Many of us took up new hobbies during the pandemic. But only a select few, like Adam Feldman, Dave Dolinsky, and Case Fell, were able to conceive, launch, and maintain a successful business. In 2022, the three friends started Sidecap, a hard, canned cold brew beverage produced right here in the 518. The brand had its official launch this year.

Formulated with custom small-batched, half-caf cold brew from Kru and spiked with “just enough ultra-smooth vodka to keep things interesting,” Sidecap, Feldman says, is different from other hard caffeinated drinks on the market: “Sidecap is committed to being a coffee drink. Most of our competitors are either sugar drinks with coffee or martini-style drinks. We kept it simple: coffee and vodka. There are no weird additives, either—just a touch of sugar and vanilla.”

The product is canned at Saratoga’s Ninth Planet Beverage Solutions on Geyser Road, and at press time was sold exclusively at Purdy’s Discount Wine & Liquor. Feldman hopes to onboard as many local retailers as possible in the coming months. “We want everyone in Saratoga drinking Sidcecap this summer,” he says. The ultimate goal? For the drink to make its way into every waiter’s brunch script: “Would you like a Bloody Mary, mimosa, or Sidecap?”