Inside South Florida recently caught up with Meredith Mills-Merritt, the founder and CEO of the Original Southside Gin, a refreshing canned gin cocktail that’s rewriting the rules of the ready-to-drink space and doing it with a splash of girl power.
Made with a proprietary gin crafted in Vermont, Southside Gin features certified organic ingredients, real cane sugar, and zero artificial colors, preservatives, or sweeteners. At 10% ABV, it delivers both flavor and the right amount of buzz, offering what Meredith calls “the whole package.”
Whether straight from the can or poured over ice with a sprig of mint and lemon wheel, Southside is designed to be enjoyed just about anywhere, from poolside hangouts to boat days, beach trips, or even Florida Panthers games.
Mills, a proud female founder in the male-dominated spirits industry, shared that her journey has been full of encouragement and passion. Her advice for other women looking to launch a business? Trust your gut. “If you’ve got an idea and you think it’s really great and you’ve got the market and consumer responses to back it up, then you just have to charge forward and believe in yourself,” she said.
Inspired by her mother’s original cocktail recipe, Meredith’s favorite part of the business is hearing how customers incorporate Southside into their lives and special moments. “Having conversations with people now where they say, ‘I love to take it golfing,’ or ‘I bring it on the boat,’ or ‘I drink it at a Panthers game,’ it’s honestly just been so overwhelmingly awesome.”
Southside is also a proud sponsor of the Florida Panthers, available at Amerant Bank Arena, the Fort Lauderdale War Memorial, and the Panthers IceDen, with more local partnerships on the way.
For more info and to find a Southside near you, visit DrinkSouthside.com or look for it at Total Wine and select ABC Fine Wine & Spirits locations.
