Native Sparkling is New Zealand’s first hard seltzer, which was dubbed ‘Drink of the Summer’ by the New York Times in 2019. The product range is all low sugar, low carb and low calories. But it’s about way more than just the drinks. Native Sparkling have a genuine focus on conversation, including bird programmes and even environmental initiatives in their overseas markets.

In this episode of Flying the Fern, host David Downs talks to co-founder Guy Hobson about:

• Company origins, making a drink they called ‘Moose Juice’ at university
• Being a family business, with two brothers and a sister
• Introducing a whole new product to the established alcohol industry
• How Native Sparkling got their first sale in New Zealand, and how different it was when they went to Japan
• How they’ve weaved in their conservation initiatives, and the impact it’s had