Kylie Jenner ships 140,000 cases of new vodka soda in first month

One month on from the launch of Sprinter, Kylie Jenner’s pre-mixed vodka soda RTD, the influencer has revealed the brand has surpassed its initial sales goals.

Last month Kylie Jenner entered the world of drinks with the launch of Sprinter, a canned vodka soda marketed as containing just 100 calories.

Available exclusively in the US market so far, the product hit shelves from 21 March, and has since shipped 140,000 cases of the product to more than 10,000 retailers and bars in America, according to the brand’s team, which says there has been “a strong reorder rate nationwide”.

The brand recently also embarked on a marketing campaign at the first weekend of California’s Coachella festival (12-14 April), where silver ‘Sprinter vans’ delivered free merchandise to festival goers. Kylie’s new product was also served at sister Kendall Jenner’s 818 Tequila Outpost station at the festival, a Western-style saloon bar knocking up complimentary cocktails.

Kylie is adamant that Sprinter does not compete with Kendall’s 818 Tequila, describing her RTD as being 818’s “bubbly little sister’.

“The response to Sprinter has been amazing – we’ve shipped 140,000 cases in the first month of our brand, and we’ve had so many positive reviews across social media with the consensus that Sprinter is juicy, refreshing, and one of the best-tasting canned vodka sodas out there,” said Jenner.

“The best part is that this is just the beginning – I am so excited for Sprinter to continue to grow.”

The 4.5% ABV ready-to-drink product purports to be made from premium vodka, as well as fruit juice, and sparkling water – and is available in Black Cherry, Peach, Grapefruit and Lime flavours.

However, consumers have been divided about a line printed on the packaging of boxes of Sprinter which reads: “Obviously no added sugar”, with some finding the message patronising or preachy.

“Being spoken to as if I am a child makes me irate,” wrote one reviewer.

Kylie told Rolling Stone that the process of launching Sprinter had been similar to bringing her enormously successful Kylie Cosmetics brand to life “in that I was creating something from the ground up that I would actually use in my daily life, and staying very close to each part of the business and creative process,” she said.

“I am always taking critical business lessons from my ventures. All the insights I have from my past experiences have been put towards making my brands like Sprinter even better and more attuned to what consumers really want.”