Lunar, the first Asian-American craft hard seltzer brand that launched last fall, faced meteoric success with their exciting and nostalgia-inducing drinks in the can. The idea for the brand emerged in 2019 when the Asian-American duo Kevin Wong and Sean Ro were grabbing a late-night bite at their local Korean eatery in Manhattan. During their meal, they noticed the lack of an authentic Asian beverage to go with their food. The realization that in spite of having rich choices of Korean food, restaurants did not have anything authentic to offer when it came to the beverage section kickstarted the brand’s journey.
Fast Forward to Two Years
Countless trips to Asia, hundreds of recipe iterations, and a global pandemic later – Lunar was successfully launched in three flavors of hard seltzer that are rocking the American cocktail-in-a-can market right now.
Flavors to Try
The first hard seltzer flavor launched by Lunar in October 2020 was Yuzu, which is like a boozy honey citron tea in a can. The drink is made from real Yuzu, which is from Japan’s coastal Shimane prefecture, comes in at 4.9% ABV and only 120 calories. The flavors that followed next were lychee that feels like the lychee jelly cup with a buzz for adults and is made from the nectar of real lychee from Thailand. The plum tastes like Korean plum tea with a refreshing tart and sweet taste made from brown sugar that is fermented in Koren plums.
Future Plans
The duo’s aim for Lunar goes beyond it becoming just a global beverage brand – they are here to inspire Asian-Americans and the world to embrace their culture and heritage. One thing that sets Lunar apart from other hand seltzer brands is the unique choice of ingredients and flavors that no other brand offers – “It’s non-negotiable that we’re going to use real fruits and the best ingredients,” Sean says.