Nectar Unveils Nectar Radio Platform With Pop-Up Rave Takeover of Hawaii’s Iconic Zippy’s Kahala

Nectar Expands Its Portfolio with SoJuice, Its New 8.8% Real Juice Soju Cocktail

Nectar, the Asian-American hard beverages brand, celebrated its Pacific Island connections, transforming an Oahu location of Hawaii's iconic family restaurant chain Zippy’s into an epic, one-night-only dancefloor destination just last month. 

For the first time, Nectar turned Zippy’s into the ultimate house party, switching loco moco for chest-thumping beats and banquettes for a DJ booth, soundtracked by the world-class Mr. Carmack, a Filipino-Hawaiian DJ with Hawaiian roots, along with local Japanese-American talent, subtoll. Nectar Radio at Zippy's with Mr. Carmack was a first-come, first-served event with RSVP that had limited capacity on September 17.

This singular experience served as the launch for Nectar’s new real juice soju cocktail, Nectar SoJuice, and Nectar Radio, a digital playground for music and culture. Just as Nectar Seltzer showcased Asian flavors to the American market, Nectar Radio will highlight legendary and up-and-coming Asian and Asian-American DJs and artists, who remain underrepresented despite the massive amount of AAPI consumers in the dance music scene. Audiences can expect DJ sets to drop on Nectar’s YouTube and social channels.

As one of the largest markets for Nectar, Hawaii has been one of the brand's biggest supporters since its incredible viral and sold-out launch back in 2022. After just a few years, Nectar is now the #3 hard seltzer brand in the state. With one of the largest percentages of statewide Asian-American populations in the U.S., Nectar has also taken inspiration from the market for innovation and new flavors such as Passionfruit Orange Guava, Li Hing Pineapple, and Lilikoi Passion.

After successful growth in Hard Seltzer and Hard Juice, Nectar is further focusing on Asian flavors and quality ingredients with an elevated option in the popular High ABV category called Nectar SoJuice. SoJuice is an 8.8% ABV, real fruit juice, soju cocktail, made with nothing fake and no additives, coming in flavors including White Peach Rambutan and Calamansi Watermelon.

Zippy’s is an independently owned, iconic chain of family restaurants based in the Hawaiian Islands. For nearly 60 years, it’s been a late-night staple, proudly serving up Hawaiian culture and local favorites around the clock.

Asian flavored alcohol is now the fastest-growing category of beverages in the U.S., with 162.9% growth year over year, aligning with the exploding popularity trend of Asian culture nationwide (music, entertainment, food, etc.). With just nine states of distribution, Nectar is the #1 Asian-flavor alcohol brand in the entire country, experiencing 130% year-over-year growth in the last 12 months, making it the fastest-growing brand within one of the fastest-growing categories of drinks. 

About Nectar

Frustrated by the lack of Asian flavors on alcohol shelves, despite the massive amount of hard seltzer brands and growing popularity of Asian culture, Korean-American Jeremy Kim and Chinese-American Geng Wang, alongside friends John Dalsey and Brando, decided to take matters into their own hands. Nectar launched mid-pandemic at the end of 2020 with hard seltzer flavors like Lychee, Asian Pear, Yuzu, and Mandarin. After their TikTok videos about the brand went viral, there were lines around the block for the first stores that carried the drinks. 

About Zippy’s Restaurants

Brothers Francis and Charles Higa founded Zippy’s Restaurants more than 58 years ago on South King Street in urban Honolulu. With twenty-two locations across Oahu, Maui, and Hawaii Island, Zippy’s is a beloved island institution. Its first location outside of Hawaii opened in October 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Zippy’s is a unique three-in-one concept: locations are a combination of fast-casual take-out service; a casual full-service dine-in restaurant; and a convenient retail bakery. Many Zippy’s locations are open until late at night, serving the comfort foods of Hawaii in a family-friendly atmosphere.