Hooters

Hooters Introduces Line of ‘Premium Spirits’

"This week I noticed Hooters announced its own line of “new premium spirits,” called Hooters Spirits, made in collaboration with United Spirits, Inc., to be sold this fall at Hooters locations and “select retailers.” The brand leans into craft-spirits marketing language — the vodka is billed as “smooth” and distilled six times; the gin uses “select natural botanicals” and juniper berries; the dark rum is made with “choice Caribbean blackstrap sugar cane molasses”; there’s a light rum and two tequilas (one described as “amber hued”); and they even introduced a Fireball-style product called Hooters Heat. I read this move as marking the death of the waning craft-spirit movement (somewhat ironic as spiked seltzer becomes ascendent), and I can’t help picturing patrons washing down wings and fried pickles with Hooters gin martinis — not exactly an attempt to go too upscale." - Chris Crowley