ST. LOUIS – It was no joke, but on April 1st Soulard Island Spirits released K-SHE Spring Fling Rum Punch. It features Soulard Island’s award-winning rum and a unique mix of natural flavors and a label featuring classic rock station K-SHE 95’s mascot, Sweetmeat. The ready-to-drink beverage comes in a 1.75 bottle and is available at St. Louis area Dirt Cheap Liquor stores and Copper Fire restaurant in Belleville.
The credit for this festive partnership goes to John Giarrante of distributor Show Me Beverage and Soulard Island’s owner and mixologist Fred Barrera. They got together with the team at K-SHE, and fruitful conversations commenced. It was then back to the lab for Barrera, where several versions of what would be Spring Fling Rum Punch was developed until all involved parties agreed on the perfect combination. “I don’t typically make a ready-to-drink product,” Barrera says. “I make liquor – primarily rum, vodka, and gin. But this was an exciting challenge and we’re extremely pleased with how it turned out.” The K-SHE radio team, who certainly know something about how to have a good time, had the final vote on what they proudly have put their name (and mascot) on, and that’s what is on our store shelves now.
Finding that perfect mix was not handled lightly nor easily. “Creating the final formula involved some serious chemistry,” says production manager Mike Rohr. “Government-regulated specifications concerning alcohol content and shelf stability were top of mind. We did some tests to see how the dilution from ice and other added products might affect the mix just in case our fans chose to use the punch as an ingredient in their own custom drink. We worked with our flavor producer to deconstruct the mix we enjoyed at home so that it could be produced on a much larger scale using natural flavors and maintaining shelf stability. That stability is extremely important as we don’t want the product to visibly separate into it’s component parts, or deteriorate in quality over time.”
Those natural ingredients include ginger, lime, and blood orange extracts. “You can taste the liquor, but it’s light enough for sipping all day at the lake,” Barrera states.
Soulard Island is a true small batch distillery, which is how they make their Aged Rum, Honey Rum, Stoutly Rum, Citrus Flavored Vodka, and Gin. While the initial order for the Spring Fling Rum Punch is significant, it was achieved through the same small-batch loving care of all the beverages they produce.
