The independent beverages group behind Northern Rivers brewery Stone & Wood is set to launch its own gluten-free hard seltzer called Sunly on Monday 22 June, as part of the group’s first play in Australia’s burgeoning seltzer market.
A popular low-carb alcohol option that has enjoyed major success in the United States, seltzer is another name for ‘carbonated water’, while ‘hard’ indicates its alcohol content.
Sunly – the beverage
Refreshing, gluten-free, vegan and with less than three grams of sugar per can, Sunly is a no-nasties sparkling hard seltzer brewed with natural flavours in three variations: Davidson plum and berry, ginger and lemon, and blood orange and grapefruit. Reflecting global health and wellness trends, Sunly stands as a premium health-conscious product with 90 per cent less sugar than leading vodka RTD premix beverages.
While several existing hard seltzer brands use vodka as the alcohol, Sunly is brewed with a gluten-free grain, hops, water and yeast through a similar process used to brew beer and is infused with natural ingredients at the final stage.
Sunly Drinks Co
Sunly sits under its own brand Sunrise Drinks Co, a sister company to Stone & Wood, Fixation Brewing and Granite Cider Belt Co, which together sit under Fermentum.
Seltzer – the category
Hard – or ‘spiked’ – seltzers have enjoyed enormous success in the US, particularly, with the segment showing triple-digit annual growth since 2016, and Northern Americans spending AUD $1.38 billion on hard seltzer in 2020 alone. Relatedly, hard seltzer mixed packs are the number one selling sku in the country’s beer category.
Sunly – the stats
- 4% alc/vol
- Gluten free
- Natural flavours
- Less than 3 grams of sugar per can
- Vegan
- 90% less sugar than leading vodka RTD mixed beverages
Availability
Sunly will be available in four-packs of 300ml cans or cartons of 16 cans at bottle shops and venues around the country, as well as Stone & Wood’s Tasting Room in Byron Bay and its brewery in Brisbane.
For news and updates about Sunly, visit www.sunlyseltzer.com.au.
The Beer is a Conversation podcast discussed the prospect of a Stone & Wood Hard Seltzer and the strategy behind category extensions and branding with Fermentum CEO Ben Summons earlier this year. You can listen below or read a full transcript of that conversation.