The Beach Boysā Mike Love and Geoff Longenecker of Seven Caves Distillery Have Created a Collection of Craft Cocktails
āAruba, Jamaica, ooh I wanna take yaā¦ā Kokomo Spirits
If youāve ever dreamed of getting away to a mythical, magical little place called Kokomoānowās your chance!
The Beach Boys co-founder and original band member Mike Love and Geoff Longenecker of Seven Caves Distillery have created a collection of craft cocktails in a canāinspired by the groupās 1988 hit song that spawned a community of beachgoers seeking that little slice of tropical paradise.
While Kokomo is technically more of a state of mind than a geographic location, the launch of Club Kokomo Spirits is reigniting the collective passion for an island getawayātaking the lyrics ābodies in the sand, tropical drink melting in your handā to a whole new level.
Love linked arms with Longnecker to craft four rum- and gin-based flavors in the core cocktail collection. The spirits enterprise proudly produces and distributes the beverage brand locally in San Diego.
āEach one of our cocktails has unique elements,ā explains Loveās son, business partner and the bannerās Head of Brand Development, Brian Love.
āUnlike [spiked] seltzers, weāve created these to drink like a [mixed] cocktailā¦with fruit-forward notes like guava and lychee.ā
But donāt expect any heavy, filling flavors here. āThis isnāt your traditional rum or gin based cocktail,ā adds Chris Ebbeler, head of marketing and social strategy for the brand. āThis is much more of a crafted experience. Itās clear, crisp and clean. And it’s really refreshingānot syrupy sweet like a rum and coke.ā
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The catalyst for the whole creation began years ago. On a night off from a summer concert tour in New York City, Mike and his wife Jacquelyne enjoyed dinner out. Mike ordered a Mojito, one of the only cocktails he drinks, and it turned out to be particularly delicious. This version had a unique touchāa sugar cane stalk in the presentationāthat made it stand out.
As he hummed the bass line to the hit song āKokomo,ā he was hit with a stroke of linguistic geniusāchristening his spin on “Kokomo” and “Mojito” to create what is now known today as the āKokomojito.ā
Infusing the classic rum-and-mint cocktail with lime and lemongrass creates a refreshing twist on a beloved favorite. The result is a symphony of flavors that you truly have to taste to believe. No stranger to a melodic mix, Loveās beverage blends are as smooth as the bandās five-part harmonies. Each sip delivers flavor notes that are just as pitch-perfect as the music itself.
Also included in the libation lineup is the Afternoon Delightāa citrusy rum rush thatās similar in taste to a ginger mule with notes of maple, ginger and allspice; the Excitationāgrounded by gin with elements of citrus, black cherry and passionfruit; and the Mystiqueāa tropical fruit blend of guava and lychee, cemented with a foundation of rum infused with jasmine tea.
Not only will Club Kokomoās collection of rum- and gin-based beverages transport you to a sun-soaked island, but theyāre also racking up the accolades. The brand was recently awarded three Bartender Spirits Awards designations: the Mystique cocktail won gold, and both Excitation and Kokomojito won silver!
In addition to a robust flavor profile, the driving force is āthe portability and convenience of having an elevated cocktail experience in the palm of your hand,ā explains Brian Love.
The timing of Love’s brainchild turned out to be divine; pandemic life brought lockdowns and travel bans, leaving dreamers around the country yearning for an escape to a fictional fantasy island like Kokomo.
āDad hadnāt had a summer off in 60 years [until Covid],ā Brian Love explains, which created the perfect timelineā33 days to be exactāto dream up a distillery and manifest the Kokomojito into the hands of the people craving it most.
In early 2022, as the post-pandemic landscape began to take shape, The Beach Boys were set to partner on a three-day excursion with Norwegian Cruise Linesāwhich turned out to be the perfect place to test drive and soft launch the product, providing a physical element to the musical experience.
āWe had 2,400 captive cruisers to test the initial first two [flavors],ā says the younger Love. The response was overwhelmingly positive. āSo we said, letās do this. Letās make it official.ā
Festivals around Southern California were among the first to sample the full cocktail lineup, proving to be an ideal target audience.
āPeople came out of the pandemic fundamentally different,ā Ebbeler adds. āThere was an element of being on auto-pilot until [Covid] happened. People suddenly had time to make sourdough starters, and making fresh cocktails at home became part of that experience. PeopleĀ were having happy hours over Zoom and taking time to explore a new taste profile. The idea of complex tastes has become more mainstream now, and that holds true for food and liquor as well.ā
The curated collection hit 22 retail stores across San Diego in October 2022. Currently, it’s available online and ships to 34 states nationwide, with rapid expansion underway. This summer, Orange County will welcome premium canned cocktails in liquor retailers. Later this year, the brand will continue its coastal journey to Northern California.
Club Kokomo Spirits will also make a big debut at the Orange County Fair. Fans can be on the lookout for award-winning Mystique and Kokomojito cans!
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Also on tap: live tastings and demonstrations at Seven Caves Distillery in San Diego. VIP experiences and summer events are also in the lineup. A line of aged spirits under the same label is currently in the works. Like-minded fans can join Club Kokomo for updates on new releases, merch drops, and meet-and-greets with Mike Love himself.
āWe want fans to get involved in the process. We want to give them VIP content they canāt get anywhere else,ā explains Ebbeler. āItās truly a community that we are excited to see come to life.ā
In the meantime, itās clear that the Kokomo spirit is alive and wellāand now, forever captured in a can.
“Kokomo is a mythical place,ā says Brian Love, ābut we can help you get thereāand that begins with one sip.”
Club Kokomo Spirits
@clubkokomospirits
Based in Los Angeles, Kandace has spent the past ten years in the fashion and lifestyle space, and recently in entertainment at Sony Pictures Studios. She has a Masters in Journalism from Emerson College and has studied in Paris, Firenze, and Washington DC, beginning her career as a style editor and tastemaker for NBC. She is an internationally award-winning filmmaker, having studied screenwriting for film and television at UCLA, and her work has been celebrated around the world, in cities like London, Nice, New York, and MontrƩal. Paying homage to her French heritage, she is also the creator of The Chic American--a style and culture editorial destination for Francophiles, dedicated to the art of living an elevated, French-inspired lifestyle.
