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Goat Island Beverage Company Launches Ready-to-Drink Craft Cocktails with a Premium Margarita
Goat Island Beverage Company is excited to announce the launch of their first product, Agave Margarita, a premium canned cocktail that brings the handcrafted taste of a professionally made cocktail to wherever you enjoy a drink. Made with tequila, not a neutral spirit like so many ready-to-drink cocktails on the market, Goat Island’s Margarita features simple, natural ingredients: tequila, lime, agave syrup, orange cognac (triple sec), a hint of lemon and a pinch of salt. These ingredients ensure an authentic flavor without the harsh burn often found in other products.
Goat Island Beverage Co. is a Rhode Island-based, woman-owned business. Founded by Lindsay Sgambato, creating a beverage company is a new venture, but a familiar one for Lindsay, working alongside her husband John, owner of Yacht Club Soda, a 109-year-old soda and seltzer company based in North Providence, Rhode Island. For years John had beenmaking crowd-pleasing margaritas at cookouts and parties, and Lindsay often heard friends and family say, “You should bottle this!” With her great love for cocktails, Lindsay was encouraged by this feedback and with extensive bottling experience already in the family, saw the potential for a high-quality canned cocktail and pushed the idea forward.
As John’s partner, over the years Lindsay had become de facto chief taste taster for Yacht Club, guiding the flavor profile for some of Yacht Club’s recently released sodas. As many people can attest, spouses tell the unvarnished truth when trying things their partner creates and knows what she and the consumer are looking for in a tasty drink. Lindsay considers herself to have a consumer’s palate as opposed to John’s producer’s sense and that consumer’s palate played a crucial part in crafting the perfect flavor profile for Goat Island’s Margarita.
Lindsay aimed to create a margarita that is both enjoyable and accessible. “I wanted something fun and easy to bring to the beach, parties, or on a boat,” Lindsay says. “There are plenty of canned cocktails out there, but we wanted ours to stand out with a fresh, handcrafted taste that you can enjoy straight from the can or elevate with your own personal touch. Pour it into a rimmed glass over ice and experiment with different rim flavors like spicy with TAJIN® or sweet with sugar,” Lindsay explains. “Consumers can enjoy it however they like!”
The Sgambatos partnered with a canner specializing in creating shelf-stable cocktails, embarking on a new venture beyond their in-house production at Yacht Club Bottling Works. The name and logo for Goat Island Beverage Co. holds a special significance for Lindsay and John. John loves visiting Goat Island in Newport with its perfect view of the Newport Bridge and there have always been iconic Rhode Island landmarks featured on Yacht Club soda and seltzer labels, so Lindsay was looking for something different but related for Goat Island Beverage Co. All that led to the name of the company and along with it a logo embodying a strong, confident presence. “It’s an extension of Rhode Island, yet it stands on its own out there in the world,” Lindsay says. “We’re here with a well-developed beverage ready for you to enjoy!”
Goat Island Beverage Co. Agave Margarita is available in Rhode Island, distributed by McLaughlin & Moran, Inc. Distribution in Massachusetts and Connecticut is coming soon. Follow Goat Island Beverage Co. on Instagram @goatislandbeverage.
Goat Island Beverage Co. Agave Margarita tasting notes:
Directly from the can there’s a mild sweetness from the agave along with slightly sour notes from the lime and touch of lemon that gives a brisk tartness to each sip. These ingredients, balanced well with the blanco tequila, give no burn. Drinkers will get a hint of effervescence and light acidity making for a very drinkable cocktail.
Once poured into a salt-rimmed glass, first impressions bring the tropics to the senses with strong lime and floral notes. The salt rim brings out the citrus flavors and increases the sweetness while making a smoothly balanced cocktail to begin with, even smoother.
Mill’s Tavern Secures Eat Drink RI Award at Taste of RI / Red Stripe Wins People’s Choice Award in 11th Annual RI Food Fights’ “Big BURGER Blowout 2024”
Mill’s Tavern, an iconic restaurant located at 101 North Main Street in Providence, is thrilled to announce it was awarded the prestigious Eat Drink RI award at the recent Taste of RI in Warwick. Presented by David Dadekian, founder of Eat Drink RI and a well-known figure in Rhode Island’s culinary scene, this award highlights Mill’s Tavern’s exceptional contributions to the local hospitality industry.
The Taste of RI is a celebrated showcase of the state’s finest culinary talents, featuring over 40 vendors. Mill’s Tavern stood out for its innovative use of local and seasonal ingredients, masterfully crafted by Executive Chef Ed Bolus. This recognition from Eat Drink RI underscores the restaurant’s commitment to providing a remarkable dining experience.
“We are honored to receive the Eat Drink RI award at the Taste of RI,” said Executive Chef Ed Bolus, Mill’s Tavern. “This recognition is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our entire team. We strive to create dishes that not only highlight the incredible local ingredients available to us but also provide a memorable dining experience for our guests.”
