Juice Runners raises $2M

Juice Runners, the canned cocktail brand from hip-hop duo Run the Jewels, has raised a $2 million seed round as it expands beyond its first drink. (brewbound.com) Brewbound and The Spirits Business reported the round on April 20, 2026. The company said it will use the money for new products, more production, and wider U.S. distribution. (brewbound.com) (thespiritsbusiness.com) The brand launched in spring 2025 with Paloma REMIX, a 5.9% alcohol-by-volume canned cocktail made with mezcal from El Tinieblo Ranch in Tamaulipas, Mexico, plus grapefruit, lime, agave, and smoked sea salt. (thespiritsbusiness.com) (juicerunners.com) Juice Runners said it was initially self-funded by Killer Mike and El-P, who reinvested proceeds from artist merchandise sales before taking outside capital. The company said that approach let it build the brand before this seed round. (thespiritsbusiness.com) The new financing arrives as ready-to-drink cocktails remain crowded, with brands trying to stand out through higher-proof recipes, premium spirits, and celebrity-backed marketing. Juice Runners is leaning on all three, pairing an artist-led brand with a mezcal base and a second cocktail now in the pipeline. (thespiritsbusiness.com) (mensjournal.com) That second product is Sea Legs, a rum-based canned cocktail due later in 2026. The company also plans a bottled collector’s rum made with St Lucia Distillers in collaboration with spirits writer and judge Fred Minnick. (thespiritsbusiness.com) The company is also adding executives for its next phase. Amaechi Uzoigwe is chairman, Joe Malcoun is chief executive officer, Kate Brankin is chief operating officer, and Leif Huckman is chief brand officer. (thespiritsbusiness.com) Huckman, founder of Brooklyn’s Donna Cocktail Club, is set to lead on-premise strategy, while Malcoun is handling operations, capital strategy, and national expansion. Brankin’s remit includes formulation, research and development, and operational execution. (thespiritsbusiness.com) Juice Runners is already pushing into retail tastings at Whole Foods Market stores, according to its events page, alongside online sales and a store locator listing physical accounts. The seed round gives the company more room to turn that early footprint into broader national placement. (juicerunners.com 1) (juicerunners.com 2)