Stoked Vodka

Getting stokedNew Age vodka bounding over

sales forecasts

Stephanie Cooney and Brenda Magnusson became friends a� er working together at an engineering � rm. � ey had at least one thing in common: neither wanted to continue to work for someone else. � e pair talked

for months about creating a product or invention that could give them the � nancial independence they craved. A series of ideas – “self-help books, gadgets and dumb ideas” – were brought forward, considered and discarded.

� en one night over drinks at Brenda’s house, they had an idea. A crazy, wonderful idea! Brenda had liquid hemp in the fridge and the two former mixologists thought hemp could be a starting point for a totally hip, unique product.

� ey approached a private label distillery – Highwood in High River, Alberta – and started experimenting with hemp in liquid, seed and powder. � ey � nally found the mix they were looking for.

North America’s � rst hemp-infused vodka was rolled out in July 2010 and the two women have never looked back. Now known as the Liquid Chicks, the two are e� ervescent, intelligent and unfailingly ambitious. “We sold 1,500 cases in the � rst year, which quadrupled sales expectations,” says Brenda.

Did it exceed their expectations? Replies Stephanie, “No.

“We’ve got some pretty big expectations.”

Spreading like a weed

Liquid Chicks had their work cut out for them in more ways than one. Citrus and candy-� avoured segments of the market were already overcrowded, notes Brenda.

“We saw Stoked being able to o� er a unique piece of the herbal/grass � avoured segment,” explains Stephanie.

� e quadruple-distilled ultra-smooth vodka with a slight hint of hemp’s nutty � avour tastes just like regular vodka, with a little bit of an extra kick to it, says Stephanie.

“It goes well with anything,” adds Brenda. “We’ve also been told that no one gets a hangover from it the

Stephanie Cooney and Brenda Magnusson

next day so we know we have high-grade product.”

Certainly, Liquid Chicks had hurdles to overcome.

� e hemp leaf label proved di� cult to get approved. Each province has di� erent regulations: BC. legislators didn’t like the play on words on the back of the label. Adjustments were made.

“We had to get around misconceptions about hemp,” said Brenda. From the same Cannabis family of plants as its more infamous cousin, hemp lacks any traceable amounts of the psychoactive agent tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) found in marijuana.

“Hemp is an organic product with numerous health bene� ts,” points out Brenda.

Hemp seed is a health product that contains essential amino and fatty acids and is said to improve circulation and blood pressure and nourish hair and nails.

Eventually, Stoked Vodka passed muster with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency regulations. continued...

Achievements so far

Stoked for sale in Alberta July 2010Manitoba December 2010British Columbia January 2011Quadrupled sales expectations in its � rst year

Stoked Vodka has appeared in newspapers across Canada and the U.S., radio appearances, Alberta Primetime, Global, NTV, Travel Alberta as well as at the Playboy Mansion, Showtime TV’s Weeds, the Stony Awards, 420 magazine

� e Liquid Chicks have sponsored many events and causes such as the Rainbow Society, various minor hockey functions, � e Cancer Society, Grande Prairie Regional College Welcome Back Students’ party, Demonika festival in Calgary and Edmonton, and the Taste of Calgary.

You can honestly say you didn’t inhale... but you did swallow

... continued

Originally targeted to 18-to 25-year-olds, Stephanie now believes its appeal will be even broader because hemp is known for being environmentally cultivated.

Stoked Vodka is warehoused in St. Albert and then delivered to restaurants, bars and more than 200 liquor stores across Alberta, B.C. and Manitoba.

� e two have set their sites on gaining entry into the U.S. market.

“We see ourselves all over the U.S. and Canada,” says Brenda.

It’s hard not to be stoked about StokedCommunity Futures Grande Prairie and Region (CFGP) got on board with us and really catapulted us to the next level, says Stephanie. “We were able to secure a business coach that helped us develop a business plan, provided us with general business knowledge and just as importantly network in the � eld.”

� anks to CFGP resources, Stoked Vodka secured seed money to use for marketing, label development and packaging for a more e� ective market positioning.

“Community Futures put some fantastic tools into our hands,” said Brenda.

For more information on Stoked Vodka or the Liquid Chicks, please visit www.liquidchicks.com or Liquid Chicks on Facebook.

Stoked VodkaBrenda Magnusson and Stephanie Cooney Liquid Chicks Inc.Grande Prairie, AB liquidchicks.comliquidchicks@hotmail.com