Walk into any gas station, grocery store, or liquor shop across America and you will almost certainly spot them — bright, colorful, plastic spheres sitting on the shelf, each one packed with a pre-mixed cocktail and enough personality to make you pick one up out of sheer curiosity. That is BuzzBallz — one of the fastest-growing ready-to-drink cocktail brands in the world. But behind those eye-catching spheres is one of the most inspiring founder stories in American business and one of the most important acquisitions in the drinks industry in recent years.
Who owns BuzzBallz today? The short answer is Sazerac Company. But the full story — from a high school teacher sitting by her pool to a $500 million exit — is worth every word.
What Are BuzzBallz?
BuzzBallz is a range of US-owned ready-to-drink cocktail mix manufactured by Sazerac Company, Inc. Originally devised as a master’s degree project, it was incorporated as BuzzBallz, LLC and promoted as being a woman-owned and family-run business. The company manufactures a wide range of beverages sold domestically and internationally. It is a distillery, winery, and brewery in Dallas, Texas.
BuzzBallz have gained popularity among Generation Z as an affordable alcoholic beverage, with an alcohol by volume (ABV) of 13.5–20% and a volume of 200 ml. Priced typically under $5 per unit, BuzzBallz are available in over 30 flavor varieties.
In 2024, BuzzBallz was the biggest-selling single-serve pre-mixed cocktail in the US, and the fastest-growing ready-to-drink brand in the UK in terms of sales volumes, with off-trade sales of £24.6 million.
Who Owns BuzzBallz Right Now in 2026?
The Louisiana-based spirits conglomerate Sazerac, owned by billionaire William Goldring, acquired BuzzBallz in May 2024 in an all-cash deal that Forbes estimates is at least $500 million.
BuzzBallz was previously owned by its parent company Southern Champion, whose portfolio also included Pelican Harbor Rum and Uptown Cocktails. Sazerac acquired all of Southern Champion as part of the deal.
So as of 2026, BuzzBallz is fully owned by the Sazerac Company — one of the oldest and largest privately held spirits companies in America. The deal closed in May 2024 and immediately gave Sazerac a commanding position in the booming ready-to-drink cocktail market.
Ownership and Key Stakeholders Table
| Owner / Party | Role | Stake | Key Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sazerac Company, Inc. | Current Owner | 100% of BuzzBallz | Acquired BuzzBallz and parent company Southern Champion in May 2024 |
| William Goldring | Owner of Sazerac | 100% of Sazerac | Louisiana billionaire; Sazerac is privately held with 500+ brands |
| Jake Wenz | CEO & President of Sazerac | No separate BuzzBallz stake | Leads day-to-day operations of Sazerac and all its brands including BuzzBallz |
| Merrilee Kick | Founder (Former Owner) | 51% before sale | Founded BuzzBallz in 2009; exited fully in January 2025 |
| Alex Kick | Son of Founder (Former Co-Owner) | 24.5% before sale | Served as President of BuzzBallz before exit |
| Andrew Kick | Son of Founder (Former Co-Owner) | 24.5% before sale | Served as Vice President of BuzzBallz before exit |
| Southern Champion (Historical) | Former Parent Company | N/A | BuzzBallz’s parent entity; fully acquired by Sazerac in May 2024 |
The Origin Story: A Teacher, A Pool, and A Big Idea
The story of BuzzBallz is one of the most genuinely American stories in the entire drinks industry — and it starts not in a corporate boardroom, but beside a backyard swimming pool in Plano, Texas.
Merrilee Kick came up with the idea when she was a public high school teacher, sitting by her pool grading papers. She looked around at the drinks available for outdoor occasions and realized something was missing — a convenient, single-serve, pre-mixed cocktail that was fun, affordable, and did not require a bottle opener or a cup. She wanted something you could grab and go.
BuzzBallz launched in 2009 and was born out of Kick’s master’s degree thesis project. In 14 years since she founded the brand, Kick built BuzzBallz into an alcohol industry powerhouse. In addition to distribution across the United States, the brand is now sold in 29 countries with annual revenue that Forbes estimates is roughly $500 million.
What made Kick’s business model especially smart was her focus on vertical integration. BuzzBallz owned its 500,000-square-foot facility and employed roughly 650 people — it turned that insight into profits. She never had to rely on outside manufacturers, which gave her complete control over quality, cost, and speed.
Kick never sold a stake in the company but did give 24.5% to each of her two sons, Alex and Andrew — who served as President and Vice President of BuzzBallz respectively.
The Sazerac Acquisition: A $500 Million Exit
In March 2024, the biggest news in the ready-to-drink cocktail world dropped: Sazerac was buying BuzzBallz.
BuzzBallz got acquired by Sazerac on March 20, 2024, facilitated by Arlington Capital Advisors. The deal was completed in May 2024.
