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COVER STORY Low-Cal at Retail Palm Bay’s long-standing network of relationships with key national and regional chains has been an integral component of Skinnygirl’s success. One of those chains is Nugget Market in Northern California. Hank Beal, Director of Adult Beverages for both Nugget Market and Food 4 Less, has put Skinnygirl Margarita into all of his stores. “It has been the category leader for us since we brought it in,” says Beal, noting that it has outsold some very well-established brands. “You’d expect it to be a good summertime product, but this has done well right through the winter months,” says Beal. “I look forward to seeing how it does in summer. With enough product to sell now, it’s going to look really appealing come June, July and August.” Hank Beal is impressed with the Skinnygirl sales at the Nugget Market chain in Northern California. “Skinnygirl sells so well because it is the first ready- to-drink Margarita that doesn’t have lots of excess sugar and calories, and that’s exactly what our custom- ers are looking for,” says Pete Burra, owner of John and Pete’s in West Hollywood, CA. Costa Mesa, CA, in Southern California’s (in)famous Orange County, is known for being a hotbed of beau- tiful bodies on beaches, and sales of both Skinnygirl and Voli Vodka at Hi-Time Wine Cellar are reflec- tive of the city’s fitness-conscious mentality. “The response to these brands has been quite amazing,” admits Keith Hanson, who owns the store and has carried both products since their initial launches. “We get a lot of people calling the store in advance, from all over the country, asking specifically for Skinnygirl and Voli by name, because they’ve heard about the brands and they are interested in low-cal options,” says At John and Pete’s in L.A.’s chic West Hollywood neighborhood, image-conscious customers have been driving successful sales of Skinnygirl since before the brand’s partnership with Palm Bay. “When it first launched, we couldn’t keep it in stock,” says owner Pete Burra Jr. Now that the brand is in the Palm Bay portfolio, Burra is able to meet his customers’ demands for Skinnygirl, which he cites as particularly popular among “young ladies who want to look their best.” 50 / the tasting panel / april 201 1 Hanson. Skinnygirl, in particular, has captured the atten- tion of Hanson, who sees that it stands out from the rest of the ready-to-drink pack. “It’s much more palatable than anything else on the market,” he says. Keith Hanson. PHOTO: ROB BROWN PHOTO: RACHEL BURKONS PHOTO: RYAN LELY