Bethenny Frankel at the Skinnygirl Sangria launch party. Photo by Jim Spellman.
You’ve heard it countless times: a drink here or there may be good for your health, but toss them back too often and more than your wallet will suffer; your waistline is likely to be hit hard, too. Then along came the Skinnygirl. No, not that friend you secretly hate (the one who can eat or drink anything with no consequence), but a line of tasty concoctions stirred up by Bethenny Frankel, reality TV star and natural food chef. The line began with the Skinnygirl margarita – just 100 calories in a four ounce serving with natural agave nectar. The margarita was pre-mixed and was an instant hit.
In true American dream fashion, the success of Skinnygirl caught not only the public eye, but the attention of one of the world’s largest spirits companies, Beam Global, makers of Jim Beam bourbon. In March of 2011, Beam acquired Skinnygirl and in doing so, vaulted Bethenny to the cover of a Forbes magazine issue focused on wealthy entertainers. According to the accompanying Forbes article, this was truly a meteoric rise, just three years prior Frankel was part of the Real Housewives of New York reality TV show and living paycheck to paycheck trying to make ends meet. Now the Skinnygirl dynasty includes a line of diet and nutrition products, facial cleansing creams and three best-selling books.
The drinks remain the stars of the show though, and as demand for Skinnygirl grew, so did the Skinnygirl family. Last summer, a pre-made sangria was launched, followed by a White Cranberry Cosmo this past fall.
While the line has expanded, the products stay true to the core goal of promoting a fun but healthier lifestyle. New among the spirits offerings this year are a line of vodkas with a touch of flavor; Tangerine, Cucumber and Island Coconut all promise to add pizzazz to a drink, but each pour offers 20% fewer calories than the USDA standard for vodka. And for those ladies who prefer to wine down their week, Skinnygirl now offers a red, white and rose California wine line. And just in time for summer, a pre-made Pina Colada was added to the roster – lots of frothy sweetness, not a lot of fat.
Look for the Skinnygirl line at retailers near you or visit www.skinnygirlcocktails.com.
