Finally, Queens has its own canned cocktail, QNSY Sparkling Cocktails.
The work of actors turned bartenders turned entrepreneurs, with a combined four decades in NYC hospitality, QNSY Sparkling Cocktails come in three flavors: Mojito, Cosmo and Lovely Rita (their take on a Margarita).
“There is no shortage of canned beverages on the market, but try to pick one that is really delicious and delivers the craft cocktail experience on the go, and your choices are limited,” says QNSY Co-Founder Jeremy Bohen. “We set out to create the best tasting canned cocktails and judging by the early response, we’ve nailed it.”
Joining Bohen behind the bar at QNSY is his wife and partner Tara Merdjanoff. Together, the two have more than 45 years’ experience working at some of New York’s best-known hospitality brands, such as Capital Grille, The Standard and M Wells, among others.
During the pandemic, the husband-and-wife team, who live in Jackson Heights, both lost their jobs and decided to turn their time, attention and savings to bringing QNSY to market.
“We’ve been through thick and thin with this town,” says Merdjanoff. “We were both born and bred in New York City. We’re not hipsters who moved here to slap a ‘made in Brooklyn’ on our label.”
“You’ll find a little bit of that Queens attitude on every can,” she adds.
In developing QNSY, Bohen and Merdjanoff opted for classic cocktails using real fruit juice, pure cane sugar and natural flavors. QNSY Sparkling Cocktails are made using sugar brew.
“As a natural, neutral alcohol, it’s a perfect base for cocktails that would typically be made with vodka, light rum or silver tequila,” says Bohen. “Because sugar brew is not distilled, it’s regulated like beer, which means QNSY can be offered anywhere beer is sold.”
“These are cocktails we’d be proud to serve from behind any bar, and we are thrilled that so many local accounts have already signed on,” Merdjanoff explains. Including, she adds, both of their former employers.
QNSY Sparkling Cocktails are 5% ABV, and available in 12-oz. slim cans and sixtel kegs. They are represented in New York by Sarene Craft Beer Distributors.
“We’re extremely excited to bring QNSY Sparkling Cocktails to New York,” says Matt Schulman, founder/co-owner Sarene Craft Beer Distributors. “It’s not easy to stand out in a sea of new canned alcohol offerings, but they’ve nailed it by being among the best tasting and highest quality canned cocktails available. We believe consumers will be just as excited to try these as we were when we first got our hands on them, and we’re sure they will not be disappointed.”
