Modesto, Calif.-based New Amsterdam Spirits Co. has teamed up with New York-based Barstool Sports and its No. 1 hockey podcast, Spittin’ Chiclets, to launch a new pink lemonade-flavored vodka: the Pink Whitney.
The Pink Whitney was inspired by the favorite drink of Ryan Whitney, former NHL player and co-host of Spittin' Chiclets. The drink went viral in October 2018 after Whitney shared his favorite way to drink New Amsterdam Vodka — with pink lemonade — on the first episode of the podcast that New Amsterdam sponsored, resulting in an unprecedented amount of social media posts from enthusiastic fans who organically coined the term ‘Pink Whitney,’ the company says.
"We were blown away by the immediate response to the Pink Whitney once we mentioned it on Spittin' Chiclets," Whitney said. "We knew we had something when the fans started sending us pictures of their Pink Whitneys and when the bars and some NHL arenas started serving them as specialty drinks."
The bottle features disruptive, attention-grabbing iconography including Barstool Sports and Spittin' Chiclets logos, Whitney's jersey number from his playing days in the NHL, and one of his favorite sayings — 'What a Legend.'
Barstool Sports and New Amsterdam Vodka will promote the Pink Whitney through their own platforms through social support and digital advertising, which includes 15 and 30 second commercial content featuring Whitney and his Spittin' Chiclets co-host, Paul Bissonnette. The spots also will air on NBC Sports in early October to coincide with the new hockey season. Additional promotions will include advertising on Spotify and POS materials for retail and on-premise locations.
"We are excited to continue the success of the partnership between Barstool Sports and New Amsterdam Vodka by bringing the Pink Whitney to market," said Michael Sachs, director of marketing for New Amsterdam Spirits, in a statement. "We pride ourselves on listening to our consumers, and because of this listening, we now have our first flavor that is a direct result of the enthusiasm shown on social media that Barstool Sports and New Amsterdam Vodka fans have expressed for Ryan's favorite drink."
Deirdre Lester, chief revenue office for Barstool Sports commented: "This partnership between Barstool Sports and New Amsterdam is a demonstration of two innovative companies coming together to move beyond the status quo sponsorship or media deal and create something unique and highly appealing to consumers. New Amsterdam has been fearless and has shown relentless commitment to growing their brand through Barstool Sports' platforms. This partnership and the results have already been beyond everyone's expectations."
The Pink Whitney now is available nationwide for a suggested retail price of $14.99 for a 750-ml bottle.