A young Denver-based beverage company named Vaqit, pronounced (vock-it) could be on the precipice of big sales numbers as it recently inked a deal with concert and sports promoter AEG Presents. 

That deal comes on the heels of a recent partnership deal with the University of Denver in February.

Founders Tuffli Nguyen and Chris Wood became business partners together in the venture due to their own health issues when it came to easily drinkable and social beverages. They are both allergic to fermented alcoholic drinks, such as beer and wine.

The ready-to-drink alcohol market compound annual growth rate is expected to be 11.2% during the forecast market from 2022 to 2030, according to a market research report by InsightAce Analytic. The success of the niche market is coming from Gen-Z and millennials for its convenience, according to the report. 

When they started the company three years ago, Nguyen and Wood wanted to bring something different than what was being offered at the time in the marketplace. Neither of the founders had a background in beverage production, but saw a need in the industry.

Vaqit has received more than a dozen awards in the last two years and participated in competitions including the Denver International Spirits Competition in March 2022. It is now in over 100 locations, according to spokesperson Holly-Jade Landeros.

The drink’s base is a vodka made from Illinois corn that is distilled six times and is 100 calories per can. It was designed to have a low alcohol content of 4% ABV on purpose because the company markets the drink toward athletes, according to Wood.

There are three different flavors — strawberry guava, clementine pineapple and white peach ginger.

“We wanted to provide more of a dynamic flavor profile, just a little bit more complexity there, because we felt that the consumer at some point would continue to mature taste profiles and offerings,” Nguyen said. “So that’s what drove us to create a multi-layer flavor.”

AEG Presents, a division of AEG Worldwide, bills itself as the “world’s leading sports and live entertainment company.” It is owned by the Anschutz Corp., which also owns Clarity Media – publisher of the Denver Gazette.