Jack Daniels and Drinkworks team up for cocktails in a pod

Jack Daniels Lynchburg Lemonade is now conveniently in a pod. Through a partnership between Brown-Forman and Drinkworks, the classic lemonade, whiskey, triple sec combination is now available for a limited time with the touch of a button on the Drinkworks Home Bar system.

Drinkworks was an idea that emerged in 2017 as a joint venture between beer giant Anheuser-Busch and American beverage producer Keurig Dr Pepper. The aim was to create a cocktail dispensing system, much in the spirit of K-cup coffee. After a year, the Drinkworks Home Bar system appeared on the U.S. market and is now available in 11 states, according to Marketwatch.

Jack Daniel’s Lynchburg Lemonade is the latest collaboration to come out of the project with the introduction of Brown-Forman brands into the fold. Brown-Forman owns brands, including Jack Daniels, El Jimador tequila and Finlandia vodka. Although this is a limited-time release, it will not be the last from the Brown-Forman-Drinkworks collaboration. The duo is planning to create margaritas, Manhattans and French martinis with releases reported to begin in mid-2020.

Already the system offers more than 20 beverage options, including a mojito and a Moscow Mule. These boozy K-cups are sold in 4-packs and variety 12-packs at a cost of $15 to $19 or $50 to $55 per tube respectively. On a per drink basis, that averages out to $4-5 a cocktail.

Creating a cocktail from these pods simply requires still or sparkling water and the touch of a button, which can make happy hour a breeze. While this machine could begin to raise questions about sustainability - much like the Keurig machine did - there is a convenience factor that could play in nicely for those who are relegated to their houses due to COVID-19 quarantine restrictions.

In fact, data show that the alcohol industry has benefitted from people being pinned up at home. Sales of alcohol skyrocketed 55% in the third week of March when compared to the same time a year ago, according to Nielsen data.

Drinkworks seems to be taking advantage of the trend. In March, the company announced another partnership with Los Angeles-based Golden Road Brewing to bring four of its wheat brews - Mango Wheat, Blood Orange Wheat, Pineapple Apricot Wheat and Strawberry Guava Wheat - to consumers’ homes in pod-form.