Startup alcohol brand Gravity Seltzer aims big after dream industry start

Leading the charge is a pair of Canberra mates turned entrepreneurs, Mick Spencer and Liam Battye, who created Gravity Seltzer in 2021.

The duo wanted to disrupt the alcohol industry with a refreshing and lighter alternative: hard seltzers - highball drinks consisting of carbonated water, alcohol and often fruit flavourings. Unlike most RTDs (ready-to-drink) they contain minimal calories, carbs or sugar.

Dissatisfied with the seltzers on offer in Australia, Gravity's mission is not to just become "Australia's best 'better for you' beverage company", but to inspire the population to explore more of the outdoors, while rethinking their drinking habits.

This vision and co-ownership by professional athletes - Newcastle-raised wakeboarder Harley Clifford, former Gold Coast IronMan Matt Poole, Wollongong surfer Cooper Chapman, Canberra freestyle motocross rider Harry Bink and Canberra-born multi-discipline and performance athlete Jenna Louise - has led Gravity to experience a meteoric rise in the Australian alcohol industry.

"In the first four months of trade we almost did a million bucks of revenue sold. Not far off 200,000 cans," said Mr Spencer.

"[We] became the most engaged seltzer brand online in social media and have also secured massive stadium contracts with all the NSW stadiums."

The brand is already available at BWS, Dan Murphy's and independent bottleshops in Canberra and the NSW South Coast.

Mr Spencer and Mr Battye acknowledged there were no Australian drinks brands that owned the outdoor and adventure space, and realised that millennials and Gen Z were driving a movement to have a healthy, balanced lifestyle.

A study from Roy Morgan found the "big three" alcohol types - wine, beer and spirits - were all down on a year ago when it came to consumption. However, RTDs, led by the increasing popularity of hard seltzer, were up by 16.7 per cent.

A further report by Future Market Insights predicted seltzers will be a US$76.9 billion global industry by 2033. Mr Spencer estimated the Australian industry - currently worth $300m - would "easily" reach $1 billion.

"What we're noticing is a lot of people are really conscious drinkers now," he said.

"They're looking for products that are vegan or gluten-free. They're looking for products that maybe give back as a part of their gross profit per case. There's a lot more competition now and particularly that millennial market really wants to see companies doing good things in the community."

Mr Spencer said Gravity Seltzer was making a statement.

"Australians love to have a drink. Drinking is ingrained in our culture," he said.

"A Canadian Club or a craft beer are 200 to 350 calories per can.

"High levels of sugar, high levels of carbohydrates, high levels of gluten aren't good for the body. We've tried to craft a bit more of a natural blend to say, 'If you're going to have a drink, have something a bit better for you, but also have fun'."

Gravity wanted to ensure its products were naturally brewed, steering clear of ethanol (vodka) and instead have a natural base.

"We proudly brew our base. It's actually brewed like a beer and then we dilute it, and it goes through a carb refining process to remove all the heaviness," Mr Spencer said.

"It ends up tasting a heck of a lot better and it catches the natural ingredients a lot more. It ends up being virtually no sugar and really low calorie alcohol products."

Gravity currently has four alcoholic and non-alcoholic seltzer flavours: Watermelon and Lemon; Kiwi and Guava; Blood Orange and Passionfruit; and Ginger and Lime.

One big thing the brand advocates for is "proudly Australian-made and proudly Australian-owned". They encourage people to support local and independent producers.

"Where there's tough times in hospitality or consumer spending, we need more people to rally around our local brands," said Mr Spencer.

"The employment and investment back into the community for those brands is really important."

Gravity aimed to build something the community could love and that would give back.

Canberra and the NSW South Coast is where the brand has its roots and it's enjoyed support from the local communities.

In the coming year they want to expand, growing their sustainability projects and bring them to Queensland and potentially Victoria.

READ MORE:

Gravity recognises there is opportunity in the "better for you" space to enter other drinks categories, such as lower alcohol percentage, other RTDs or even the no alcohol space, with flavoured waters.

"The Gravity brand is really starting to catch up," Mr Spencer said.

"It catches that aspirational life of Australians. Beaches and mountains and feeling good. We want to take that further than seltzer. It has been a super fast first 12 months in trade and we're even more excited for the 12 months ahead."

We've made it a whole lot easier for you to have your say. Our new comment platform requires only one log-in to access articles and to join the discussion on The Canberra Times website. Find out how to register so you can enjoy civil, friendly and engaging discussions. See our moderation policy here.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: