Dave Portnoy’s Dog Just Got Its Own Vodka Lemonade Brand From the Makers of High Noon

(Photo: Lucky One Vodka)

The year is 2017. George Clooney sold Casamigos for a blockbuster $1 billion, and celebrity-owned tequila is about to have its A-list moment. Fast forward a few years, and the trend has moved on to influencer-owned spirits; if you’ve got a podcast, stand-up comedy career or even a middling prank YouTube channel, rest assured that a lucrative alcohol venture is already in the works. Now, in an unexpected — though perhaps inevitable — twist, the market has found its first liquor brand backed by a media magnate’s dog.

On Tuesday, Spirit of Gallo unveiled Lucky One Lemonade, a pre-mixed hard lemonade brand created in collaboration with so-called “furfluencer” Miss Peaches. Aside from her 1.5 million followers on Instagram, the American pit bull is best known as the pet of Dave Portnoy, founder and owner of Barstool Sports.

The brand is launching today in Original, Peach, Blueberry and Raspberry flavors, all purportedly made with real vodka and real lemonade. The brand says the recipe is made with no sugar, artificial flavors or high fructose corn syrup.

Whether or not that sounds like your jam, Lucky One will almost certainly be a breakout hit. Spirit of Gallo is the second largest spirits supplier in the United States by volume, responsible for myriad bestsellers including High Noon Hard Seltzer and New Amsterdam Vodka. Lucky One is its first foray into the spirits-based lemonade category — a space for which there isn’t much competition. Mike’s Hard, the other big player, is made with a malt-based recipe not unlike a beer or standard hard seltzer.

“Hard lemonade is having a moment—and we saw an opportunity to bring something new to the table,” Brandon Lieb, VP at Spirit of Gallo, remarked in a news release. “With vodka lemonade on the rise and malt-based options losing steam, Lucky One Lemonade is our answer: a premium, spirits-based RTD that delivers on flavor, fun, and cultural relevance. Partnering with Miss Peaches brings even more heart to the brand, letting consumers enjoy summer with purpose.”

In keeping with its furry mascot, Lucky One has pledged to raise $1 million for the LifeLine Animal Project and Best Friends Animal Society. The “Our Pack Gives Back” initiative is slated to run through Sept. 1.

Lucky One is the latest in what could generously be dubbed the “Barstool alcohol universe.” Some of these brands net official co-signs from the organization, while others are launched by current or former employees. Either way, they benefit from unprecedented media attention and crossover appeal within the sports journalism space.

The most famous is Pink Whitney, a pink lemonade-flavored vodka backed by ex-NHL players Ryan Whitney and Paul Bissonette of the “Spittin’ Chiclets” podcast. Barstool later joined forces with the makers of Four Loko to debut Pirate Water, a line of 10%-ABV ready-to-drink malt beverages. Both drinks are a common sight on college campuses across the country. Elsewhere, “Sundae Conversations” host Caleb Pressley recently debuted a peanut butter agave spirit dubbed Chica~Chida.

Lucky One Vodka Lemonade comes in variety 8-packs (suggested retail price $19.99) and single-flavor 4-packs ($10.99) and is now available nationwide.