‘Gay Water’ is a New Vodka Soda Startup wh a Missn to Celebrate LGBTQ+ Inty

Contents:

• GAY WATER, A NEW NNED CKTAIL, WANTS TO BE THE ANTI-BUD LIGHT
• YOUR INBOX IS HUNGRYENTER YOUR EMAIL ADDRS BELOW TO GET FOOD NEWS LIVERED STRAIGHT TO YOUR BOX.FOOD NEWSKCHEN LEAGUEBY FOODBEAST SHOPCONTACTPRIVACYFOOD NEWSKCHEN LEAGUEBY FOODBEAST SHOPCONTACTPRIVACYADVERTISEMENTFOOD NEWSGAY WATER IS HERE, QUEER, AND READY TO BE THE DRK OF THE SUMMERDYLAN PAVLIKJUL 20, 2023PHOTO: GAY WATERANOTHER JUNE HAS E AND GONE WHICH MEANS THE DROV OF PANI WHO DOLE OUT GENERIC PRI MERCH HAVE OFFICIALLY RECED BACK TO HIBERNATN FOR ANOTHER ELEVEN MONTHS. HOWEVER, THERE IS ONE PRODUCT THAT'S BREAKG THE MOLD ON NNED CKTAILS AND SHG THROUGH — TRODUCG GAY WATER, A NEW NNED VODKA SODA. ADVERTISEMENTSOCIAL MEDIA STAR SPENCER HODSON (@HODDSPENRS) REALIZED THAT THERE WERE SO FEW PRODUCTS THAT TLY REPRENTED PRI AND THE QUEER MUNY OUTSI THE NF OF PRI MONTH AND CID THAT NEED TO CHANGE. WHILE GAY WATER IS THE UNIVERSAL LLOQUIALISM FOR A VODKA SODA THE QUEER UNIVERSE, THE BRAND SELF IS LOOKG AT BEG A HOEHOLD STAPLE. "GAY WATER IS MORE THAN JT A VODKA RTD —  OUR MISSN ISN’T PRODUCT-FOCED OR BEVERAGE-FOCED; ’S MUNY-FOCED," HODSON TOLD FOODBEAST ON LNCH DAY. "WE FELY FOREE OURSELV EXPANDG TO NEW TEGORI AND PRODUCTS THE G MONTHS."PHOTO: @HODDSPENRSADVERTISEMENTWE HAVE SEEN RECENT NEWS HOW CERTA ALHOL BRANDS HAVE ACTED AND RPOND TO CRICISMS AGAST THEIR LGBTQIA+ BRANDG — HT HT DYLAN MULVANEY — SO 'S REHG TO SEE A PLETELY QUEER-BRAND PANY LIKE GAY WATER MAKE WAV."I STARTED GAY WATER BEE OF THE REALIZATN THAT THE SPIRS DTRY, CLUDG BUD LIGHT, LACKS QUEER REPRENTATN," HODSON REVEALED. "I REALLY APPRECIATE ALL BRANDS THAT RAISE AWARENS FOR THE LGBTQ+ MUNY, BUT I HAVE TO ADM THEIR MPAIGNS LACKED NSISTENCY. OVERALL, THEY FELT MORE LIKE A ONE-TIME THG, AND THAT'S NOT ENOUGH. WE NEED SOMETHG BOLD AND ONGOG TO ENSURE PROPER MUNY REPRENTATN THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. THAT'S WHAT SPIRED GAY WATER —  THE NEED FOR THENTIC QUEER REPRENTATN. THIS IS SOMETHG THAT ISN’T GOG TO GO AWAY — WE’RE HERE, AND WE MATTER."AS A CUR NSUMER, I HAD TO ASK HODSON WHERE HE ME UP WH THE GEN IA TO MARKET THE EVER-POPULAR VODKA SODA:ADVERTISEMENT"GAY WATER HAS BEEN THE MAKG SCE 2022! IT ALL STARTED ABOUT A YEAR AGO WHEN I WENT ON A TRIP WH A GIRL IEND WHO HAD JT BEGUN WORKG AT A MAJOR BEVERAGE PANY. WE WERE CHATTG ABOUT HER NEW JOB, AND I SUALLY ORRED MY GO-TO DRK, A VODKA SODA (WHICH ALSO HAPPENS TO BE A FAVORE AMONG QUEER FOLKS). I PLAYFULLY MENTNED TO HER THAT THE GAY MUNY AFFECTNATELY LLS THIS DRK "GAY WATER." SURPRISGLY, SHE WAS ALREADY FAIAR WH THE TERM. THAT SIMPLE NVERSATN SPARKED SOMETHG WH ME, AND I WAS IMMEDIATELY SPIRED TO TAKE ACTN. THE VERY NEXT DAY, I BEGAN CRAFTG A BS PLAN TO CREATE A MUNY AND MISSN-DRIVEN PANY AIMED AT MAKG A POSIVE IMPACT ON THE LGBTQ+ MUNY."THE NEW LE OF NNED CKTAILS CLUS FOUR DIFFERENT FLAVORS: LIME, PEACH, WATERMELON, AND GRAPEU. UNLIKE MOST SELTZERS ON THE MARKET TODAY, GAY WATER IS MA WH REAL VODKA AND SIMPLE GREDIENTS, CLOCKG AT ONLY 80 LORI. I N NFINTLY SAY THAT I TRIED AND LOVED THEM ALL BUT LIME WILL ALWAYS BE MY #1. PRODUCTS ARE SOLD AS A SIX-PACK OF LIME OR A VARIETY PACK OF TWELVE. IF YOU'D LIKE TO FD YOUR CLOST RETAILER, GET PRODUCT SHIPPED DIRECTLY TO YOU, OR SNAG SOME CUTE MERCH, CLICK HERE AND GET YOUR GAY WATER ASAP. YOU DON'T WANT TO HAVE FOMO ON THIS ONE, Y'ALL. FEATURE PHOTO: GAY WATERSHARETWEETWE DELIVER!
• HI, GAY! - CANNED VODKA SODA BRAND CREATED BY AND FOR THE LGBTQ+ MUNY AIMS TO DTIGMATIZE THE WORD 'GAY', LNCH WH FOUR INIC FLAVORS
• ABSOLUT CELEBRAT ITS 30 YEARS OF MARKETG TO GAY CONSUMERS
• GAY WATER — CYNIL, PAT-BY-NUMBERS VIRTUE-SURFG START-UP? OR BEVERAGE INDTRY UNIRN WH GIFT OF GAY RIGHTS?
• ‘GAY WATER’ IS A NEW VODKA SODA STARTUP WH A MISSN TO CELEBRATE LGBTQ+ INTY

