With consumers embracing the trend for healthier beverages, Melbourne-based brand, StrangeLove, has released StrangeLove Lo-Cal sodas – a range of clean, light and innovative low-sugar sodas that experiment with exotic flavours whilst providing classic refreshment that tastes nothing short of fantastic.
“Honestly, these are the best tasting sodas in the world without question. All other reduced-sugar or low-sugar sodas compromise flavour for health, we didn’t. We’ve cracked it and created a healthier soda that is unparalleled in terms of flavour,” said James Bruce, StrangeLove’s co-founder.
Where other low-sugar soft drinks use additives such as stevia, xylitol and erythritol, StrangeLove has taken a different approach. By opting to use a small amount of sugar – around 3.5g/100ml – and extremely high-quality extracts, juices and oils, StrangeLove has achieved a deep intensity of flavour and a crisp, dry mouth-feel.
Last year, StrangeLove successfully launched a range of super-premium mixers including four tonic waters and a dry ginger ale and formed relationships with premium ingredient producers around the globe – strengthening its knowledge of product development before venturing into the Lo-Cal market.
“Our experience developing premium mixer products gave us a big edge here. Having developed relationships with some of the best ingredient producers around the world, we developed this project using distilled botanicals and extracts that you typically wouldn’t find in a commercial soft drink,” Bruce said.
“In a category dominated by functional drinks like Kombucha, that all essentially taste the same, we saw an opportunity to release a new generation of soft drinks that are better for you and totally worth the 50 calorie investment,” Bruce added.
Whilst the new range contains approximately 70% less sugar than the already successful StrangeLove range, the philosophy for Lo-Cal was always ‘flavour first’. The range was developed for those looking to go on a gourmet journey, without having to rely on alcohol. The beautiful bottles and the ingenious contents that lie within were made to pair with whatever cuisine is served.
The sodas themselves – served in an elegant 300ml bespoke StrangeLove glass bottle with stippling and embossing that would make Patrick Bateman weep – contain significantly less sugar than most other brands.
“We’d like to say we reduced the sugar because we are dedicated to better health,” said James, “But that’s not true. Flavour comes first for us, so it’s not a health drink that tastes good, but a delicious drink that just so happens to be better for you.”
StrangeLove Lo-Cal Sodas come in seven delicious flavours:
- Double Ginger – Australian ginger juice provides body, depth and a buildup of heat on the chest, whilst intense, aromatic Fijian ginger extract adds zingy, vibrant top notes and ginger spice for your tongue.
- Yuzu from Japan – a hybrid citrus grown in cool, mountainous regions of Japan – embodies all the best parts of lemon, grapefruit and mandarin. It’s complex, nuanced, tart, sweet and refreshing.
- Holy Grapefruit (White Grapefruit & Holy Basil) – the juice of white grapefruit with an extremely high-quality holy basil extract create a perfectly balanced, layered and unique soda.
- Cloudy Pear & Cinnamon – a classic pairing reimagined. Delicate pear juice spiced with aromatic cinnamon makes for the world’s first after-dinner soda.
- Lemon Squash – Australian lemons from Mildura provided the perfect base, while hi-spec Sicilian lemon extract and clementine oil adds complex, delicate citrus top notes and depth of flavour.
- Smoked Cola – made from scratch with lemons, kola nut, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg and lime oil makes this different and delicate. And then it’s smoked over Applewood chips.
- Very Mandarin – a punchy, zesty soda this is an ode to a school bag favourite.
According to Stafford Fox, StrangeLove’s national sales manager, the Lo-Cal range of products have already been incredibly well received with leading restaurants / outlets such as Sonoma Bakeries, David Jones and the newly launched Coles Local upscale supermarkets joining the ranks of stockists.
Fox goes on to say, “The consumer shift away from sugar-laden drinks has been similar to my experience with male pattern baldness when I was 23 – it happened gradually, then suddenly. We always wanted to reduce the sugar content in our sodas from a drinkability perspective anyway, so we feel that this range represents the future of sodas – for both flavour and health.”
StrangeLove has also secured distribution for the Lo-Cal range via Bibendum Wine Co, Feel Good Foods and Two Providores. Additionally, the range can be found nationally at key retailers such as David Jones, selected Dan Murphy’s and Coles Local. Bruce and Fox are also currently exploring export opportunities in the US and UK, where the sugar tax has had created extra demand for healthier beverage options.
Up until now, the Lo-Cal market in Australia has been almost entirely dominated by mainstream beverage options that rely on artificial sweeteners, or boutique brands that use noticeable amounts of stevia.
StrangeLove launched its retail four pack on Feb 1st for a retail price of $11.99 for 4 x 300ml bottles.