Arrowtown has landed a nationwide listing with Sainsbury’s, giving the fast-growing British ready-to-drink brand a much wider platform as summer demand for lighter alcoholic drinks builds. From July, the chain will stock the label in 285 stores, with sales timed to coincide with the peak picnics-and-festivals period.

The supermarket will carry two of Arrowtown’s four vodka soda flavours: Mango & Pineapple and Black Cherry & Apple. Both come in 330ml cans at 4.5% ABV and carry an RRP of £2.95. The brand says each can contains 109 calories and is made with triple-distilled vodka, sparkling soda and natural ingredients, while avoiding artificial sweeteners.

Co-founder James Smith said the Sainsbury’s deal marks a major step for the business and broadens access to what he describes as a cleaner, lower-sugar alternative to conventional alcoholic drinks. Arrowtown was founded in 2021 by brothers James and Rob Smith after the pair travelled in New Zealand and identified a growing appetite for vodka-and-soda style drinks, a trend also fuelled by the rise of hard seltzers in the US. The brand takes its name from Arrowtown, the historic gold-mining village in New Zealand’s South Island.

The listing comes as the RTD category continues to benefit from changing consumer habits. Market data cited by the company suggests that 57% of adults are actively trying to reduce sugar intake, while 45% of consumers globally judge a product’s healthiness largely by its sugar content. It also points to 84% year-on-year growth in the premium RTD segment. Arrowtown has also tied its growth story to sustainability, saying that through its partnership with Ocean Co. each can sold funds the collection and removal of two ocean-bound plastic bottles.

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