CEO Dean Mahoney’s Merican Dream for Canned Cocktails

In 2015 Dean Mahoney and two EMC co-workers invested their money in themselves and in this idea of cocktails in a can, and created ‘Merican Mule. This company has now grown into more than he could’ve dreamed of. 

THE AMERICAN DREAM

Dean Mahoney’s story is the embodiment of the American Dream. The American dream is defined as the belief that anyone can attain their own version of success in a society in which upward mobility is possible for everyone. It’s believed to be achieved through sacrifice, risk-taking, and hard work, rather than by chance. He did just that – he took a risk in investing his money into a new way of drinking cocktails. He was betting on his innovative idea of Moscow Mule in a can. It’s purpose being easier access to Moscow Mules without having to go to the bar to get it and without the fuss of making the cocktail yourself. He didn’t know if this drink would be a success or not because it was one of the first in this industry of canned alcoholic beverages that wasn’t a beer, but he put in the hard work and sacrificed his savings to push this product and make it a household name.

CURRENTLY…

Dean Mahoney and his team are now based out Norwalk, CT, where he says “there’s a nice network here, and there’s a lot of opportunity in general”. Merican Mule has grown its presence and distribution from 2 states in 2018 to 20 states today, with plans to expand along the East Coast. 

They have added 3 more core flavors to the original Moscow Mule (made with vodka), which include Mexican Mule (made with tequila), Tropical Mule (made with rum), and Southern Mule (made with bourbon whiskey). They then came out with a core variety pack with those core four flavors. Additionally, they have limited edition seasonal flavors such as Pumpkin Spice and Fire Mule that have become very popular as well. They also just recently came out with their new [ Light ] line, which are made with vodka and are only 99 calories. ‘Merican Mule continues to surprise us with new flavors and variations of the canned cocktail that we have all grown to love!

HIS GOAL

Dean Mahoney’s goal for American Mule is to be the market leader in the canned Moscow Mule space. And his mission is to inspire others to live out their own ‘Merican Dream like he did. Dean Mahoney is an alumni from the University of Connecticut, and continues to work with UConn students and alumni to help them grow professionally and give them opportunities throughout the ‘Merican Mule company. He has experienced the American Dream of creating his own business from the ground up, that wouldn’t be possible without dedication and a lot of hard work. Now he is trying to promote this ideal to others and help them reach for their dreams, like he did.