Some time between midnight and 4am last month – memories are a little hazy – Amy Larkman and her friend fell up the stairs of a Cardiff nightclub. ‘Not down, but up,’ stresses Amy, 19. ‘We just couldn’t see where we were going.’
After staggering home at 6.30am and ordering a McDonald’s breakfast, the pair promptly fell asleep. The social sciences undergraduate woke to ten missed calls from her delivery driver and rain-ruined McMuffins on the doorstep.
‘We love to get very drunk, find everything hilarious, regret it the next morning and do it again the next week,’ says Amy, resignedly. ‘I feel that’s part of being a student.’
So too are the drinks that kickstarted Amy’s night out: BuzzBallz, ready-mixed, single-serve cocktails that come in lurid-coloured, tennis-ball-shaped containers and sell for as little as £2.99 each. You’ve probably seen the empties lying in gutters or park benches. Amy and her friend had ‘two or three each’ the night they ‘fell up’ the stairs.
Frequently fruit-flavoured and so high in sugar some fans claim they don’t taste of alcohol at all, BuzzBallz might remind midlife parents of the alcopops they downed in the 1990s – concoctions such as Bacardi Breezers, Hooch and WKD.
But whereas those drinks were 5 per cent ABV (alcohol by volume) or less, BuzzBallz are nearly three times the strength at a whopping 13 per cent – or more.
The effects ‘kick in’ after 15 minutes, says Amy, who often drinks three in an hour at a friend’s flat before heading out, popping another in her bag for the Uber to a club, because ‘they’re the perfect size’.
By which point, she would have drunk the alcoholic equivalent of a bottle of wine before her evening had even properly begun. And she’s far from alone, because BuzzBallz are this summer’s biggest Gen Z trend, consumed everywhere from parks to end-of-school-year parties to street corners.
BuzzBallz are nearly three times the strength of a traditional alcopop at a whopping 13 per cent – or more
Founded by American teacher Merrilee Kick back in 2009, the popularity of the drink, which launched in the UK in 2022, has recently exploded – thanks to social media, a trend for RTD (ready to drink) cocktails and a cost-of-living crisis.
In the UK, sales have tripled in the past year alone, with the red, green and orange containers fast becoming as ubiquitous a sight as plastic vapes.
In May, Aldi became the latest supermarket stockist, selling them for just £2.99, while Morrisons had a ‘three for £8’ offer on last month. Yet BuzzBallz are also sold in corner shops amid the confectionery, where age checks are less likely – and where teens such as Amy often source hers. Her 16-year-old sister has heard of them too. ‘She texted me the other day saying, “If I pay you ten per cent commission can you buy me some BuzzBallz?” I said “Absolutely not!” ’
Their prevalence is in large part thanks to TikTok, where Amy first heard about them last year.
‘People kick off about them and they go viral,’ she tells me. A video of a young woman downing two Strawberry ‘Ritas – one of BuzzBallz’ bestsellers, a 13.5 per cent ABV cocktail of tequila and vodka in a bright red ball – in 13 seconds amassed 660,000 likes.
Another woman sports a bloodied eye and captions her video ‘here’s your reminder NOT to drink 6 buzzballz.’
A third films herself assuring her unsuspecting mum the Tequila ‘Rita she’s drinking is an energy drink, writing below her video ‘she didn’t realise its got alcohol in it lol’. In fact, this one, in a vivid green ball, is a mix of tequila, vodka and triple sec and also comes in at 13.5 per cent abv. As one bikini-clad girl trialling a chilli and mango flavour in Ibiza sums up, ‘apparently they get you f***ed’.
BuzzBallz founder Merrilee Kick
Of course, they are not the only ready-made cocktail you can buy – but a £2.50 Marks & Spencer can of gin and tonic, for example, has an abv of 8 per cent and looks like something your mum would drink. ‘BuzzBallz are only a tiny bit extra [in price], but a lot stronger,’ says Amy. ‘A student budget teaches you to get the most drunk with the least money and BuzzBallz are very much a favourite for this.’
