Craft alcoholic flavoured water launched by Scottish company

A NEW craft hard seltzer, or alcoholic flavoured water, has been launched by a fledgling Scottish company.

The drink using Scottish water, called Lilo, is the first of several hard seltzer brands set to launch from The Alcoholic Water Company, based in Port Glasgow.

The business was formed as a collaboration involving the Scotland-based founders of The Start-up Drinks Lab, Craig Strachan and Hannah Fisher, who bring liquid development, manufacturing and operational expertise, and London-based advertising and branding agency Warp & Woof founders Drew

Shannon and Greg Saunders, who are behind the branding and design.

The company, funded to date entirely by the founders, has just secured substantial external investment of which it will be announcing details in early 2021.

Lilo has launched with two flavours, white grape and elderflower at 44 calories and cranberry and rosehip at 43 calories, which are “deliberately aligned to the wine category in the hope of offering a lower calorie, less alcoholic alternative to those health-conscious consumers” with both served at 3.5% ABV.

It is the firm’s first hard seltzer to launch and “focuses on premiumisation” in the mainstream category.

The company said

Lilo is “one of the first hard seltzers to use Scottish water, which is known for its purity”.

It also said: “Each brand will offer all the common product attributes of a hard seltzer – natural flavours, gluten free, low calorie and low alcohol – but will also offer enhanced, premium benefits to its drinks including the use of Scottish water, bespoke botanical spirits created by an award-winning Scottish distiller and stand-out design.”

The can design was curated by artist Maria Rivans.

The firm added that in 2020, sales of alcoholic water in the US rose by 270% with sales reaching $4.3bn against $1.6bn in 2019 and just $400,000 in 2018.