Mike’s Hard Lemonade Co. is a United States-based manufacturer of alcoholic beverages, also known as “malternative” or flavored malt beverages. It is named after its flagship and original product, Mike’s Hard Lemonade, which is a mixture of vodka, and either carbonated water or a flavored malt base, in Canada and the United States, respectively.

The company was founded in 1999 by Anthony von Mandl. The company’s U.S. headquarters moved from Lakewood, Colorado (Denver) to Seattle in 2005. One reason for the move was to be closer to its parent company Mark Anthony Group Inc. of Vancouver, B.C., Canada, a privately-owned manufacturer and distributor of wines, hard ciders and other alcoholic beverages.

LinkedIn Profile: Mike’s Hard Lemonade Co.

Mike’s Calorie Facts:

• There are 222 calories in the Mike’s Hard Lemonade
• Mike’s contains 5 percent alcohol by volume
• Go with their Light Lemonade instead and save about 124 calories
• The HARDER Lemonade contains more calories and is 8% alcohol
• Mike’s Hard Lemonade is categorized as a Malt Beverage
• A bottle of Mike’s contains 11.2 ounces which is about 331 milliliters

Mike’s Summer 2009 Sweepstakes. Win an Airstream Trailer. To win enter here before September 1, 2009. And check out winmikes.com for other great Mike’s Lemonade Sweepstakes.

I don't care about the calories - I'm thirsty!

The Mike’s Product Lines

Mike’s® Premium Malt Beverages

• Mike’s Hard Lemonade
• Mike’s Light Hard Lemonade
• Mike’s Hard Cranberry Lemonade
• Mike’s Light Hard Cranberry Lemonade
• Mike’s Hard Raspberry Lemonade
• Mike’s Hard Lime
• Mike’s Hard Berry
• Mike’s Pomegranate Lemonade

Mike’s Hard Punch™

• Mike’s Hard Mango Punch
• Mike’s Hard Pomegranate Punch

Mike’s Harder Lemonade™

• Mike’s HARDER Lemonade
• Mike’s HARDER Cranberry Lemonade

Mike’s Premium Malt Cocktails®

• Mike’s Mike-arita
• Mike’s Crantini
• Mike’s Pomegranate Martini
• Mike’s Lemon Drop
• Mike’s Screwdriver
• Mike’s Mojito

Mike’s Hard Tea®

• Mike’s Hard Tea
• Mike’s Hard Light Tea

Goats are indifferent but you won't be!

Home Brew Recipes

If you are searching around the Internet, you will find lots of discussion in the home brewing community as to how to recreate Mike’s Hard Lemonade. One such recipe can be found on the Home Brew Digest web site.

Mike’s Videos

Mike’s Movie:

Think it’s hard to cut calories in your diet? Try starting a company with a great product only to battle the monetary might of big corporations.

Beer Wars, a new documentary by former Mike’s Hard Lemonade general manager Anat Baron. The film recounts the struggle of independent American craft brewers to compete with the ever-consolidating conglomerates of the industry, Anheuser-Busch InBev and Miller Coors.

Mike’s in the News

Toronto Star http://www.thestar.com/living/article/665488 For the summer of 2009, Mike’s is donating a percentage of profits on the sale  of their red berry lemonade to the Canadian Breast Cancer Network.

Lewiston, Maine Sun Journal http://www.sunjournal.com/node/38115/ Obviously the guy in Lewiston who robbed the Big Apple convenience store of Mike’s Hard Lemonade and other goods is unfamiliar with Mike’s well-known slogan, “Mike’s is hard. So is prison.”

Mike’s in Perspective

Bestweekever.tv http://www.bestweekever.tv/2008-6-4/who-exactly-is-mikes-hard-lemonade-trying-to-convince-with-these-super-manly-commercials/ This blog post ponders what their advertising is up to – are they fighting the idea that drinking fruity non-beer alcoholic beverages is somehow not manly?

Rateitall.com http://www.rateitall.com/i-28769-mikes-hard-lemonade.aspx When we looked, 20 people had chimed in with their opinions on Mike’s Hard Lemonade and most love it. Biased results? Who knows. Interesting: no mention of calories here.

