LOUISVILLE, Ky. — BuzzBallz is mixing cocktails with couture as the Sazerac-owned brand brings its viral BuzzBagz collection to the United States for the first time, timed to coincide with New York Fashion Week and the launch of its newest limited-edition flavor, Dirty Shirley.
The unusual collection pairs the brand’s unmistakable round ready-to-drink cocktails with 10 limited-edition handbags inspired by recognizable fashion silhouettes from different eras. Two new designs have been created specifically for the U.S. market.
Each BuzzBagz handbag is priced at $100 and, appropriately enough, includes enough room to carry a BuzzBallz cocktail.
The collection originally debuted in the United Kingdom last winter and generated enough attention that BuzzBallz decided to bring the concept across the Atlantic.
“After the excitement around their UK debut last year, bringing BuzzBagz stateside for New York Fashion Week felt like the perfect way to celebrate our newest Dirty Shirley flavor and give fans an iconic way to show off their BuzzBallz fandom,” BuzzBallz President Jess Scheerhorn said. “It’s cocktails meets ballzy couture.”
Dirty Shirley gets the fashion treatment
The U.S. launch coincides with the introduction of Dirty Shirley, a limited-edition BuzzBallz flavor inspired by the nostalgic Shirley Temple and its grown-up cocktail counterpart.
Dirty Shirley features cherry and lemon-lime citrus flavors without carbonation.
Two of the 10 BuzzBagz designs were created around the new cocktail, incorporating colors and other design cues inspired by Dirty Shirley.
“Dirty Shirley isn’t a flavor that was meant for a quiet debut,” Scheerhorn said. “It’s bold, playful and nostalgic with a twist, and BuzzBagz bring that same attitude into the fashion world.”
The limited-edition Dirty Shirley BuzzBallz is available nationwide at participating retailers in the familiar 200-milliliter container with a suggested retail price of $3.99, plus applicable taxes.
A larger 1.75-liter Biggie version carries a suggested retail price of $19.99, plus tax.
How to get a BuzzBagz handbag
Consumers will have two opportunities to purchase the limited-edition bags.
BuzzBallz will hold a New York City pop-up Tuesday, Sept. 15, at 45 Lispenard St., near Canal Street. The event begins at 3 p.m.
A final collection is then scheduled to be released through the official BuzzBallz TikTok Shop in late September.
Each bag will sell for $100.
The BuzzBagz campaign represents another unconventional marketing move for BuzzBallz, a brand that has built much of its identity around brightly colored packaging, playful product names and its distinctive spherical containers.
It also comes as BuzzBallz enters a new chapter under Kentucky-based Sazerac.
Sazerac completed its acquisition of BuzzBallz parent company Southern Champion in 2024, adding the fast-growing ready-to-drink cocktail company to a portfolio that includes Buffalo Trace, Benchmark, Weller, Eagle Rare, 1792 Bourbon, Fireball Cinnamon Whisky and other spirits brands.
The BuzzBagz launch may be a long way from traditional Kentucky bourbon marketing, but it demonstrates how spirits companies are increasingly looking outside the liquor aisle to create attention around their brands.
For BuzzBallz, that means taking the cocktail from the cooler to the catwalk.
Just don’t expect “quiet luxury.”
For all the latest BuzzBallz updates, visit www.buzzballz.com.
About BuzzBallz
Since its founding in 2009, BuzzBallz has been a leader of innovation and originality in the ready-to-drink cocktail industry. The #1 selling single serve premixed cocktail brand in the U.S., BuzzBallz’s iconic round shape and bold, bar-strength offerings are perfect for today’s grab and go lifestyle. Serving over a dozen flavors including Lime ‘Rita, Chili Mango, Berry Cherry Limeade, Lotta Colada, and more, BuzzBallz is on a mission to reinvent happy hour. Learn more at: www.buzzballz.com.
