Gay Water, a hard seltzer brand created by and for the queer community, is officially launching this month. Founded by Spencer Hoddeson, the brand's mission is to destigmatize the word “gay” in spaces where there is no representation.

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“Our mission has always been to destigmatize the word ‘gay’ in spaces where there’s no representation,” Hoddeson told Marketing Daily. “The awful news cycles that came out of that reassured me that a product like this needs to exist. We need to create these brands and communities for ourselves.”

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The idea for the brand name emerged from the realization that the term “gay water” in reference to vodka and soda was widespread enough that a straight, cis friend told Hoddeson she was familiar with it. It seemed a fitting one for the brand’s mission and goal: finding queer community in a crowded marketplace long populated by straight, cis white men.

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Gay Water is initially available through the brand’s D2C channel and select stores in New York, New Jersey, and California, with the D2C offering available nationally where state laws allow. It’s launching with four flavors: lime, grapefruit, peach, and watermelon.

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Unlike most hard seltzers, Gay Water is not a malt product, but rather a vodka soda. That also means it has fewer calories, as the unsweetened drink’s ingredients are solely soda water, vodka, and fruit essences. It also clocks in at a 4% ABV, lower than many other hard seltzers.

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When it came time to develop brand identity, Hoddeson immediately thought of designer Ryan Sagawa, whom he knew through employee resource groups at Yahoo. The aim was to spark joy as one of the brand’s core values, while avoiding corporate pride cliches.

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“A lot of references for the brand was to create something that’s fun and inviting, but not necessarily rainbows, unicorns, and traditional pride monikers,” Hoddeson told Marketing Daily. “Something colorful, nostalgic, [taking inspiration from] things like pop art, vintage candy, categories that are fun, playful and colorful.”

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Hoddeson decided to wait until Pride Month was over for the brand’s debut, to underscore its goal of representing the queer community year-round.

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“All these companies are rainbow-washing for the month, and then like rainbow chalk on a blackboard, they spray water on it and it goes down the drain,” he said.

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Gay Water has been able to build up a community of about 100,000 followers since a soft launch of the brand identity this past November. Aside from expanding where the brand is available via retail, Hoddeson said Gay Water would engage its community to shape its evolution, hinting that such feedback may lead to a stronger version of the drink in the future.

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“We are a small, self-funded, queer-owned brand right now, so a lot of retailers are waiting for us to show that the community wants a product like this before they commit,” Hoddeson explained. “Hopefully, within the next couple of months we’ll prove that out.”

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Gay Water is the latest example of a queer-owned business that is helping to destigmatize the word “gay” and create a space for queer representation in the marketplace. With its mission to create a brand that is fun and inviting, but not necessarily rainbows and unicorns, Gay Water is sure to make an impact in the hard seltzer industry.

Sources: https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/387428/