According to New York-based market research firm Nielsen, alcohol drinks packaged in a pouch — many of which are marketed as frozen cocktails — approached $200 million in annual sales in measured channels through Aug. 18, 2012. After a discussion with a Walmart buyer denoting the popularity of these alcohol slushy drinks in its stores, New York-based Brain-Twist Inc. decided it was time to bring the slushy format to the energy drink category.
“[Walmart was] having great success with that and [the buyer] kind of challenged us saying, ‘Wouldn’t it be cool if we could take a non-alcoholic product and put it into a ready-to-drink frozen product?’ And that’s really all we needed was the challenge,” says Larry Trachtenbroit, chief executive officer of Brain-Twist Inc.