The Sunny D brand is proving that it’s not just for kids anymore with the debut of a brand-new spiked seltzer. PEOPLE reports that the nostalgic citrus drink company is now making vodka-based adult beverages. The newly minted line of alcoholic seltzers go on sale March 11, and will be available to buy in a four-pack of 12-ounce skinny cans for $10 at select Walmart stores around the United States.
Ilene Bergenfeld, CMO of Harvest Hill Beverage Company, spoke out about the new line of drinks, explaining that the idea actually came from hearing that adult Sunny D drinkers were using the juice to mix with their cocktails. “Consumers are passionate about this iconic brand, rooted in nostalgia but with a taste that resonates today. Many have told us that they enjoy SunnyD as a mixer and asked for this product. So, we looked at the hard seltzer category, and thought, good, but we can do better. And SunnyD Vodka Seltzer was born,” Bergenfeld stated. “We look forward to hearing what [consumers] think and, based on what we’ve heard so far, we think SunnyD Vodka Seltzer may be the best news ever.”
Videos by PopCulture.com
Over on the SunnyD website, the company offers some background on it’s popular drink, explaining, “In the Summer of ’63, a couple of Florida dads stood together in an orange grove and agreed, “good, but we can do better.” With a firm handshake, they vowed to create the tastiest, most boldly unique orange drink on the planet. And that’s how SUNNYD was born!”
The “about us” section continues, “Since then, we have celebrated and enhanced the lives of people who aren’t afraid to stand apart. Whether you’ve got a crazy cool hobby, unmatched style or a flavor all your own – you are one of a kind… and so are we! With a taste unlike anything else, SUNNYD is the orange drink with a one-of-a-kind flavor for a one-of-a-kind you.”
Ultimately, a scan of social media seems to indicate that the new hard seltzers have many divided. “i WILL get my hands on the sunnyD Vodka Seltzer,” one person tweeted, while someone else joked, “Listen here – I am so happy I don’t drink vodka, because one sip of spiked #SunnyD would make me an Avenger-level threat.” However, one other user chided the company, writing, “This may be an #UnpopularOpinion, but this is not only a miss by Sunny Delight Beverages Co-it’s obscene. If having a camel on a carton of cigarettes was a line too far crossed in the tobacco industry, mixing a vodka into a kid’s drink brand is as well.”
