"The Climb" with Meredith Mills-Merritt: Starting a Gin Cocktail Brand From a Family Recipe

Meredith Mills-Merritt is the founder and CEO of The Original Southside, a canned gin cocktail brand made from a family recipe. This episode is part of "The Climb," our series featuring founders in the early stages of building their brands. 


Expect to hear about: 

– From Beauty to Booze: Why Meredith left her corporate career in beauty brand management to start her own consumer brand. 

– 13 Months to Perfect: The long R&D process to commercialize her family recipe while keeping it organic and true to the original recipe. 

– Stadium Deals: How an Instagram DM led to a Florida Panthers partnership and opened doors with college programs like LSU. 

– Fighting for Shelf Space: Competing in a capital-intensive RTD category with standout packaging and “liquid to lips” marketing. 

– What’s Next: New drink products in development, a focus on growing in retail, and Meredith’s vision for Southside’s next stage of growth. 


Find Meredith on:
LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/meredithleahmills/

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