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.