Small Business Spotlight: Jayded AF, a New Line of Ready-to-Serve Gin Martinis
Tuesday, August 22, 2023 at 2:27AMArticle by Becky Fillinger, photos provided
Alexa Jayde Fitzpatrick
A Discussion with Alexa Jayde Fitzpatrick, CEO
August is Black Business Month, and before the month slips away, we wanted to highlight a local black female entrepreneur. Meet Alexa Jayde Fitzpatrick, the imaginative creator and CEO behind Jayded AF ready-to-serve gin martinis. The name Jayded AF came from Alexa’s middle name, Jayde; and the AF stands for Alexa Fitzpatrick. We talked to Alexa about the inspiration for her line of ready to serve, delicious and high-quality cocktails and where to find them.
Q: What was the inspiration that led you to create Jayded AF Cocktails?
A: Anyone who knows me knows I am a Lemon Drop girl. No matter the entree: chicken, steak, fish, or tacos, I am having a lemon drop martini! I was at home one evening and my significant other asked me if I wanted something from the liquor store that he was on his way to. At that moment I realized it would be great to have a sophisticated cocktail from an upscale bar, in the comfort of home. Unfortunately, that did not exist. Nothing ready-to-drink on the shelf met the standards that the art of this cocktail demands (to my knowledge). I didn't have the skill to create one from scratch either. From that, a spark was lit, and I immediately felt that I had to rectify the situation and create a product not just for myself but others.
Q: Your brand seeks to permanently reconfigure liquor sales. Talk to us about this very unique niche you’ve discovered.
A: Honestly, I know there are numerous ready-to-drink options out there. However, I never felt personally marketed to. Trends come and go, be it ciders or the current craze of seltzers. Besides wine, I just have not seen a premium, cost-effective, effortless, and flavorful option that simply hits on all cylinders. I find that discovery is made more difficult by the bombardment of different variations of the same thing. I thought, rather than attempt to recreate the wheel, why not focus on a new spin of an old classic? Martinis are a staple - elegant and satisfying. The obvious limitation is access and know-how. I chose to solve it.
Q: Was Jayded AF part of a local business incubator program?
A: I launched 3 months ago and went full tilt with marketing. I created social media handles, promo videos on YouTube and Instagram, as well as displays on multiple buses and digital screens in Minneapolis. We have been picked up by a few magazines and have had segments on a couple of shows. If you have heard of us, I am truly glad our efforts are paying off.
To answer your question, however, no. We are not part of an incubator program. This is simply my brainchild, two years in the making with the dividends of sweat equity hopefully paying off.
Lemon Drop
Laxly Cucumber
Q: What products do you offer? Where will we find your products?
A: A line of sinfully edgy, incredibly chic, and effortlessly cool ready-to-serve, gin-based martinis in 3 flavors and 2 sizes. Our flavors are Lemon Drop, Lavender, and Laxly Cucumber.
We are at a handful of independents including:
- Underground Leaf and Vine in the North Loop
- Zipps Liquor in the Seward neighborhood
- Central Avenue Liquors in NE and Princeton’s Liquor in Maple Grove
- We are also in the Maple Grove and Minnetonka Total Wine locations, and coming to all Kowalski’s Wine Shop locations.
We are working diligently to get to a location near you and have a big desire and initiative underway for consumers to find us at your local concert venues such as the Armory and First Avenue. Another goal is to enjoy the martinis while you attend your next sporting event. (Yes, we have an eager eye on our beautiful local stadiums.) So, fingers crossed!
Q: How may we follow your news?
A: Check out our website jaydedaf.com. There you can enter your zip code in our interactive map to see the locations where we currently are on shelves and keep up to date as we add more. You can also find us on social media! Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.
