“We will be the first-ever company to launch a six-pack of vodka.”Those were the words Shotpak CEO and founder Ignus Hattingh kept stressing over and over again during a recent interview with MN1; “We will be the first-ever company to launch a six-pack of vodka.”
Stirring words, to be sure.
According to the company’s latest press release, Shotpak Inc. (OTCBB SHTP) has perfected a series of individually packed “shots” of distilled spirits -whiskey, rum, vodka, tequila, and four different kinds of mixed drinks – that are packaged in what the company calls a “revolutionary patented bottle-shaped recyclable stand-up pouches.”
“They’re plastic, not glass, so they won’t break,” Hattingh told MN1. “And their unique design allows the product to stand on its own.”
Right now, the STR8UPs are limited to only five states – California, Connecticut, Florida, Kentucky, and Nevada – but the company plans on expanding by an additional 11 states by July. In addition, the company also ships to Mexico and is looking to sell its shots in Europe soon.
But even more important than the where is the what – in this case, what’s in the drink. While other companies simply get away with selling liquor-flavored malt beverages that taste like their stronger cousins, Shotpak actually sells whiskey, vodka, or whatever the shot-pack says on the label. Shotpak’s liquor comes straight from the BPNC distillery in the ironically named city of Temperance, Michigan, and each shot is guaranteed to be 17 percent alcohol. In fact, Hattingh considers that one of the product’s main selling points.
“One of the things I like the most is that it’s a controlled way of drinking,” Hattingh told MN1. “You know it’s 17 percent alcohol, and you know when to stop when you’ve two or three. We provide consistency of product.”
Even more important is the product’s portability, Hattingh said. Not only are the STR8UPs easy to carry, but the containers are 100 percent recyclable. In fact, that was the inspiration for the product – the need for a disposable, easy-to-carry container.
“What we’re doing is making it convenient,” Hattingh said. “The pouches came from an idea I had … when we went snowboarding and one of my friends fell on his flask. That’s how shotpak got started. The plastic pouches are a patented shape, and they stand up by themselves, so they’re easier to carry around.”
Share prices for cocktail producer Shotpak spiked briefly today before settling back down to the current price of 41 cents a share, thanks largely in part to the announcement of its new STR8UP line of single-shot premium distilled spirits.
