A St. Croix-based beverage company has secured a $1.3 million strategic investment through a joint venture that will help expand its products across the Caribbean and into international markets, a press release announced.
Flamboyant Water announced Tuesday that the investment comes through a partnership with U.S. ready-to-drink cocktail producer Top Dog Cocktails. Company officials said the funding will support expanded distribution, new product development and long-term manufacturing initiatives throughout the region.
The investment marks Flamboyant’s first external capital raise since the company was founded by Modern Caribbean LLC in 2024, according to the press release.
Headquartered on St. Croix, Flamboyant plans to broaden distribution throughout the Caribbean, with initial target markets including the U.S. Virgin Islands, Dominica, the Dominican Republic, Anguilla, St. Barths, St. Kitts and Nevis, Sint Maarten, Saint Martin, Cabo Verde and other Caribbean destinations, the press release stated.
The company also plans to launch Flamboyant Reserve, a line of Caribbean-inspired rum-based ready-to-drink beverages. The first collection will include four flavors: Hummingbird, Island Garden, Island Spice and Island Citrus, the release stated.
According to the release, the beverages will contain fewer than 90 calories per can with 4.5% alcohol by volume and are expected to debut in fall 2026 in select Caribbean markets, Florida and Pennsylvania.
“The Caribbean already welcomes more than 30 million visitors every year,” founder Michael Pemberton, managing partner of Modern Caribbean LLC, said in the release. “Our strategy is simple: allow millions of travelers to discover Caribbean-inspired products at their point of experience and continue seeking out those products after they return home. As we expand distribution, we are equally focused on building manufacturing infrastructure in the region that enables Caribbean brands to create, produce, and export world-class products to consumers around the world.”
The company is also evaluating manufacturing opportunities in the Caribbean and is in discussions with the Government of Dominica, Invest Dominica Authority and the Dominica Water and Sewerage Company regarding a potential beverage manufacturing and export facility. According to the release, the proposed facility would support bottled water, premium beverages, private-label production and regional distribution, the release stated.
Top Dog Cocktails founder Ken Smukler said the partnership combines Flamboyant’s regional distribution strategy with his company’s product development experience, the release stated.
“Flamboyant represents an exciting opportunity to help build a globally scalable consumer brand inspired by Caribbean culture,” Smukler said in the release. “We believe the Caribbean’s tourism economy and growing consumer market create tremendous long-term potential across multiple beverage categories.”
The companies expect to begin rolling out the Flamboyant Reserve portfolio this fall while pursuing additional hospitality, tourism, retail and distribution partnerships throughout the Caribbean, according to the release.
