SunnyD Is Getting In On The Canned Cocktail Trend With Vodka Seltzer

What happens when you combine a childhood favorite with a modern adult go-to beverage? You get SunnyD Vodka Seltzer. Whether you haven't enjoyed a glass of tangy orange SunnyD since fifth grade or since last week, the alcoholic version of the classic juice beverage is sure to bring out the kid in you.

For six decades, people have enjoyed SunnyD since two Florida dads decided they could make a better-tasting orange beverage. Since its launch in 1963, SunnyD has released other flavors, including Orange Strawberry, Orange Peach, Mango, Fruit Punch, and Lemonade. In 2017, Sunny D was acquired by the Harvest Hill Beverage Company, and in the past three years has seen a resurgence in its popularity. According to a press release from the company, SunnyD has witnessed a growth of 30 percent since 2019.

Another — albeit adult — beverage seeing rising sales? That's hard seltzers, which are predicted to continue gaining in popularity. In fact, 742.5 million liters of the alcoholic beverage were sold in 2019, which grew to more than 2 billion liters sold in 2022. It's predicted that the amount of hard seltzer sold is predicted to reach 3 billion liters in 2025. 

Combining the flavor of SunnyD with hard seltzer feels like a no-brainer, and perhaps a decision only made to capitalize on the adult beverage's popularity, but it was also based on feedback from fans.

Believing that there was a market for an adult version of the SunnyD beverage, parent company Harvest Hill Beverage Company went about creating a hard seltzer. 

"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," says Ilene Bergenfeld, the chief marketing officer at Harvest Hill Beverage Company. "So, we looked at the hard seltzer category, and thought, good, but we can do better. And SunnyD Vodka Seltzer was born".

SunnyD Vodka Seltzer is made with real fruit juice and is 4.5% ABV. Twelve-ounce cans of the hard seltzer contain 95 calories and will be sold in a four-pack (at a suggested retail price of $9.99) or as singles (with a suggested retail price of $1.99). SunnyD and hard seltzer fans can expect to see cans of SunnyD Vodka Seltzer for sale starting March 11 at select Walmart stores, but the drink will be rolling out at major retailers across the country.