Entertaining this summer just got a bit easier as BarBox just released its two newest flavors.
This St. Petersburg, FL-based ready-to-drink company just released its first extension to its original lineup since its founding in November 2020. Joining its Cosmopolitan, Negroni, and Vodka Sour, are Gin Lemonade and Margarita.
“When we launched, we knew it would only be a matter of time before we expanded our offerings,” says Matthias Kozuba, who co-founded BarBox with his brother Jacob. “With a focus on classic cocktails and seasonality, we felt strongly about adding libations fit for summer.”
The two cocktails are right on trend. Lemonades, in the hard seltzer category, are trending, according to IWSR, and lemonade is also poised to be one of the top five drinking trends in 2021. Margaritas consistently top the list of “most popular cocktails” in many different surveys and studies. In 2019, Nielsen said the top-selling cocktail in the United States was the margarita.
“Nothing says summer like a fresh squeezed glass of ice-cold lemonade so a Gin Lemonade felt like the perfect fit for these hot, summer days,” says Matthias. “And a classic Margarita is just about as refreshing as it gets. We’re excited that BarBox lovers can now enjoy five classic cocktails in our collection. Who doesn’t love a Margarita poolside or enjoy a Gin Lemonade at a cookout?”
The cocktails themselves come high-proof in a box. Or rather, a sustainable, corrugated cardboard box with a bag and a spout inside. “In a market dominated by cans, the ‘bag-in-a-box’ format is unique from other RTD’s,” says Jacob.
Most RTD’s, he says, come in aluminum cans or glass bottles, and they’re in individual serving portion sizes. “It was important for us to remain an eco-friendly brand and use our sustainable and recyclable packaging while still offering a great flavor and a great price,” Jacob says.
The BarBox boxes offer 14 servings, of four ounces each, and if you only want a half a cocktail, the rest of the box remains fresh. “Because our cocktails are higher proof and come in a pour-spout valve system, they remain fresh, and they can be enjoyed over an extended period of time,” Matthias says. “There’s no need to finish it right away once it’s opened.”
“We saw a gap in sustainability across the board, and we felt strongly about putting out a product with as little carbon footprint as possible,” says Jacob.
Jacob says that the ‘bag-in-the-box’ format comes from Smurfit Kappa packaging. “This style of packaging was the right fit for BarBox,” he says. “Not only are we choosing the most eco-friendly option, but it fits your lifestyle. We want cocktail lovers to be able to take BarBox on the go and enjoy the quality and craftsmanship of your classic cocktails any time, any place.”
Both brothers are originally from Poland, and they learned the art of distilling spirits from their father Zbigniew “Papa” Kozuba while helping run the family Kozuba & Sons Distillery in Polland. When they decided to move the company to the United States, they chose St. Petersburg, FL, and they started the BarBox line. Each box of cocktails has a $24.99 SRP, and they can be ordered online here.