Red Stripe, located at 465 Angell Street in Providence, is pleased to announce that it won the coveted People’s Choice Award in RI Food Fights’ “Big BURGER Blowout 2024”
The “Big BURGER Blowout” is a month-long celebration that features numerous restaurants across Rhode Island competing to create the best burger. This year saw a record number of participating restaurants and Food Fighters—enthusiasts who sample and vote on the offerings—making Red Stripe’s win particularly significant.
“We are incredibly honored to receive the People’s Choice Award,” said Joe Peticca, Sous Chef at Red Stripe. “Our team has dedicated themselves to crafting a burger that not only meets but exceeds our guests’ expectations. This award is a testament to their hard work and the support of our patrons.”
Established in 2005, Red Stripe has built a reputation as an ‘American brasserie’ known for serving creatively refined comfort food with an upscale French influence. This latest accolade underscores the restaurant’s dedication to delivering high-quality, memorable dining experiences.
For more information about Red Stripe, or to make a reservation, call 401-437-6950 or visit www.RedStripeRestaurants.com.
On RIFB Farm Scavenger Hunt, Reed Celebrates Local Farmers & Sows Seeds of Support for EAT Local Foods Act
As Congress considers the Farm Bill and debates issues to support farmers, bolster nutrition programs, strengthen the food supply chain, and lower grocery prices, U.S. Senator Jack Reed today toured local farms to speak directly with farmers, agriculture policy experts, and Rhode Island families.
Senator Reed also highlighted the Expanding Access To (EAT) Local Foods Act (S.3982) – which aims to promote economic opportunities for farmers, fishermen, and food producers, strengthen the nation’s food supply chain network, and increase access to locally-grown, nutritious food in underserved communities. Reed helped include a provision in a version of the Farm Bill making its way through the Senate Agriculture Committee that would provide $200 million over five years in mandatory funding for a program based on the EAT Local Foods Act.
“Rhode Islanders know – good food brings people together. It was great to visit two stops on the Rhode Island Farm Bureau’s 2024 Farm Scavenger Hunt: Wright’s Dairy Farm and Goodwin Brothers Farm. Today, we discussed local priorities for the Farm Bill, raised awareness about the critical work our farmers do to supply Rhode Islanders with healthy, fresh, nutritious food, and talked about how my EAT Local Foods Act would give a boost to family farms and the national food supply chain network while also providing fresh, nutritious food for Americans in need,” said Senator Reed.
Senator Reed partnered with Henry B. Wright III and Heidi Quinn of the Rhode Island Farm Bureau (RIFB) and officials from the Rhode Island Farm Service Agency (FSA) and the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) Division of Agriculture to tour Wright’s Dairy Farm & Bakery and Goodwin Brothers Farm in North Smithfield. Reed also teamed up with the Rhode Island Farm Bureau to highlight the 2024 Rhode Island Farm Scavenger Hunt and raise awareness about the positive impact that local farms and farmers have on the environment and public health of Rhode Island and the state’s economy.
“The RI Farm Scavenger Hunt is designed to create awareness of local food in Rhode Island, and the many opportunities offered by Rhode Island’s diversified agriculture. The Scavenger Hunt brings out people that don’t necessarily realize local food is produced closer than they think. It also allows producers the opportunity to interface with the culturally diverse consumers in our state, providing farms with the opportunity to trial new crops,” said RIFB President Henry B. Wright III.
Both family farm operations are among the thirty farms featured on this year’s RI Farm Scavenger Hunt. Visitors are invited to pick up a “game board” flier, available for free at all thirty participating Rhode Island farms and the RI Farm Bureau office, to match corresponding picture clues with each farm and collect stickers at each of the stops. The goal of RIFB’s Scavenger Hunt is to raise awareness of the impact of Rhode Island farmers and to engage friends and families in adventuring around dozens of local farms.
At Wright’s Dairy Farm & Bakery, the tour highlighted a newly renovated milk processing facility on the farm for Wright’s 115 Holstein cows. Senator Reed and Clayton Wright, Director of Farm Operations & Owner of Wright’s Dairy Farm, discussed the growth of the over 200-acre, fourth-generation family farm over the last 110 years.
After stopping at Wright’s, Senator Reed joined Robert and Joshua Goodwin at Goodwin Brothers Farm to tour their acclaimed farm stand and pick blueberries, which are just began ripening for the season. The multi-generational 80-acre farm features a 960 square-foot custom heavy timber barn that was built in 2000 and sells fresh produce and fruit grown at Goodwin Brothers and other local farms throughout Northern Rhode Island.
“Rhode Island’s farms are critical to the state’s health, prosperity, resilience, and way of life. As Congress considers the Farm Bill, I will do everything I can to ensure our family farmers, growers, and food producers have the tools they need to survive and thrive and that their businesses are productive and sustainable,” said Senator Reed.
Congress is supposed to pass a new Farm Bill every five years. The current Farm Bill is set to expire on September 30. A new five-year Farm Bill must be passed by both the House and the Senate before it can be signed into law.
