Virginia Distillery Co dips into lower-ABV seltzers
American producer Virginia Distillery Co has entered the ready-to-drink (RTD) market with Kinda Light Vodka Seltzer, which has an ABV of 2.5% ABV.
The new lower-ABV brand was created to meet the growing consumer demand for lighter, more moderate drinking experiences.
Kinda Light RTDs are crafted with real juice, sparkling water, vodka, and natural flavours.
The brand offers four flavours: Cucumber, Black Cherry, Pineapple, and Grapefruit.
Each 355ml can contains 50 calories, no sugar, and 1g of carbohydrates. The range is both gluten- and preservative-free.
American Custom Distilling, the company’s contract production and innovation division, developed Kinda Light.
Jerry Heddy, president of American Custom Distilling, said: “For American Custom Distilling, Kinda Light is a great example of what our team can do. We are helping create scalable spirits brands with great product-market fit, strong technical execution, and exceptional quality.
“Kinda Light brings together low-cost product development, beverage alcohol expertise, and commercial strategy to create the next big thing in consumers’ hands.”
Pound & Penny Spirits, Virginia Distillery Co’s new multi-brand sales and marketing platform, will market the brand. Retail displays, in-store POS, digital media, lifestyle influencer programming, and trade marketing will support the launch.
Going beyond whiskey
Kinda Light is part of Virginia Distillery Co’s expansion beyond American single malt whisky.
Andrew Meissner, president of Pound & Penny Spirits, explained: “The idea for Kinda Light started with a conversation about the rise of low- and no-alcohol drinking. We saw real momentum behind moderation, but also felt something was missing between a full-strength RTD and a non-alcoholic drink.
“We kept coming back to a familiar pattern: you have a cocktail or seltzer, then reach for water because you want to keep the day going without overdoing it. We thought: why not make that next drink a real vodka seltzer? One that still tastes great, still feels social, but has half the alcohol and half the calories. Once we landed on that idea, it felt almost too obvious.
“The team got excited quickly because it created a genuinely new occasion for RTDs: something light enough for more moments, but still a real drink. We knew we had to make it, even if a vodka seltzer was not exactly the most obvious next move for a whisky distillery.”
Kinda Light will initially be available from Virginia ABC, which will offer the brand statewide for US$17.99 per eight-can variety pack.
After its debut at Virginia ABC, Kinda Light will expand across Virginia Distillery Co’s US distribution network. Additionally, direct-to-consumer ordering will be available nationwide at launch through the brand’s website.
As part of the distillery’s new Split Barrel Project, Virginia Distillery Co unveiled a expression that combines Kentucky straight Bourbon with American single malt.
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