Rally Gin pours into KC as childhood friends mix spirit of resilience with Black-owned, woman-owned brand

After launching in the Los Angeles market, Rally Gin is coming home — distilling a pandemic dream into Kansas City reality. 

“We have so much pride in being Kansas City natives and are thrilled to share Rally Gin with the town,” said Alysha Daicy, co-founder. 

Rally cocktail at The Mercury Room

A launch event honoring Rally’s expansion into the Midwest is planned Thursday at The Mercury Room, the company said in a release. The event is expected to include custom cocktails, complimentary hors d’oeuvres, music, and a special edition bottle of Rally. 

“Launching Rally Gin on the West Coast has been an amazing experience, but we have anxiously awaited the opportunity to launch in our hometown,” Daicy said, noting the company chose to launch in L.A. because its distiller, New Alchemy, is based there. 

Rally can be purchased at nine metro locations including two Gomer’s Fine Wines and Spirits — located at 103rd and State Line Road and 99th and Holmes Road — The Pairing, the Lee’s Summit West Hy-Vee, Made in KC Marketplace on the Country Club Plaza, Brookside Wine and Spirits, and three Mike’s Wine and Spirits locations in Westport, Brookside, and Waldo. 

The gin can also be found mixed into cocktail menus at Cliff’s Taphouse, Harry’s Country Club, Teocali, and The Mercury Room. 

“Let’s get ready to Rally, Kansas City! We’re so happy to be home,” Daicy added. 

Want to attend? Click here to RSVP. Guests must be 21 or older. 

“Rally Gin is made with a custom blend of 12 botanicals using a unique vapor-distilling process that creates an enhanced spirit experience.” 

“Rally features a delicate mix of florals, citruses, and peppers, tailor-made for contemporary palettes looking to explore the age-old tradition of gin.”

Desmond Carr, Alysha Daicy and Tim McCoy, Rally Gin, Decoy Beverage Co.

Rally is a product of Black-owned, woman-owned Decoy Beverage Co.; a Kansas City-based venture poured in 2020 by Desmond Carr, Tim McCoy, and Daicy — a trio of childhood friends who conceptualized the company over frequent Zoom happy hours amid the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“They would discuss the delicate balance of working from home while homeschooling kids, being on the frontline as essential workers, the heightened racial tension that was tearing the country apart, and of course, just life in general,” the company’s website explained. 

“These ‘Zoom Happy Hours’ facilitated a place where they could talk openly, explore new ideas, share in each other’s struggles, and celebrate each other’s triumphs … together.”

Rally Gin at The Mercury Room

Such moments became the trio’s way to “rally” through tough times, the company’s origin story continued. 

“As longtime friends, we were inspired by entrepreneurship, our mutual love of hospitality, and curating a good time. We wanted to create a spirit that all could enjoy,” the trio told Startland News. 

“Rally was founded with the mission of uplifting the underdog and encouraging diversity in and out of the spirit industry. By bringing together our unique talents and experiences we were able to create a contemporary spirit that could be enjoyed by gin-lovers and those new to gin alike.”

Click here to learn more about Decoy Beverage Co. or to purchase a bottle of Rally. 

Future products and experiences surrounding them are expected to be announced at a later date, the company said. 

“We are so thrilled and grateful for the overwhelming response from our KC community.”

This story is possible thanks to support from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, a private, nonpartisan foundation that works together with communities in education and entrepreneurship to create uncommon solutions and empower people to shape their futures and be successful.

For more information, visit www.kauffman.org and connect at www.twitter.com/kauffmanfdn and www.facebook.com/kauffmanfdn