• by Teresa Buyikian , January 7, 2025

Most consumers can only dream of owning a piece of paradise. One crème rum cocktail, known as the “Beach in a bottle” is offering shares of its own form of paradise: the brand itself.

Today Bushwacker Spirits, makers of The Bushwacker ready-to-drink bottled cocktail, announced it is offering shares of the company  to its customers. Those who purchase shares, will not only become partial company owners but will also gain access to exclusive “insider perks, and become integral members of the Bushwacker family,” per the brand’s announcement.

"The Bushwacker Cocktail has always been more than a drink; it's a feeling, a community," said Michael Smith, CEO of Bushwacker Spirits in the release. "Now we're giving this community the opportunity to own a piece of that feeling, to become owners in the company.”

The brand raised $191,222.46 since announcing the availability of shares this morning. The shares start at $2 apiece. According to the brand, in addition to exclusive perks including behind-the-scenes experiences, shareholders will also have the opportunity to “engage directly with the company's leadership.”

The actual Bushwacker cocktail itself was created on St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands over 50 years ago, with the name rumored to have come from a popular dog who frequented the island bar where the drink was created, per Wikipedia. The original cocktail itself, a sort of chocolatey tropical version of a White Russian, contained vodka, Kahlua, dark Crème de Cacao, Coco Lopez (cream of coconut), with a splash of Triple Sec and milk.

Now there are many variations on the cocktail, with Bushwacker festivals taking place throughout Florida where drink masters and amateur bartenders compete with their own recipes for the tropical libation.

Bushwacker Spirits bottled its own recipe as the first RTD version in 2020. The company refers to itself as a lifestyle brand and has a line of merchandise including beach visors, lip balm, T-shirt, hats and coolers.