Yet the strength and affordability of these cocktails is not enough to explain their appeal to a notoriously alcohol-averse generation. Most studies report that Gen Z drinks 20 per cent less than the Millennials before them. So how exactly did BuzzBallz persuade today’s virtuous teens that boozing is a good idea?
BuzzBallz are ‘unashamedly fun,’ says Louise Millar, strategy director at Gen Z marketing agency Seed. ‘Their colourful, spherical design feels made for selfies, and the variety of flavours gives an almost pick-n-mix appeal that invites trial and sharing.’
They make the Bacardi Breezer glass bottles of the 1990s seem positively archaic. ‘They’ve already become embedded in TikTok and meme culture – which is today’s fastest route to youth relevance,’ adds Millar. ‘The fact that you can grab one from a corner shop only strengthens the perception that they’re “for us, by us”. This isn’t just about alcohol. It’s about vibe, identity and viral appeal.’
With tongue-in-cheek names such as Choc Tease – a vodka, chocolate and cream concoction – and Lotta Colada, which is rum and pineapple, BuzzBallz subvert the idea of prohibitively priced grown-up cocktails served in fancy glasses in sophisticated bars. That they are an American import – like non-alcoholic drink Prime, which came in similarly neon-coloured containers and reached similarly unimaginable levels of popularity in 2022 – also adds to its appeal.
Undoubtedly, they are the brainchild of a shrewd founder. Last April Merrilee Kick, 62, sold BuzzBallz to drinks giant Sazerac in an estimated £366 million deal. This year Forbes ranked her 89th on its list of America’s Richest Self Made Women, with an estimated net worth of £293 million.
Secondary school teacher Kick – herself the daughter of teachers – came up with the idea for BuzzBallz while sitting by her Texan pool marking exams in 2006, pining for a strong drink that didn’t come in glass or involve faffing around with lime juice and shakers. A snow globe from a holiday in Scandinavia inspired the spherical shape; a can of tennis balls at a local sports shop the aluminium open-top lid. She created prototypes in her garage and her two teenage sons helped her think of names that would appeal to a younger generation.
By 2019 the brand was selling one million cases a year, a number that had jumped to nearly seven million by 2023.
In the company’s early years, BuzzBallz’ marketing was cruder and littered with references to sex – there was a Cookie Nookie cocktail and a Strawberry Rum Job, and a billboard advert inviting consumers to ‘Taste Our Ballz’.
And, while Kick claimed that 65 per cent of customers were women aged over 35, the brand was accused by American ‘watchdogs’ Alcohol Justice of marketing to underage drinkers with its brightly coloured cans that looked like toys.
Shortly after the UK launch in 2022, a member of the public filed a complaint with the Portman Group (the alcohol industry’s self-regulatory body) that BuzzBallz were being marketed to appeal to under-18s. Although the complaint was not upheld, the review board did note the branding was ‘close to the line of acceptability’.
Claire Williams, a 45-year-old mental health support worker from Taunton in Somerset, tells me her 15-year-old daughter Alex recently experimented with BuzzBallz – to her cost.
15-year-old Alex (pictured with her mother Claire) recently experimented with BuzzBallz – to her cost
Alex’s experience with alcohol had hitherto been limited to a bit of sangria on family holidays and a few sips of prosecco with her parents at home, but one morning a fortnight ago, she arrived home with her friend ‘jaded’, Claire recalls, after partying in a nearby field with friends and sleeping at her friend’s house.
‘She obviously felt rough,’ says Claire. ‘She said she’d had some BuzzBallz and they were “well nice”. She said they didn’t taste like alcohol, that they’re £2.99. I didn’t have a clue what she was talking about.’
