Rita’s teams up with the Eagles to make water ice-flavored vodka

As the Eagles kick off the NFL season Thursday night at home against the rival Dallas Cowboys, the team's Bird Gang Spirits label is rolling out limited-edition vodka bottles with Rita's Italian Ice flavors.

The collaboration is being led by Botld, a liquor distributor that works with distilleries across the United States to offer brands that aren't carried at Fine Wine & Good Spirits stores in Pennsylvania. The Rita's partnership includes mango and wild black cherry vodka flavors crafted to match the taste of water ice.

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The $28 bottles are being sold at Botld stores in Rittenhouse, Midtown Village and King of Prussia. They're also available at spirit stores in New Jersey and Delaware and can be ordered online at Botld's website. Bird Gang Spirits said the 80-proof bottles capture Rita's flavors with an "icy-citrus snap" for mango and a "jammy" taste for black cherry.

The Eagles created Bird Gang Spirits two years ago and turned to Botld to make whiskey and vodka lines that commemorate significant milestones and historical team moments. Botld was founded in 2022 by Philadelphia Distilling co-founder Andrew Auwerda, who sought a way to partner with small-batch distillers to expand access to specialty labels in a state known for its strict liquor laws.

After the Eagles won Super Bowl LIX, Bird Gang Spirits rolled out championship bottles of Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey, American single malt whiskey and straight rye whiskey. They also made a Brazilian white rum last year to mark the team's season opener in São Paulo.

Rita's, founded in Bensalem in 1984, is in the midst of a nationwide expansion that aims grow from about 600 stores to 800 by 2030. The company announced Thursday that three of its new stores will be opened by Philly native and La Salle College High School graduate Zaire Franklin, who now plays linebacker for the Indianapolis Colts. Franklin said he chose to become a franchisee because he wanted to the bring the flavors of his childhood to his new home.

"Rita’s was always my favorite sweet treat, whether it was a reward after a tough practice, a way to cool off on a hot day or just a fun moment to share time with family,” Franklin said in a statement Thursday. “When I moved to Indy and couldn’t find one, it sparked an idea and set this whole venture in motion."