The alcohol company behind popular ‘BuzzBallz’ drinks – which have become synonymous with a rowdy night out that will likely leave you with foggy memories – is now releasing 99p flavoured shots.
US brand Sazerac is tapping into the hype for the brightly-coloured, tennis-ball-shaped, ready mix cocktails that sell for as little as £2.99 each – but pack a punch with at least 13 per cent ABV (alcohol by volume).
Its latest launch brings its ’99’ brand to the UK, offering up colourful, 50ml bottles in Blue Raspberry, Cherry and Apple flavours, ‘with many more to come’.
And each tiny serving has an ABV of 15 per cent.
For contrast, classic nostalgic alcopops like Bacardi Breezers and VK’s had less than 5 per cent ABV.
Hoping to cash in on young buyers’ obsession with the early 2000s, 99 first hit British shores on Tuesday, serving up boozy beverages at universities in Birmingham, ‘inviting students to put down pens and pick up a 99p shot and party like it’s ’99’.
It also featured a 99 Liquor Whip – a travelling ice cream van – and a performance of Just the Way You Are from 2000s dance group Milky.
While parents have already expressed concern about more colourful, fruity packages which appeal to young people creating gateways for underage drinking, Sazerac’s BuzzBallz have become a staple for Gen Z going on a night out in the UK.
Its latest launch brings its ’99’ brand to the UK, offering up colourful, 50ml bottles in Blue Raspberry, Cherry and Apple flavours, ‘with many more to come’
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 summer of 2025, it was reported that in the UK, sales had tripled in the past year alone, with the red, green and orange containers fast becoming as ubiquitous a sight as plastic vapes.
However, the potent 13.5 per cent alcohol by volume content prompted some young people to warn that they are ‘dangerous’ as just a few sips are enough to make them ‘tipsy’.
The brand was invented by Texan school teacher Merrilee Kick, who was busy battling the heat while grading papers by the pool when she was hit by a ‘craving for a cocktail that she could sip from a plastic container rather than a fragile glass’, according to the website.
‘Inspired by the spherical shape of a snow globe bought on a family trip to Sweden and a can of tennis balls she saw in a sporting goods store, her innovative idea for BuzzBallz began to take shape,’ the story continued.
‘After graduating with an MBA, Merrilee tirelessly researched and developed her concept, taking out a loan to launch the company and enlisting her family to help get the business off the ground.
BuzzBallz are nearly three times the strength of a traditional alcopop at a whopping 13 per cent – or more
‘Fast forward to today, millions of BuzzBallz are sold across the United States and internationally.’
The cocktails – which are made with ‘real fruit juice or cream’ and ‘premium spirits’ – are contained in 100 per cent recyclable packaging.
In December, the craze for the lurid alcopops took a new twist after a range of handbags inspired by the pre-mixed cocktails sold out in 40 seconds.
Creators claimed that each one was worth £4,000 and was inspired by high-end designers such as Chanel and Louis Vuitton.
Thousands had joined the waiting list to be in with a chance to buy a bag for the same £3.99 price as their favourite cocktail.
Within 40 seconds of the launch on the Buzz-A-Porter website, cheekily named after the designer shopping site Net-a-Porter, eight people had got their hands on the limited-edition accessories.
Each bag is unique, but takes clear inspiration from ‘the bag classics everyone knows and reinvented them’, according to Jess Scheerhorn, vice president at BuzzBallz.
