I was a teacher until I became an accidental Gen Z hit wi...

I was a teacher until I became an accidental Gen Z hit with my iconic cocktails

Josie Copson Published November 21, 2025 10:00am Updated November 21, 2025 10:00am Share this article via whatsappShare this article via xCopy the link to this article.Link is copiedShare this article via facebook Comment now Comments

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High school teacher Merrilee Kick was diligently marking her students’ papers one warm afternoon in 2009, but in a bid to make the experience a little more exciting, she sipped on a cocktail.

Suddenly, a thought came to the 62-year-old’s head while sitting next to her swimming pool at home in Dallas; maybe she shouldn’t be drinking out of a glass so near to the water. Rather than decant the beverage into a plastic cup and continue with her life, this singular moment instead changed her path completely as it gave her the idea for BuzzBallz…

BuzzBallz’s humble beginnings

At this time, the mum-of-two was going through a ‘tough spot’; she worried endlessly about getting by on her $55,000 (£42,000) salary as a single parent, as she was about to divorce husband Tim. ‘I was terrified,’ she point-blankly states to Metro in her Southern drawl. ‘I needed to get my ass in gear and figure out how to make more, so I didn’t need to live in my car.’

She saw herself as having two options: ‘Fly or die.’ To make a change, she enrolled on a business course that her employer subsidised, and the poolside moment of inspiration became her thesis.

The plastic packaging was already established as a core factor in her ready-to-drink cocktails; she also pictured it as using natural ingredients where possible, including enough alcohol (13.5%-15% ABV) to provide a kick, and having packaging that stood out. She did this by replicating a crystal snowball she brought in Stockholm while living there.

The creation was called PartyBallz, but an early challenge came when MillerCoors sent a cease and desist (they owned the trademark but weren’t using it). She quickly pivoted to BuzzBallz in reference to the feeling it evokes and the shape.

In March 2010, Merrilee made the first sale of her debut flavour, Tequila Rita, to a small local company, but as she didn’t have manufacturing permits or equipment, they were left waiting. ‘I remember them asking if they were ever going to get it. I was trying! It was very tough to get started, and I was scared to death.’

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That first order didn’t go out until August, but she was determined to keep the ball(z) rolling, so she applied for a business loan to make the operation more sleek. She got turned down by multiple banks before securing a (£136,380) $178,500 loan by putting her grandma’s cattle and car up as collateral.

Merrilee Kick juggling BuzzBallz while stood in front of a blue background

Merrilee Kick came up with the idea for BuzzBallz while grading student papers (Picture: BuzzBallz)

However, when it became clear her estranged husband was going to find out, she feared things were over before they’d begun. ‘Tim was off playing golf at the weekends, so he didn’t have a clue I was cleaning up a warehouse and what I was planning. Legally, I was still married, and I found out this meant he had to co-sign my loan as he was the bigger earner,’ says Merrilee. An agreement was reached that he would do the paperwork as long as she didn’t use any of his income. He made sure this wouldn’t happen by moving his paycheques into a bank Merrilee had no access to.

‘It was horrible knowing that I had to earn enough on my own to pay it back, but it also drove me,’ Merrilee recalls. ‘When your back is up against the wall, there’s no “I don’t feel like it today”. I worked day and night to make it happen; I slept in the dingy and gross warehouse and even learnt how to drive a forklift to move products myself alongside working my day job and being a mum.’

It was ‘mistake after mistake’, adds Merrilee, including the coconut cream in the Lotta Colada looking like floating cottage cheese when it sat on the shelf, and the orange juice in Tequila Rita resembling fish food after sitting out.

She quickly reformulated and now describes their journey as ‘spiralling up’. Merrilee paid the loan back within a year, has never taken out another one, and was soon able to leave teaching. Two years in, she hired an ambitious salesperson, who got the product into 300 Walmarts. ‘We were blowing up,’ she states. ‘I finally felt like it was going to work.’

During the rise, Merrilee retained her values; seeing herself as a mum-figure to employees, she gave Christmas off on full pay, hired a chef to make them lunch each day, and a teacher to help their children during the Covid-19 school shutdowns.

