Juice Runners is a ready-to-drink cocktail brand created by hip-hop duo Run The Jewels that recently secured 2 million dollars in seed funding to scale production and expand its presence across the United States. Founded by Killer Mike (Michael Santiago Render) and El-P (Jaime Meline), the brand debuted in spring 2025 with “Paloma Remix,” a 5.9% ABV mezcal-based canned cocktail that was initially financed through merchandise revenue and built under an artist-led model to preserve creative control and deliberate growth. The new seed round represents its first external investment and is intended to drive product innovation, increase production capacity, and support a broader national rollout.
The company is preparing to launch a second product, “Sea Legs,” a rum-based canned cocktail scheduled for release later in the year, and is also working on a bottled collector’s rum in collaboration with Fred Minnick and St Lucia Distillers. According to El-P, “this was never about slapping our name on a bottle,” but about respecting the craft and creating something that the founders genuinely support. In its first year, Juice Runners gained visibility through appearances at Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans and promotion during Run The Jewels’ U.S. tour with Wu-Tang Clan, leveraging music-industry credibility to build brand awareness.
Alongside the funding, a leadership team has been formed to guide the next stage of growth. Amaechi Uzoigwe, co-founder and long-time business partner of Run The Jewels, serves as chairman, while Joe Malcoun has been appointed chief executive officer, Kate Brankin chief operating officer, and Leif Huckman, founder of Donna Cocktail Club, chief brand officer. This executive team focuses on scaling operations, refining product development, and strengthening on-premise presence as Juice Runners expands, maintaining a strategy that seeks commercial success “without losing soul.”
Reference
Morrow, D. (2026, April 20). Run The Jewels’ ready-to-drink brand raises $2M in seed funding to fuel expansion. Yahoo Finance. https://finance.yahoo.com/markets/stocks/articles/run-jewels-ready-drink-brand-214221837.html