ExpoTV.com http://www.expotv.com/Mikes-Hard-Lemonade/1U-1cGF Four video testimonials for Mike’s Hard Lemonade.

From Mike’s Hard Lemonade Press Releases..

New 1 carb/only 76 calorie Mike’s Light(TM) available nationwide for Victoria Day long weekend.

Great-tasting single carb beverage targets light beer, diet soft drink market in battle for backyard barbeques

TORONTO, May 19 /CNW/ – Canadians concerned about their carbohydrate and calorie intake have a great-tasting new beverage choice with the launch of Mike’s Light(TM), an innovative single carb, lower calorie vodka-based drink from the relentless R&D team at Mike’s Hard Lemonade(R).

The first of its kind anywhere in the world, Mike’s Light(TM) contains only one gram of carbohydrates and just 76 calories – the result of two years of intensive research and development. The result: a crisp, refreshing lemon- lime beverage with less sweetness and acidity than other ready-to-drink (RTD) products.

“Mike’s Light(TM) is the great-tasting result of mixing low-carb/low cal drinking with innovative thinking,” says Anthony von Mandl, creator of Mike’s hard lemonade and chairman and chief executive officer of Mark Anthony Group, Canada’s largest private distributor of alcoholic beverages. “Mike’s Light(TM) is for people watching their carbs and calories – but refuse to compromise on taste. Whether they’re hosting parties, or just rewarding themselves after a hard day, Canadians will have an entirely new choice.”

For Mike, it’s like 1996 all over again In 1996 Mike’s hard lemonade created the RTD category in Canada and started an international phenomenon, appealing to legions of beer drinkers with its trademark vodka-lemon taste and smart personality.

For the alcoholic beverages industry, this was an unexpected move from a little known Canadian company. Today, Mike’s hard lemonade, with a new, more drinkable formula that is less sweet and has a drier finish, is a leading ready-to-drink beverage in the domestic market and is the number 2 “malternative” in the USA, outselling Molson south of the border.

Like the original Mike’s hard lemonade(R), Mike’s Light(TM) is likely to inspire a whole generation of beer drinkers to ditch the brew and try something new. With nearly 14 million Canadians counting carbs to lose weight(1), Mike’s Light(TM) also hopes to quench the thirst of the vast market of Canadians who are looking for a great-tasting, low-carb/lower calorie alternative to the ordinary – this summer and all year round.

Today, Canadians compare carbs, calories & taste. According to Statistics Canada, Canadians drink more than 381 million cans of diet soda annually. With 48 per cent of the Canadian population overweight(2), food and beverage manufacturers are stepping up to the increased demand for healthy, lower carb products. Since 2001 more than 800 low carb products have been launched in North America(3).

“Canadians will compare the carbs, compare the calories and – most of all – compare the taste,” says von Mandl. “Canadians are looking for great tasting low carb and lower calorie alternatives to diet soft drinks and beer. If we can even draw a fraction of this market to Mike’s Light(TM) – the RTD category in Canada is destined for new success.” In 2003, Canadians drank 210 million bottles of RTD beverages, generating more than $450 million in sales.

By early accounts, Mike might just do it. Early orders for Mike’s Light(TM) have surpassed the company’s expectations in all markets nationwide. “The entire Mike’s team has been working overtime to make sure store shelves and bar fridges are stocked with Mike’s Light(TM) for Canada’s unofficial first long weekend of summer,” von Mandl adds.

About Mike’s Hard Lemonade(R): Created and produced by Vancouver-based Mark Anthony Group, Mike’s Hard Lemonade(R) is a leading ready-to-drink beverage with distribution in Canada and the United States. Mark Anthony Group is Canada’s largest private distributor of alcoholic beverages.
—————————————

(1) Canadian Diet Study 2004, Decima Research

(2) Canadian Community Health Survey, Statistics Canada 2000-2001

(3) Low Carb Foods Article, Agriculture & Agrifood Government of Alberta 2003