TIF’s Spiked Canned Cocktails

food & libations | recipes | delicious events

BY PRIYA HUTNER

FROM LEFT: TIF’s Spiked founder, Tif Trevathan. TIF’s Spiked Lemonade. | Courtesy TIF’s Spiked

Canned cocktails are taking the country by storm. They are sold at bars, hotels and supermarkets. It’s easy to open a can and enjoy a cocktail with no preparation or fuss — perfect for a day on the lake, in the woods or on the mountain. Canned-cocktail sales skyrocketed in 2021 with 42 precent revenue growth making it the fastest-growing spirits segment, according to Distilled Spirits Council of the United States. People love the variety of flavors and ease of a canned cocktail. Five months ago, Tif Trevethan and her daughter Kelsey launched their made-in-Tahoe, canned cocktail TIF’s Spiked, eponymously named. I met the Trevethans at the recent Tahoe City Oktoberfest at their booth tucked in amongst the Kolsch and Pilsners booths. Their newly minted product, TIF’S Spiked Lemonade was debuting at the event. The coconut-forward cocktail provided a hint of lemon and definitely packed a punch. The consensus around the booth was positive. “I actually began making it in my kitchen 12 years ago. I made cocktails and experimented with vodka and Malibu [rum] combined. By the third batch, people were like, this is insane,” says Trevethan. She made pitchers of her cocktails for people to take to parties. Eventually, the idea of canning the product became a reality. Trevethan worked with a flavor house to get the cocktail close to the one she made in her kitchen. In her words: “We nailed it.” “The Spiked Lemon is a blend of vodka, rum, lemonade, acai berry and coconut flavor. It’s very summery,” she says. The canned cocktail packs a punch with 12 percent alcohol. There are two servings per can. TIF’s Spiked is working on introducing new flavors to the canned cocktail line in the not-too-distant future. The new canned-cocktail flavors include Spicy Margarita made with passionfruit, jalapeño and coconut tequila; Rum Punch and Cucumber Melon Cooler. The cooler will offer a lower ABV (alcohol by volume). And, 5 percent of profits benefits Clean Up the Lake. Daughter Kelsey is the COO and husband Kelly helps with finances and sales. “It is a women-run and family-owned business,” she says. Trevethan is excited about the future and is planning to launch a luxury cocktail line that will include Old Fashioned and Manhattan canned cocktails. My whiskey-loving self looks forward to sampling these cocktails. The lightly carbonated spiked lemonade is unique. It’s light and easy and available for purchase online or at various Tahoe locations. | tifsspiked.com n

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Plastic products break down into microplastics, which can pollute waterways. | Clean Up the Tahoe SLT BANS PLASTIC WATER BOTTLES

The South Lake Tahoe City Council unanimously approved an ordinance to ban the use of single-use plastic water bottles in late September. There will be a second reading of the ordinance in October. If adopted, a municipal use ban will be into effect on Earth Day on April 22, 2023, with a commercial ban going into effect on April 22, 2024. The ban would include all single-use plastic water bottles smaller than 1 gallon.

The City of South Lake Tahoe banned the use of polystyrene containers, commonly known by the brand Styrofoam, along with foam coolers and other single-use food containers in 2018. | cityofslt.us

Excellence in Education is offering its fall fundraiser, Dining for Schools cards, which had been on hold for a few years. The cards are on sale now and may be used starting Oct. 16.

The cards are $100 each and are available online or at Mountain Hardware in Truckee, Safeway in Truckee and Kings Beach, and at SaveMart in Truckee and Tahoe City. Patrons receive