Spirit of Gallo has announced that it will acquire Fishers Island Lemonade, a female-founded beverage brand. A trailblazer in the ready-to-drink category, Fishers Island Lemonade was one of the first premium craft cocktails to be packaged in a can.
Founder Bronya Shillo grew up spending summers on Fishers Island, New York where her family owned and operated The Pequot Inn, the only bar on the island, which became known for its signature "FIL" cocktail. During her time working there as a manager, Bronya began to focus on the idea of canning the cocktail, which would allow her to serve her customers quicker and also bring the delicious taste of Fishers Island to a wider audience.
Fishers Island Lemonade launched on Memorial Day 2014, becoming one of the leading contributors to the success of the RTD category today, along with Spirit of Gallo’s High Noon. Since then, the brand has grown to include Fishers Island Half and Half and Fishers Island Pink Flamingo.
"In the ready-to-drink category, consumers are trading up to spirits-based cocktails and demanding more full-flavored, higher ABV products, reflecting the overall trend of spirits premiumization in the United States," said Britt West, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Spirit of Gallo. "Having known Bronya for over a decade, I have watched her bring Fishers Island Lemonade from a concept all the way to its success as one of the highest-quality and best tasting canned cocktails in the market. Spirit of Gallo is so honored that she has entrusted us with her visionary idea, and we are galvanized to work with her as she remains on board to guide the brand and serve as its official spokesperson. Together, we will highlight the unique sense and taste of island life to more consumers across the country."
"When I launched Fishers Island Lemonade nearly a decade ago, I never could have imagined the overwhelming love and support we received that allowed us to grow the brand from a single cocktail into a family of full-flavor spiked lemonade craft cocktails in a can," said Fishers Island Lemonade Founder Bronya Shillo. "Spirit of Gallo has a proven record of innovation and success in the RTD category and there is no other organization I would trust to take Fishers Island Lemonade to the next level."