Hard Seltzer News recently interviewed Linda Dow Cash, CEO of Two Chicks Cocktails.  This is that entire interview transcript, where Cash speaks about the founder being raised by two moms, the importance of packaging when launching a new brand, and her transition from owning a toy company.

HSN: Can you talk a little bit about how you and Meghan connected and started this venture together? 

LDC: Sure, Meghan and I met through a mutual friend that knew Meghan and knew that Meghan was looking for an investor to help her company to evolve, into expanding her business that she was currently in. She was currently selling 750 mL which [are] the larger bottles, and it was a 12% alcohol base. She wanted to grow her business, and we saw the opportunity to evolve this business into the ready-to-drink business. I really loved her passion for the company. I loved the name, Two Chicks. I loved that when she was a little girl, she always loved to wear hearts. [sic] You can see hearts in her [packaging]. She also wanted a brand that was all-inclusive, everyone [is] accepted and everybody’s invited to the party. So, that’s how we got together! 

HSN: You kind of spoke to this just right now, but where did inspiration for the brand come from and what are the brand’s driving principles?

LDC: The brand is based on Meghan’s life. Meghan is one of two daughters. She has two daughters. And, she was raised by two moms. When she was raised by two moms, it really wasn’t accepted as the norm as it is today. So, that inclusivity was very important to her. And Meghan wanted a brand that started [a] conversation for people, helped them connect over cocktails. She felt there was a void in the marketplace. So, that’s where Two Chicks came in because she was always apart of the “two chicks.” 

HSN: Yeah, so two is a very significant number. 

LDC: Exactly. And then, as far as the principles for the product, we really wanted something that was really eye-catching, something that looks as good as it tastes. We wanted to make sure that it showed, you know, it fueled the fun conversation, positive energy. So, that’s where we came up with [sic] balanced cocktails of real spirits, that taste amazing and [give] you the convenience of being in a can.     

HSN: What does your brand’s term “Deliciously Designed” encompass? I saw that all over your website with the little trademark symbol, so I wanted to get your comments on what that term means for you guys — or girls!

LDC: Yeah, you can say guys! We’re all-inclusive! Basically, the brand of Two Chicks — the Deliciously Designed — it came with the design that we had, the botanical hearts. We wanted that 30-second eye-catching packaging that you would look [at] and say, “Wow this is cute, this is pretty. What is it?” And then, once you buy it, you taste it and you go, “Wow, this is really good.” So, where Deliciously Designed came from — we designed a beautiful package. You’ll see we have the botanicals on there to explain that we [use] all natural ingredients. We have the hearts that are subliminally there on the can, which will make you love us. And also, with the logo having the two hearts stacked on top of each other, to show support. Also, to show like Meghan and [me], we’re kind of like the yin and yang which also communicates what we are about. So, we took that and called it Deliciously Designed because our drinks….Everyone says, “Oh my gosh, they’re delicious,” and everyone always is coming up, “Oh my gosh, your packaging is beautiful. We really love it.” So, that’s where Deliciously Designed came from.        

HSN: What have been some of the challenges Two Chicks has overcome in the last year, especially as a women-owned business? 

LDC: Well, at first, launching a female-focused cocktail, it was — in a male dominated industry — it was a little bit challenging to have people understand that Two Chicks is the name of the company, the brand of the company. It doesn’t mean it’s only for girls. It’s basically for everyone to drink. So, it was really hard, you know, difficult [at first] with a male dominated industry. But, as a lot of brands are coming out, it is getting much easier. I think our biggest communication is to understand that Two Chicks is the brand name, it doesn’t mean chicks should only drink it and that we support everyone. And now, our biggest challenge is just getting cans manufactured! Thank you, COVID.   

HSN: How did Two Chicks go about choosing your spirit bases for each of your cocktails? Did you do blind tastings, do you have partnerships with any distilleries? I know you talked about how Meghan was doing her prior business, [which] was also in the alcoholic beverage industry. So I just wanted to ask about how you got around to choosing your spirit bases? 

LDC: Well, the first two samples that I was introduced to, as we were looking to invest in the company, were two tequila-based SKUs. Tequila is definitely on the rise [sic], and I have to say, I’m not a major tequila fan. But, when I drank these, I was like — oh wow, these are good! And having [it at] five percent alcohol totally made it easy to drink, you know? And so, our first tequila SKUs were already in a development process. We just brought them down to the five percent alcohol because that was a growing trend. So, our first two drinks were the Paloma and Citrus Margarita. Knowing that we needed a cocktail — that’s where we developed the Vodka Pear Elderflower — basically just doing a lot of research, and also [looking a] little bit [at] products that we love to drink ourselves. That’s where they came [from], and that’s why we did it. What we’re trying to do is make it fast and easy and convenient. Because everyone is so busy day to day, to [deal] with [having] fresh limes, fresh lemons, always at home. This way, you can just go in your fridge, grab a can and have a cocktail and relax, you know? And still be functional!   

HSN: Yeah, there’s been a lot of this idea of like, being able to enjoy the moment, but still stay in the moment, not get too crazy. 

LDC: Exactly. You want to feel good the next day. You know, whether it’s working, traveling, raising children. And also, all of us staying home — you have to be careful. The fridge is too convenient!

