SunnyD Is Getting Naughty

In a move marketing experts see as riding a wave of '90s nostalgia, SunnyD is rolling out an alcoholic version of the drink many people knew as Sunny Delight when they were kids. The company is entering the hard seltzer market with SunnyD Vodka Seltzer, an ABV 4.5% drink that will be rolled out at Walmart stores on Friday, CBS reports. "SunnyD is a powerful brand, the most boldly unique orange drink on the planet," Harvest Hill Beverage Company marketing exec Ilene Bergenfeld said in a press release. "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."

The company, which acquired the SunnyD brand in 2017, says the drink fared well in blind taste tests, with 57% saying they prefer it to their usual seltzers and 85% describing the taste as "unique," Fox reports. Food & Wine describes the launch as a "smart strategic move, since kids who were raised on SunnyD commercials in the '80s and '90s can now legally drink the beverage with booze." The company says traditional SunnyD is still a hit, with sales up 30% since 2019. (More alcohol stories.)