A Toast to the Girls! BuzzBallz New Flavour Is Touching Down in London

On London’s Southbank, something delightfully big and blue is happening.

Today, for one day only, a 10-foot interactive gacha machine will appear at the riverside for the official UK roll-out of BuzzBallz’ newest flavour, Berry Cherry Limeade. The larger-than-life installation and glossy, blue-carpet moment for the spherical cocktail brand isn’t just for show. With over 4,000 prizes tucked inside, visitors will be able to turn the dial and win everything from samples of the new flavour to exclusive merch and instant-win awards. And for one very lucky fan, the capsule drop could reveal the ultimate “Big, Blue and Ballzy” prize: £5,000 in cash to spend however they like!

Just weeks before International Women's Day on 8th March, the activation carries an added layer of resonance. BuzzBallz was founded by a woman, a detail that feels especially sweet when placed against the long, gendered history of cocktail culture. For as long as brightly coloured drinks have existed, they’ve been coded as feminine: too sweet, too frivolous or too decorative. Meanwhile, neat pours and smoky spirits were framed as serious and masculine. However, culture has always told a different story.

Few television moments shaped modern drinking aesthetics quite like Sex and the City. When Carrie Bradshaw and co. made the Cosmopolitan their drink of choice, it helped cement how the cocktail became shorthand for independence, friendship and urban femininity. It was an accessory as much as a beverage, perched perfectly in hand across Manhattan bars. And that legacy has quietly evolved. Scroll through TikTok today and you’ll find endless videos aimed at young women spotlighting aesthetic cocktail bars with moody lighting, glossy cherries and sugared rims. All that birthday-ready drink menus, girls night itineraries and cocktail content are evergreen. Women have consumed cocktail culture as well as driven it and made it aspirational which makes BuzzBallz’ presence in this space interesting. The brand has always leaned into bold colour and portability, packaging its ready-to-drink cocktails in unmistakable spherical containers that feel designed for both convenience and Instagram Stories.

Because “girly” has so often been used as a shorthand for trivial. But sweetness, fun and vibrancy are not weaknesses. They’re aesthetics women have long claimed, monetised and turned into movements, even when culture tried to dismiss them. The decision to launch Berry Cherry Limeade via a giant gacha machine amplifies that sense of playful ownership. Gacha machines, iconic in Japan, are deeply rooted in collectability culture. Rows of capsule dispensers filled with tiny charms and trinkets have become especially popular among young women, who clip their finds onto tote bags and phone straps, building personalised charm clusters that feel both nostalgic and expressive. It’s hyper-cute actually.

Jess Scheerhorn, President of BuzzBallz Business Unit at Sazerac, captures that spirit directly: “Spontaneous fun is at the heart of BuzzBallz, and what better way to celebrate than with what might be the biggest-ever gacha machine? We know the UK has been waiting for the full roll-out of Berry Cherry Limeade - you spoke, and we listened! It’s time to grab life by the fruity ballz, London.”

The tone is tongue-in-cheek, but it’s also telling. There’s no attempt to neutralise the brand’s personality or sand down its edges. Instead, it doubles down on exuberance on being loud, fruity and VERY ballsy. This pre-International Women’s Day timing lands neatly even if it wasn't intentional. A woman-founded brand celebrating expansion with a 10-foot capsule machine and thousands of prizes feels like a wink to the girls who have long been at the centre of cocktail culture.

It's time to raise a glass to the people who’ve always made drinks look good.

Date: Friday 27th February, 2026

Location: Observation Point, Southbank, SE1 9PP

Time: 12pm - 7pm

You must be 18+ years old to participate. 

BuzzBallz is available nationwide in leading supermarkets and off licenses for a suggested retail price of £3.99. For all the latest BuzzBallz UK updates, follow the brand on Instagram.

Please Drink Responsibly.