BuzzBallz win over Gen Z

Buzzballz premixed cocktails credit Buzzballz

The drinks have found a fanbase in Gen Z (Picture: BuzzBallz/ Caz Conboy)

Nurturing the business to become what it is means Merrilee takes nothing for granted, and is still thrilled by every win, including sightings on a recent trip to London, which are unsurprising as it is the fastest-growing ready-to-drink brand in the UK.

‘There’s a swarm of residents that love it. I’ve seen them in Tesco, WH Smith, and is it Sainsbury’s?,’ she sweetly asks. ‘We had such a humble beginning, so I can hardly believe it.’

The item is a particular hit amongst the younger generation, with Gen Z (13-28) slurping from the neon-coloured domes on public transport, at house parties, and festivals. TikTok is full of youngsters posting about their love for the beverage and the wild nights out it has enabled for as little as £2.99.

Merrilee has her own theories on why Gen Z are obsessed. ‘A seltzer or beer can is a functional vessel, but it’s not very cool, no? Gen Zs are looking for something interesting. They’re drawn to the container, funny names, and buzz. People say Gen Zs don’t drink, but when they do, they want something that makes it memorable. A BuzzBall makes you stand out and feel like somebody special when you drink it,’ she says.

Whatever it is, it’s working; BuzzBallz are sold in 29 countries and all 50 states, so Merrilee can rarely escape her impact, but her role at the company has drastically changed; she’s now in an advisory position after Sazerac acquired the company in April 2024. The deal was estimated to be worth at least $500 million (neither party has disclosed the exact figure).

‘I wanted to set my family up for a more comfortable existence, instead of working hard every day and not being able to take any chips off the table,’ she explains of the decision. Merrilee also felt confident that Sazerac would take care of her baby: ‘I remember the CEO Jake Wentz said, “Once I tell my 10,000 employees that we’re buying BuzzBallz, they are gonna light up like it’s Christmas” and I got goosebumps all over my whole body. They love the brand and are going to see through my vision of making it 10 times bigger. I could have done it, but I don’t want to spend some of the last years of my life doing that.’

What’s next for Merrilee Kick?

Merrilee Kick speaking to Metro from her office

Merrilee spoke about her next steps while on a Zoom call with Metro (Picture: Metro)

Merrilee is clearly enjoying every aspect of being a rich woman. ‘It’s wonderful. I love it. I guarantee for anybody that it’s a good thing if you can get it,’ she bursts out with a smile that stretches across her face. ‘I grew up in a bankrupt family, so I know the difference.’

At the start of the call, she excitedly shared that a Christmas ‘rager’ for 250 people, complete with trampolines and reindeer, is being thrown by her. ‘There were only 15 people at my wedding,’ she remarks. She’s also brought property around the world, an office building, and can satisfy every whim. But it isn’t just financial benefits that she credits BuzzBallz with; she also says it saved her 38-year marriage, as it changed their dynamics.

‘Instead of focusing on my relationship and how miserable I was, I focused on trying to make my business successful,’ she recalls. ‘Before that, I relied on him to take care of me and didn’t feel proud of myself. I don’t think any woman should rely on a man. She’s got to be independent, strong and look after her own happiness. It sounds selfish, but it worked for both of us.’ Merrilee even hired Tim in 2018 as CFO, and he was instrumental in the company’s sale.

As Merrilee is now in a more advisory role, she has more time to enjoy the product, and particularly enjoys Choc Tease over Cocoa Puffs, even though it doesn’t like her (she’s lactose intolerant). And she has the space to reflect on her achievements, including being number 89 on America’s richest self-made women list, and becoming the first woman to run a distillery, winery and brewery combination.

Rather than retire (she briefly tried that and it didn’t work), she’s dipping her toes into her next project — Gourmet Land. It’s early days and there have been no exact details released yet, but Merrilee teases: ‘It’s going to focus on making food beautiful, because a lot of times, it is so ugly.’ Although she admits to not having the same urgency, as she’s not fighting for survival.

Merrilee concludes: ‘Looking at the production line from the mezzanine is like being in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. I often think, “Oh my god. How did this happen?” I’m just so proud that we did it.’

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