The Original Southside - A Cocktail Born from Family Tradition

I had the pleasure of sitting down with Meredith Mills-Merritt, Founder of The Original Southside, and this was such a fun and refreshing conversation, literally.  From the very first sip of her canned cocktail, I was blown away by how crisp, light, and perfectly balanced it tasted. What really struck me, though, was how much heart and thoughtfulness went into every detail of this brand, from the family recipe it was inspired by to the intentional choice of organic, clean ingredients. Meredith's journey is one of resilience, creativity, and considerable grit. Coming from a background in the beauty industry, she made the leap into the ultra-competitive world of ready-to-drink cocktails, despite having no prior experience in the beverage industry.   What she did bring was a deep love of ingredients, a family gin recipe, and the determination to create something better than what was on the shelf. In our conversation, she shares the highs, the hurdles, and the very personal wins that keep her pushing forward. Here are a few highlights from the episode: * How a friend choosing Southside as her wedding drink became a powerful reminder of why Meredith started the brand   * The family recipe origins behind The Original Southside and how Meredith perfected it for the can   * Why being Whole Foods–compliant was a non-negotiable from day one   * The unique challenges of breaking into the alcohol industry's three-tier distribution system   * Meredith's go-to strategies for building awareness, from real-life tastings to word-of-mouth advocacy   Join me, Ramon Vela, as I listen to the episode and get inspired by Meredith's journey of turning a family recipe into a modern, better-for-you cocktail brand. For more on The Original Southside, visit: https://www.drinksouthsides.com/ If you enjoyed this episode, please leave The Story of a Brand Show a rating and review.  Plus, don't forget to follow us on Apple and Spotify.  Your support helps us bring you more content like this! * Today's Sponsors:   Color More Lines: https://www.colormorelines.com/get-started Color More Lines is a team of ex-Amazonians and e-commerce operators who help brands grow faster on Amazon and Walmart. With a performance-based pricing model and flexible contracts, they've generated triple-digit year-over-year growth for established sellers doing over $5 million per year. Use code "STORY OF A BRAND" and receive a complimentary market opportunity assessment of your e-commerce brand and marketplace positioning.    1 Commerce: https://1-commerce.com/story-of-a-brand Scaling a DTC brand becomes harder the bigger you grow, especially when you're limited to selling on just one channel.  While you're focused on day-to-day ops, your competitors are unlocking marketplaces like Amazon, Walmart, and even retail shelf space—and capturing customers you're missing. That's where 1-Commerce comes in.  They help high-growth brands expand beyond their sites, handle end-to-end fulfillment, and scale through a revenue-share model that means they only win when you do.  As a Story of a Brand listener, you'll get one month of free storage and a strategy session with their CEO, Eric Kasper.