Merican Mule

01 / WHAT IT BUILT

What the company did

'Merican Mule is a Connecticut-based premium canned cocktail brand founded in 2017 by friends Dean Mahoney, Pete Weil and Steve Pawlik, who left their jobs and iterated for seven months on a canned Moscow Mule recipe. Its bartender-quality mules - all 7% ABV, made with premium distilled spirits, proprietary ginger beer and all-natural ingredients, no malt or artificial flavoring - include the flagship Moscow Mule (vodka), Mexican Mule (tequila), Tropical Mule (rum), Southern Mule (bourbon), plus seasonal releases like Fire Mule and Pumpkin Spice Mule. In 2021 it launched an eight-can variety pack spanning four different spirits, reaching thousands of retail locations including Total Wine, Whole Foods and Target. In November 2021 the founders of Blue Buffalo and SoBe Beverages, the Bishop family, made a major investment in the brand. No dated shutdown or acquisition event was found.

03 / EVENT HISTORY

Events in the structured record

1. 2017
   Founded

   'Merican Mule was founded in Connecticut in 2017 by Dean Mahoney, Pete Weil and Steve Pawlik as a premium canned cocktail brand.

2. 2020
   Seasonal launch

   The brand debuted its seasonal Fire Mule (bourbon, ginger beer, cinnamon) in winter 2020.

3. 2021
   Growth

   'Merican Mule launched an eight-can variety pack with four different spirits and announced a major investment from the Bishop family (Blue Buffalo/SoBe founders).

4. Pending
   Status

   No dated shutdown or acquisition event was found; the brand continued releasing seasonal products.