Saint Spritz has quickly captured hearts (and glasses) with its fresh take on Italian aperitivo culture. We sat down with JoJo Fletcher and Mallory Patton, the dynamic co-founders of Saint Spritz, to toast their exciting national launch at Target. From dreaming up their ready-to-drink spritzes inspired by Italian summers to building a family-run brand that has defied industry odds, the duo shares what it feels like to see their cans beside billion-dollar competitors. They also reveal their creative process, future flavor plans, and why spritz culture is meant to be enjoyed year-round—wherever you are.
Congratulations on Saint Spritz’s launch at Target! What did it feel like seeing your brand on shelves at such an iconic retailer?
Thank you!! It was SURREAL. We had gone into Target stores before with our artwork taped to Red Bull cans just so we could put it on the vision board, so to see our products on the shelf was truly one of the most exciting accomplishments as a brand so far.
Can you walk us through what made Target the right next step for Saint Spritz and how that partnership came to life?
We had a test launch in Texas with Target last summer, and the brand did extremely well without support. For us, that confirmed what we always thought: Target is where our shopper is. We had spoken to another female founder who had launched her beverage brand in Target, and she had incredible things to say about working with the Target team. The buyers at Target let us know how Target was leaning into this category, and we felt time was of the essence, and it was our dream retailer, so we went for it. We felt like we needed to reach our consumers, and to be able to say “we are national at Target” made it much easier for people to quickly identify where to buy our brand.
What’s been the most rewarding part of building this brand together as co-founders?
Simply seeing the dream become a reality. This space is dominated by 800lb Gorillas, so to show up as a small female and family-founded company and share the shelf with billion-dollar companies is so rewarding. We had so many people tell us what we were trying to do was impossible, “You won’t get into Target or big box retail until at least year three.” It really cemented the fact that if you work really hard at it, even the loftiest goals are achievable!
From your packaging to your flavor profiles, Saint Spritz clearly knows its audience. Where do you see the brand expanding next—new flavors, new formats, or new markets?
We want to stay in the lane of “Iconic Italian Flavors,” so you can expect to see new flavors in that same vein for 2026. We will be launching Variety Packs for next spring, which is a huge milestone because we couldn’t make those pricing models work until now as a small brand. We have some very exciting innovations we will launch direct to consumer only this fall/winter: Stay tuned for this one, as this is a departure from our existing products.
Buying season for Spring 2026 is underway, so we don’t have formal news to share, but you can expect to see Saint Spritz in a lot more places next spring. This will be our first buying season where we have national distribution set up, allowing opportunities to greatly expand.
We launched Whole Foods Market this summer in Texas only, so we hope to see more distribution in Whole Foods across the USA. Fans can help us out and request Saint Spritz wherever you buy your groceries: you would be shocked how much this moves the needle.
From concept to can, what part of the creative or business process do each of you love the most—and how do you divide the work as co-founders?
We love the creative part of the business. As a team, we work pretty collectively on the ideation process. I think we all love being able to bring innovative products to market, ones that we wanted but couldn’t find. Launching a new flavor is like a new baby. For example, it was so fun to launch our Hugo flavor. So many people love spritzes, but didn’t realize there were other great flavors outside of Aperol Spritz. The Hugo has quickly become a fan favorite, and we were the first to market with an RTD format. We all work together to identify what might be a home run next.
Once we have a new SKU, we all go to work on our lanes. JoJo works more hands-on with our marketing campaigns, and Mallory works more on the sales side, pitching the items into retail. Ben, JoJo’s Brother and Mallory’s Brother-in-law and cofounder, works on operations and production.
You’ve captured the essence of Italian spritz culture in a can—where are some of your favorite travel destinations for sipping and inspiration?
We fell in love with Spritzes on the Amalfi Coast: so that will always be our favorite spot for sipping and inspiration from a flavor standpoint. When we named the brand, we thought of some of the places we love drinking spritzes, and a lot of them had Saint in them (Saint Tropez, Saint Barths, Saint Moritz), which is how we landed on Saint Spritz. We love a spritz on the slope!!! We’re spritzin all season long, not just summer.
If you could enjoy a Saint Spritz anywhere in the world right now, where would it be—and what would be on the playlist?
On a yacht on the Amalfi Coast, no questions asked. The Playlist is vibey with Saxophone House or Frank Sinatra. Or right at home in our backyard with the family listening to country music. You will find us with a spritz across all occasions because it’s just a lighter, more refreshing cocktail that elevates every moment.
What are your go-to spots in NYC and the Hamptons to unwind, celebrate, or enjoy a spritz?
In NYC, our go-to spot is the Butcher’s Daughter for brunch with a Saint Spritz 😉 We only have limited availability in the city, though it’s growing. Now you can buy Saint Spritz at 21st and Vine Liquors, so you can enjoy a spritz on your couch or your patio, sneaking your own personal aperitivo hour at home, with no mixing necessary. In the Hamptons, we love a spritz on the beach or on a boat.
Is Saint Spritz sold in the Hamptons, and if so, which stores, please, so I can list.
Saint Spritz is sold in the Hamptons at Whites Liquors in Montauk!! We love that Whites is a family-owned and run company just like us, so shop there and support them! When we called the store to pitch our Brand, the owner picked up the phone, which, as a founder-led brand, we love. We do it all too 🙂