Island Bay bringing its hard seltzers to Irish consumers

Popular hard selzter brand Island Bay has secured a distributor to bring its products to Irish consumers.

LA Drinks, which has serviced the licenced trade in Northern Ireland for 25 years, has been appointed as the major distributor for Island Bay's drinks to the on and off-trade in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

The deal will bolster Island Bay's existing distribution network in the UK, which includes more than 700 independent stores and thousands of pubs and bars.

Though most popular in North America, seltzers and hard seltzers are gaining popularity in the UK and Ireland as people look to make more health-conscious choices in their drinking.

Mudassar Aziz, managing director of Island Bay Drinks, said: "I am delighted to be working with LA Drinks, which has a long history of providing excellent customer service and being on the front foot to make sure it provides the very best products for customers. 

"We have had thousands of requests to have our drinks available in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland since launching our range at the beginning of the year, so it is extremely satisfying to know that we will now be an integral part of the retail and on-trade scene there."

Barry McCaughley, commercial director at LA Drinks, said: "We are very excited to be able to offer Island Bay Hard Seltzer as part of our extensive portfolio, especially in this new sector where people are so much more conscious of their health and calorie choices."

Island Bay Hard Seltzer is vegan, gluten-free and available in three flavours, with  each 250ml can containing 70 calories and coming in at 5% ABV.

27 August 2020 - Bethany Whymark