Sazerac is one of the world’s largest distilled spirits companies and is currently in the fourth generation of family ownership. Sazerac’s portfolio includes more than 500 brands, including Buffalo Trace Bourbon, Eagle Rare, Weller, The Last Drop Distillers, and Fireball Cinnamon Whisky.
The strategic reasoning was clear on both sides. For Merrilee Kick, Sazerac offered the global distribution muscle and brand-building expertise to take BuzzBallz to the next level internationally. Kick said many beverage companies were interested in acquiring BuzzBallz, but Sazerac best matched the company’s ethos. “They are a partner we can continue to grow with internationally, as well as expand our existing distribution footprint in the USA.”
For Sazerac, the deal gave them a dominant position in the ready-to-drink segment — one of the fastest-growing categories in the entire alcohol industry.
Kick and her family stepped away from running the company in January 2025. The brand now operates fully under Sazerac’s management, though it continues to be produced in Carrollton, Texas.
Who Is the Sazerac Company?
Since Sazerac now owns BuzzBallz completely, understanding who owns Sazerac is the final piece of the puzzle.
Sazerac is the Louisiana-based spirits conglomerate owned by billionaire William Goldring. It is a privately held company — meaning it is not traded on any stock exchange.
Sazerac owns many international distilleries in countries including India, France, Canada, England, Australia, and more. Its portfolio of over 500 brands makes it one of the most powerful spirits companies in the world, even though most consumers have never heard its name.
The Sazerac Company is named after the Sazerac cocktail — one of the oldest known American cocktails, originating in New Orleans in the 1800s. The company itself has been operating since 1850, making it older than most nations currently represented in the United Nations.
BuzzBallz in 2026: Global Growth Continues
Under Sazerac’s ownership, BuzzBallz has continued to grow aggressively — especially internationally.
BuzzBallz launched three new flavours in India’s spirits market in February 2026, signalling a strong push into one of the world’s fastest-growing alcohol markets.
In the UK, the brand has become a cultural moment of its own. The Guardian called it one of the drinks of the summer in July 2026, with a headline noting it had become the “undisputed drink of the summer.” The BBC covered its growing popularity and its impact on younger drinkers in the same month.
Sazerac has also worked to expand BuzzBallz distribution within the US. Sazerac selected Reyes Beverage Group to sell BuzzBallz in four states, building out its wholesale distribution network further in August 2024.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1. Who owns BuzzBallz in 2026?
BuzzBallz is owned by Sazerac Company, Inc., a privately held Louisiana-based spirits giant that acquired the brand in May 2024 for an estimated $500 million.
Q2. Who founded BuzzBallz?
BuzzBallz was founded in 2009 by Merrilee Kick, a former public high school teacher from Plano, Texas, who created the concept as part of her master’s degree thesis project.
Q3. When did Sazerac buy BuzzBallz?
Sazerac announced the acquisition on March 20, 2024, and the deal officially closed in May 2024. The transaction included BuzzBallz and its entire parent company, Southern Champion.
Q4. Who is the owner of the Sazerac Company?
Sazerac is privately owned by Louisiana billionaire William Goldring. It is currently in its fourth generation of family ownership and is not traded on any stock exchange.
Q5. How much did Sazerac pay for BuzzBallz?
Forbes estimated the deal at a minimum of $500 million in an all-cash transaction. Neither Sazerac nor Merrilee Kick publicly confirmed the exact deal value.
Q6. Is BuzzBallz still run by its founder?
No. Merrilee Kick and her family stepped away from running the company in January 2025 after the Sazerac acquisition. BuzzBallz now operates fully under Sazerac management.
Q7. Where is BuzzBallz made?
BuzzBallz is manufactured at its 500,000-square-foot production facility in Carrollton, Texas — a facility the company has owned and operated since its founding.
Q8. How many countries sell BuzzBallz in 2026?
BuzzBallz is sold in over 30 countries, with recent expansion into India in February 2026 and continued strong growth in the UK, where it became one of the fastest-growing RTD brands.
BuzzBallz is currently owned by the Sazerac Company, Inc. — a privately held Louisiana-based spirits giant owned by billionaire William Goldring with a portfolio of over 500 brands. Sazerac acquired BuzzBallz and its parent company Southern Champion in May 2024 in a deal Forbes estimates at a minimum of $500 million.
BuzzBallz was founded in 2009 by Merrilee Kick — a former public school teacher from Plano, Texas — who built it from a master’s degree thesis project into America’s best-selling single-serve pre-mixed cocktail, generating roughly $500 million in annual revenue before selling to Sazerac. Kick and her two sons — who each held 24.5% of the company — exited fully in January 2025.
Today, BuzzBallz is sold in over 30 countries, expanding aggressively into India and the UK, and continues to grow under Sazerac’s global distribution network and brand-building expertise.
