By Tanya Henry
‘Retro-nautical’ is the term that Heather Wyatt uses to describe the look and feel of her canned cocktail that hit Northern California store shelves in June 2016. In less than a year, the locally made beverage is in 26 stores throughout the Bay Area.
“It took two years from concept to launch to get my Salt Point Moscow Mule to market,” says Wyatt, a Mill Valley resident and advertising-executive-turned-entrepreneur. “I love the cocktail culture and consider myself a foodie.”
For the uninitiated, a Moscow Mule is a cocktail made with vodka, ginger beer and lime juice. It’s typically served in a copper mug with a wedge of lime. Wyatt’s version contains the required ingredients (all American-made), and is sold in single, 12-ounce, ready-to-drink cans, as well as in four-packs.
Wyatt clearly did her homework before going to market. Her research revealed that both men and women like the vodka (non-malt-based) drink, it’s all-season-friendly and the recyclable cans make them easy to transport to picnics, beach outings, etc.
When asked which foods are best complemented by this fizzy libation, Wyatt suggests fish & chips, tacos, guacamole and barbecue of any kind.
Inspired by a region south of Mendocino, the name pays homage to the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco. Wyatt worked with an illustrator and good friend to create the image that she feels embodies the region and brand in equal parts.
Though Salt Point is based in Mill Valley, the beverage is made in Napa; for now, Wyatt’s small team handles the distribution. But that might be about to change—Whole Foods Markets in Northern California just picked up the product. So it’s likely that we’ll be seeing much more of the uniquely packaged cocktail.
Learn more at saltpoint.co.
