Giving an overarching term like “soda” a more unique positioning has helped create successful sub-categories like “prebiotic soda” and “energy soda” — but what’s a “social soda”?
Josh Miller, founder of Owen’s Mixers, thinks he knows, though he initially struggled to articulate the notion while speaking on the phone with BevNET last week about Owen’s first line extension: Daizy’s Social Soda. The new line packs 10mg of hemp-derived THC across its five fruit-flavored SKUs.
There’s talk of emphasizing “refreshment,” about a lack of education around hemp-derived THC and a commitment to play by the rules in an unregulated market, but ultimately “social soda” is about inclusivity, something the Owen’s brand knows well, he says.
Amidst declines in alcohol consumption, Owen’s has balanced its portfolio with cocktail-specific SKUs like Margarita Mix – or last year’s new release, Espresso Martini Mix – and more agnostic, ready-for-whenever flavors, like Classic Lemonade and Club Soda. Inclusivity is also a mark of the brand’s distribution strategy; its retail (CVS, Wegmans) and on-premise partners (JetBlue, Chili’s, PGA Tour) cover a lot of ground, in every sense of the word.
“I think what Owen’s stands for is inclusivity and the fact that whether you want to drink alcohol or not, you can use our product in a variety of ways,” said Miller. “That’s really what led us being the first to really try to go after that [‘social’] side of the category.”
However you define it, Daizy’s appears well-poised to help Owen’s extend its reach at a time when the border between booze and non-alcoholic “functional” drinks, including THC-infused beverages, is increasingly porous. But that’s where “social soda” becomes a useful label; it’s about “still [being] part of the action” while avoiding alcohol, Miller explains.
Within the venues and music festivals where Owen’s is served up in cocktails purchased by millennials and baby boomers, Gen Z consumers are looking for non-alcoholic alternatives, and the brand has been eager to serve them by integrating a mocktail program alongside its full-booze menu at See.Here.Now, Lollapalooza, Ohana Festival, Minnesota Yacht Club and other multi-day concert events.
“It was wild to see the amount of inbound emails we were getting saying ‘I just wanted to say thank you for providing an alternative. I usually go to music festivals, and the only thing I can find is sports drinks or sodas as a non-alc [drink].’ So it was really cool to have that inclusive moment,” Miller said. “I never want anybody to feel like alcohol is bad. The reality is if people want to drink, they can drink.”
That leads things back to Daizy’s. At 5 grams of sugar (fruit juice and cane sugar) and 10mg of THC (no CBD) per 12 oz. can, it’s designed to be an all-around crowd-pleaser that wins on flavor and value, and available to as large an audience as possible. National and regional retail partners like Total Wine & More and Specs (all 200 stores in Texas) are driving early returns for Daizy’s, which is currently available in 12 states across the South and Midwest, with support from Johnson Brothers and Empire Distributors.
Like most other canna-bev entrepreneurs, Miller also has an eye on the future, where the backing of investors like Live Nation holds tantalizing potential for on–premise opportunities. But considering Owen’s extensive work with spirits brands like Tito’s and Pernod Ricard, wouldn’t a RTD cocktail have been the easier play?
There’s been inbound interest, Miller said, but “if you put a specific spirit into your can you really are telling the rest of the market you know where you stand.”
Instead, for a brand defined by its bond with booze, Miller sees an opportunity to grow with the times.
“What this has taught me is that Owen Woods, Inc., our parent company, is truly an authority on non-alcoholic [beverages],” said Miller. “What we demonstrated here is that we can not only go into new categories that have opportunities, but we can win in them and become category leaders. That’s where I see Daizy’s headed.”