Southern Champion Awarded 14 Medals in 2023 Pr%f Awards Competition

Carrollton, TX , Dec. 04, 2023 – Southern Champion is finishing the year strong, taking in 14 medals from this year’s annual Pr%f Awards alcohol competition for their two staple brands, BuzzBallz and Uptown Cocktails.

BuzzBallz and Uptown Cocktails were awarded medals in both the Masked Double Blind Tasting and Unmasked Total Package Design categories for each of the 7 combined flavors entered in the competition. Out of the 7 flavors submitted, 3 were released this year.

Tracy Frisbie, EVP of Sales and Marketing for BuzzBallz, said that she was intentional about pushing for newer flavors to be submitted for the competition.

“Innovation is a core part of our culture. We are always looking for new flavors that will excite and be enjoyed by our consumers,” Frisbie said.

Our BuzzBallz branded packaging is creative and iconic. Our Uptown Cocktails are more grocery friendly packaging alternatives to the same great flavors.

The Masked Double Blind Tasting portion of the competition consists of sampling product without any labeling of the brand. This ensures the taste and discovery of a product can be done without any prior bias.

The Unmasked Total Package Design judging takes place after the Blind Tasting, in which judges get the opportunity to taste the product again, as well as see the product’s packaging, design, and learn about the product and the brand’s story.

BuzzBallz was awarded Double Gold in each Package Design assessment. In the Tasting assessments, it received a Silver award for Pineapple Jalapeño, Gold award for Cookie Nookie, and Double Gold award for Eggnog.

Uptown Cocktails was awarded Gold in each Package Design assessment. In the Tasting assessments, it received a Silver award for Melon Peppersmash and Caribbean Punch, and Gold awards for Piña Colada and Blue Hawaiian.

BuzzBallz CEO and Founder, Merrilee Kick, said she’s proud of the results from the competition, and that it’s a testament to her hardworking employees that create the beverages.

“I firmly believe in the power of flavor profile. The product simply has to taste not just ok, not just good, but great. That is our goal every time,” Kick said.

Each judge in the competition is a US-based expert buyer with extensive knowledge of the alcoholic beverage industry, and each brand competing is ranked on a 100 point system by group evaluation.

These awards close on an impressive year for Southern Champion, who received over a dozen awards in 2023 from competitions like the SIP Awards, Beverage Information Group Growth Brands Awards, and an induction to the City of Carrollton Business Hall of Fame.

For more information, visit www.buzzballz.com, www.uptowncocktails.com, and www.proofawards.com.

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Since its founding in 2009, BuzzBallz, LLC/Southern Champion has been a leader of innovation and originality in the ready-to-drink cocktail industry. Owning the only woman-owned distillery, winery, and brewery in the United States, CEO and Founder Merrilee Kick has taken her master’s degree thesis project from an idea by her pool to a worldwide brand with distribution nationwide and in 25 countries. The company’s two staple brands, BuzzBallz and Uptown Cocktails, have won dozens of awards for their design, flavor, and popularity, with BuzzBallz rising to the #1 selling RTD in convenience stores and going viral on social media with hundreds of millions of views on posts mentioning the one of a kind cocktail.

The company’s mission is to create fun and innovative premixed cocktails for the world with a vision to reinvent happy hour. With premium natural ingredients and all gluten-free and Kosher-certified flavors, the Texas-based business is dedicated to high quality in their products for consumers and community alike. Through partnerships like their TerraCycle® program, BuzzBallz, LLC/Southern Champion values environmental responsibility with an emphasis on sustainability and economic improvement. The family-owned company cultivates a familial relationship with their teams to make a positive and lasting impact one sip at a time. Learn more at: www.southern-champion.com, www.uptowncocktails.com, and www.buzzballz.com.