Alex looked them up on her smartphone and showed them to her mum, who, at first glance, thought they didn’t look ‘that bad’ – the equivalent of her quaffing a can of cider as a teen, perhaps. Then she clocked that ‘they’re a lot stronger’. And besides, Alex wouldn’t drink conventional cans with mates, she thinks. ‘If I gave her a four-pack of lager she’d turn her nose up and wouldn’t be bothered.’ Instead, it’s the ‘creamy, fruity flavours, the colours’ that attract teens. ‘It’s how they look – a novelty idea. It’s not a normal bottle of drink.’
Alex’s friend’s elder sister had bought the BuzzBallz for the girls from discount store B&M. Alex had drunk a Strawberry ‘Rita and another half BuzzBall with her friends. ‘And when you’re not used to drinking at all, that’s a lot.’
Her normally bubbly daughter spent the next day ‘lying in bed feeling sorry for herself’. ‘My husband said, “Well that will teach you what a hangover is.” I think it’s a bit concerning, with kids up and down the country having finished their GCSEs and A-levels. They’re in party mode.
‘It’s worrying if they get them that drunk. They’re cheap enough for kids to buy. They’ll lose all their inhibitions and anything could happen. They’re all talking about them. I don’t think they fully understand how strong they are, because they taste nice.’
They’re also easily slung in backpacks and slugged on trains. ‘A lot of teens get the train to Exmouth to go to the beach, so they’ll be convenient to put in their bag. They’re not clunking around heavy bottles.’ Claire thinks Alex could want to drink BuzzBallz again with her friends. But she is adamant ‘it’s not happening’.
‘Not in my house. I won’t be buying BuzzBallz for them all to be getting legless and puking up.’
The image is rather at odds with that presented by brand founder Kick when interviewed by a women’s business website. Asked for advice for aspiring entrepreneurs, she said: ‘Figure out what you can do to contribute to society and the world to make it a better place.’
Love Island’s Indiyah Polack poses next to the BuzzBallz van – which was handing out free cans – outside Clapham Junction station
The stunt promotional stunt proved popular among young women such as civil engineer Grace Lay, 24, from Somerset, who was entranced by the ‘Christmas bauble’ shape
Indeed, BuzzBallz prides itself on its ethical credentials. The company has funded science scholarships and charities that combat human trafficking. Last August Kick donated £22 million to Texas Woman’s University, where she studied for her MBA.
The containers are recyclable, and printed with the words ‘Women Founded’ on the side (despite the acquisition by Sazerac, Kick remains the company’s CEO). Its website states its products are ‘gluten free’, ‘kosher certified’ and made with ‘natural flavours and premium ingredients’ – which rather suggests it’s selling health foods, not alcohol.
Outside Clapham Junction station in South London last weekend, staff in a BuzzBallz-shaped van handed out the drinks to passers-by who could prove they were over 18. As a promotional stunt, it proved popular among young women such as civil engineer Grace Lay, 24, from Somerset, who was entranced by the ‘Christmas bauble’ shape.
Her friend Evelyn Tootill, 24, a scientist, added: ‘People like them because of the cost of living. I paid £8 for a pint last week. It’s too expensive. BuzzBallz are easy to drink and they’re strong so you have to spend less. Some people use them as a chaser. They’re like vapes. They’re marketed for a younger audience. We know about them from social media.’
Danielle Hinson, 27, a massage therapist, had a Tequila ‘Rita from the van. Yesterday she bought a Chili Mango from the corner shop. ‘I saw it on Snapchat and people say they are good and strong and cheap. They certainly leave you with a buzz,’ she says. ‘It’s a pre-drink, before you go out.’
Gen Z is very health-conscious and they know they’re not good for them. BuzzBallz’s full ingredients aren’t listed, but Choc Tease, for example, contains 25.8g sugar per 200ml container – around 20 per cent more than the equivalent sugar in Coca-Cola.
Yet most make a sharp distinction between what they do for wellness’ sake and what they do for fun. ‘If I’m honest I don’t worry about sugar with alcohol,’ says Amy. ‘I’m not drinking because it’s good for my body. I’m drinking because I want a fun night out.’
And a colourful cocktail is currently the strongest, most cost-efficient way to achieve it.
Additional reporting: Stephanie Condron
