among my favorite of contemporary artists. It’s dark, but also super fun!”

In addition to her role at Westward Whiskey, Hayes is a co-founder of the upcoming traveling, metal-themed Halloween pop-up Black Lagoon. Through her roles with the spirits company and LiveWire, Erin hopes to serve as a force for good in favor of a more equitable industry.

“I want people in this industry—in all positions, all places, all facets—to know that they can have a platform and that they can use the platform for positive change that they believe in,” she said.

Founded in 2019, Live Wire is the product of famed LA bartender Aaron Polsky. Rock and roll inspires every aspect of the premium cocktails. Polsky work’s with some of the world’s most renowned bartenders in order to bring customers “exceptional canned cocktails using the best ingredients.”

Polsky aims to put bartenders front and center with Live Wire, describing itself as the record label to the rockstar mixologists. The collection includes Polsky’s own rye/ brandy blend the Golden God and the vodka-based Heartbreaker, as well as a gin-based Honeydew Collins by Joey Bernardo.

Rocket Queen is currently available for sale in California, New York, New Jersey, and Texas. A four pack has a suggested retail price of $19.99 each. It is also available online, so you can enjoy cocktails mixed by the world’s best bartenders shipped to 46 different states.

Erin Grafton
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