The bottle (er, can): Bev rosé, $34 for a six-pack
The back story: Call rosé the wine trend that refuses to die. Already a summertime classic, the easy-drinking vino has soared in popularity over the last few years to become the sip of choice for many Americans. In 2017, U.S. rosé sales climbed by a remarkable 53% to $258 million, according to one published report.
But Bev, a rosé product launched in California last month that is quickly spreading nationally, looks to capitalize on more than just the boom in pink wine. It’s a canned wine — like a canned beer — that plays into that trend as well. Indeed, U.S. canned wine sales are also growing dramatically — up by 54% in 2017, according to another published report, even though the market is relatively small at just $28 million.
Bev isn’t the first company to can a rosé, but it still hopes to make its mark through branding that aims to give the drink a certain fun, feminine appeal. Sure enough, this is another boozy product aimed at the sought-after demographic of millennial women. Bev founder Alex Peabody says she was inspired to create the brand when she hosted a series of pool parties as fundraisers — glass bottles proved risky because they broke easily (and no one wants shards of glass poolside). So the idea emerged for a canned beverage that she and her friends could enjoy.
“The desire to encapsulate the joyous, feminine-founded fun of those events are what inspired the cans,” she says.
What we think about it: It’s easily to be cynical about a product like Bev, which is so clearly about the attitude and packaging — the can even comes with its own hashtag (#breaktheglass). But we have to say, this is one tasty rosé. What makes it so appealing is that, despite what you might expect about a wine aimed for a younger market, it’s actually less sweet — in other words, it’s what a good, summer-y rosé can and should be. Peabody says “the dry, crisp, light, and extremely drinkable” profile is “built specifically for consumption from the can.”
How to enjoy it: There’s no rocket science here — just have your Bev chilled and straight from the can.