HSN: So you kind of spoke to this just a moment ago, but hard seltzers and RTDs have been doing really well among both men and women. And you know, as you said, your brand is called Two Chicks, you have a lot of people thinking that it’s just for women, and the design is very floral and quite feminine. How are your success rates with men? Are you trying to focus on appealing to women and bringing more women into the RTD category? Or are you pushing against that — are you trying to be gender neutral? Just your thoughts on that…

LDC: We’re here to support women to get into business and [let them] know that their dreams can come true. So, that is one caveat of the brand. We definitely want to help and encourage people to follow their dreams and help women not be timid of getting into business. But, as far as the drinks go, you do have an occasional banter of, “Oh, you’re drinking Two Chicks,” when guys are talking to other guys. But then, when they say, “Hey, did you taste this?” Then, they taste it and they go, “Oh wow, this is good.” So, guys that are secure with their masculinity are having zero problems drinking this. We get posts from bachelor parties, etc. So again, we want it to be all-inclusive. Meghan having two moms, you know, we embrace [and] really try to support the LGBTQIA community. We want everyone to enjoy the party. That’s why we created six classic cocktails — there’s one for everybody, you know. We’ve got vodka, tequila, whiskey, gin…So, we’re not just stereotyping it to one section of what people like to drink.   

HSN: So, Two Chicks, as we talked about before, is a spirit-based RTD. How do you see Two Chicks fitting in with the hard seltzer boom? 

LDC: Yeah, well the ready to drink beverages are obviously taking off. I mean, obviously, they start off with White Claw, Truly, etc, which are all malt-based [in difference]. We basically, being an RTD of true spirits, we see ourselves alongside the hard seltzers. But, because we are made with real spirits and have a true balanced cocktail with some great flavors, we see ourselves running alongside the seltzers, but hopefully, we’re going to be in the lead, so they’ll follow us!

HSN: Yeah, there’s been some talk of how hard seltzer is kind of cannibalizing beer and taking on more beer drinkers and introducing beer drinkers to some more cocktail sorts of things. So, it’s maybe bringing in some beer drinkers to RTD that wouldn’t have necessarily been there before.

LDC: Exactly.  

HSN: Can you talk a little bit about your current line of up flavors and how you decided on those? You talked a little bit about how tequila just in general has been very, very popular over the last couple of years, so you started with tequila. But you’ve got a very interesting vodka [cocktail, with pear and elderflower], so how did you decide on those flavors?

LDC: Yeah, we’ve taken some of the best selling cocktails in the industry and basically turned them into a little — we added, as we call, our little feminine twist. We added a little something extra to them. I mean, we do have a classic Citrus Margarita which we spoke about, and we have our [other] tequila [cocktail] which is the Grapefruit Paloma. But then, we decided to branch out and take on the Vodka Pear Elderflower. Elderflower is an amazing liqueur, which smells amazing and also tastes great, and you couldn’t go wrong with pairing that with pear — no pun intended. Then, we took our classic Old Fashioned. We know whiskey is becoming popular — with males and females — and we basically took the Old Fashioned and added a little twist to it. We used a spicy whiskey and added some ginger and a twist of orange into it to make a real savory, upscale New Fashioned of the Old Fashioned. And a classic, Gin Apple Gimlet — again, these are drinks that are kind of difficult to make in the home [and] we wanted to bring an easy convenience in a can, and that’s where our Gin Apple Gimlet came from, with a little bit of cucumber in it. And last, but not least — which is one of my favorites — is our vodka cocktail that [has a] white tea cucumber base and we add peach to that and a little bit of thyme so it helps with the finish. Again, this is sampling and doing a lot of research to see what drinks we think would be great to bring to the table.    

HSN: I wanted to ask about what the future is looking like for Two Chicks in terms of new products and distribution. So, I’ll make this a little easier for you, I’ll break it up. So, let’s talk about distribution first. Where are you available now and what is the future looking like for distribution for Two Chicks?

LDC: We’re available in a lot of major retail stores and a lot of independent stores and some on-premise, you know, some of the restaurants or hotels, etc.. We started, originally, we were only in 17 states, and we are currently now in a total of 42. So, our distribution is completely growing and it’s been really, really exciting. 

HSN: Alright, so what’s the future looking like in terms of new products coming down the line? Are you feeling pretty comfortable with where you’re at? Or, are you thinking about new flavors, new combinations, new cocktails?  

LDC: Yes, I thought we were pretty good having six. But, of course, I have two new prototypes sitting in front of me. So, I believe in Spring you’re going to see two new flavors. I’m not ready to say what they are yet, but [they’re] new, exciting flavors that we think are going to do very well.

HSN: Cool, so currently in the works on something new. Alright, I wanted to wrap up my questions and just ask you if there’s anything else you wanted to add, anything new coming up, just free rein to say anything you’d like to say about the brand. 

LDC: Basically, I think it’s been exciting, not being in this business prior to. My husband and I owned a company that [sic] sold activity kits, toys, crafts. Being in the spirit business is definitely…is…a learning curve. [There’s] so many different rules and regulations, but it has been a lot of fun because, again, I love selling products that make people happy and that they enjoy to buy. I love to see people’s reactions when you create some amazing packaging and products that people just love to have. I mean, that to me is the thrill of business in any product that you sell.   

Stephanie Meade
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