How The Original Southside Is Raising the Bar for Ready-to-Drink Cocktails With Founder Meredith Mills-Merritt

Founded by entrepreneur Meredith Mills-Merritt, The Original Southside is a premium ready-to-drink cocktail brand bringing a fresh, elevated approach to the rapidly growing RTD category. Inspired by a cherished family recipe created by her mother, Meredith transformed the classic Southside cocktail—a refreshing blend of gin, lemon, and mint—into a bar-quality canned beverage made with organic ingredients and a commitment to transparency. Drawing on her background in prestige beauty and product innovation, she applies a product-first philosophy to every aspect of the brand, from ingredient sourcing and formulation to packaging and design. The result is a cocktail that prioritizes quality, simplicity, and a clean ingredient profile without compromising on taste. Beyond building the brand, Meredith is also a co-founder of the Clean Alcohol Collective, an initiative advocating for greater ingredient transparency across the alcohol industry. Through The Original Southside, she is helping redefine what consumers can expect from ready-to-drink cocktails while challenging industry norms around formulation and disclosure. In this episode, Meredit also discusses: How a family canned cocktail recipe became a viral brand Why alcohol should have ingredient labels so consumers know what they're drinking How the beauty industry's "clean" movement influenced beverage innovation Ditching dull drinks in favor of bold, modern branding The rise of health-conscious consumers and how they're reshaping the alcohol market The challenges of building a small alcohol brand in a distribution-controlled industry Debunking common myths about gin, tequila, and vodka being "healthier" choices Why indulgence and moderation can coexist in today's wellness culture We hope you enjoy this episode and gain valuable insights into Meredit's journey and the growth of The Original Southside. Don't forget to subscribe to the Glam & Grow podcast for more in-depth conversations with the most incredible brands, founders, and more. Be sure to check out The Original Southside at www.drinksouthsides.com and on Instagram at @drinksouthsides Rated #1 Best Beauty Business Podcast on FeedPost This episode is brought to you by Wavebreak Leading direct-to-consumer brands hire Wavebreak to turn email marketing into a top revenue driver. Most eCommerce brands don’t email right... and it costs them. At Wavebreak, our eCommerce email marketing agency helps qualified brands recapture 7+ figures of lost revenue each year. From abandoned cart emails to Black Friday campaigns, our best-in-class team manage the entire process: strategy, design, copywriting, coding, and testing. All aimed at driving growth, profit, brand recognition, and most importantly, ROI. Curious if Wavebreak is right for you? Reach out at Wavebreak.co