NUTRL Hard Soda Water is now available in mixed 12-packs in select markets throughout Canada. The company is known for their award-winning vodka and RTD (ready-to-drink) Vodka Soda canned cocktails. NUTRL’s line of hard soda water launched last year and the drink has quickly become a favorite with Canadians.
NUTRL hard soda water is “the super-simple-super-premium, and incredibly easy drinking alternative to the ‘usual’.” The drinks come in flavors varieties of Cranberry, Pineapple, Lemon, Lime, Mango, and Black Cherry. Each 355 ml can contains 100 calories, 0 g of sugar, and an ABV of 5%. NUTRL is available to purchase in single flavor 6-packs and most recently in mixed 12-packs.
Goodbridge & Williams Distillery Produces NUTRL
The NUTRL brand was launched by Goodridge & Williams Distillery in 2017. The distillery is home to several ready-to-drink products including Tempo Gin Smash canned cocktails, Highball Whisky Soda canned cocktails, StillMaker Old Fashioned bottled cocktails, and Yes Guy Hard Iced Teas.
G&W was acquired by Labatt Breweries, an Anheuser-Busch (NYSE: BUD) company, in January 2020. The terms of the acquisition were not disclosed, however, given Goodridge & Williams large catalogue of ready-to-drink beverages and the distribution capabilities of Labatt and Anheuser-Busch, the deal appears to be a power move for all involved.
Paul Meehan, G&W’s founder, has continued to lead operations since the acquisition. He stated that with Labatt’s guidance, “we will make the brand even more available across Canada.”
Kyle Norrington, Labatt’s President, noted regarding the acquisition, “the ready-to-drink category in Canada has grown by double digits in recent years.” Restaurant and bar closures due to pandemic restrictions resulted in a global drop in on-premise beer sales over the past year. It isn’t surprising that beer companies like Labatt would be seeking out ways to expand into prosperous categories like the hard seltzer and ready-to-drink markets.
Canadian Surge
The hard seltzer craze has officially made its way to Canada. During a recent earnings call, Carlos Brito, Anheuser-Busch’s Chief Executive Officer, talked about NUTRL and the Canadian seltzer market. “So what we see is that trends that are set in the U.S., they tend to travel well. And that’s no different with seltzer, we believe.”
“So now, seltzer in Canada is already a reality. We have very strong brands in seltzer in Canada. We have, for example, in Canada, two of the top three fastest-growing families or brands in seltzer in Canada are ours, Nutrl being the biggest one, most successful,” said Brito.
Anheuser-Busch also recently launched Bud Light Seltzer in Canada, after thousands of social media requests for the beverage.
Anheuser-Busch isn’t the only major beverage company with their sights set on the Canadian hard seltzer market. White Claw, which currently controls more than half of the U.S. hard seltzer market, launched last year in Toronto. The day it debuted, a line of eager consumers stretched around the block at the Liquor Control Board of Ontario waiting to try the beverage. Molson Coors launched Vizzy Hard Seltzer and Coors Seltzer in Canada this past April as well.
NUTRL hopes making its line of hard soda waters available in variety packs will be a win for both the company and consumers.
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