GAY WATER, A NEW NNED CKTAIL, WANTS TO BE THE ANTI-BUD LIGHT

Lbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgenr Pri Month, known simply as Pri Month, is celebrated each June to memorate the 1969 Stonewall rts Manhattan. The ntral spir has been embraced by gay clubs and personali, cludg drag performers and disc jockeys whose appearance fe rise tanm wh the drks sold at the bar. Absolut has donated more than $40 ln to gay and lbian centers such as OUTserve, OUTFEST, and God’s Love We Deliver.

Ga Tonic, a drag queen who performs at bars and venu throughout NYC, says vodka is a mon choice at gay nightlife events. “Among gay men, I would say vodka soda is the most popular drk, ” Tonic says. She may be referrg here to vodka as iendly fuel for those seekg to atta the “gay gym body, ” an ial, advertisg-driven physique of the morn gay man that renrs some “lerally willg to die early jt to look like an unrwear mol, ” Tyler Curry wr Advote.

A participant opens a bottle wh champagne at the 40th Christopher Street Day gay pri march on July 28, 2018, Berl, Germany.

YOUR INBOX IS HUNGRYENTER YOUR EMAIL ADDRS BELOW TO GET FOOD NEWS LIVERED STRAIGHT TO YOUR BOX.FOOD NEWSKCHEN LEAGUEBY FOODBEAST SHOPCONTACTPRIVACYFOOD NEWSKCHEN LEAGUEBY FOODBEAST SHOPCONTACTPRIVACYADVERTISEMENTFOOD NEWSGAY WATER IS HERE, QUEER, AND READY TO BE THE DRK OF THE SUMMERDYLAN PAVLIKJUL 20, 2023PHOTO: GAY WATERANOTHER JUNE HAS E AND GONE WHICH MEANS THE DROV OF PANI WHO DOLE OUT GENERIC PRI MERCH HAVE OFFICIALLY RECED BACK TO HIBERNATN FOR ANOTHER ELEVEN MONTHS. HOWEVER, THERE IS ONE PRODUCT THAT'S BREAKG THE MOLD ON NNED CKTAILS AND SHG THROUGH — TRODUCG GAY WATER, A NEW NNED VODKA SODA. ADVERTISEMENTSOCIAL MEDIA STAR SPENCER HODSON (@HODDSPENRS) REALIZED THAT THERE WERE SO FEW PRODUCTS THAT TLY REPRENTED PRI AND THE QUEER MUNY OUTSI THE NF OF PRI MONTH AND CID THAT NEED TO CHANGE. WHILE GAY WATER IS THE UNIVERSAL LLOQUIALISM FOR A VODKA SODA THE QUEER UNIVERSE, THE BRAND SELF IS LOOKG AT BEG A HOEHOLD STAPLE. "GAY WATER IS MORE THAN JT A VODKA RTD —  OUR MISSN ISN’T PRODUCT-FOCED OR BEVERAGE-FOCED; ’S MUNY-FOCED," HODSON TOLD FOODBEAST ON LNCH DAY. "WE FELY FOREE OURSELV EXPANDG TO NEW TEGORI AND PRODUCTS THE G MONTHS."PHOTO: @HODDSPENRSADVERTISEMENTWE HAVE SEEN RECENT NEWS HOW CERTA ALHOL BRANDS HAVE ACTED AND RPOND TO CRICISMS AGAST THEIR LGBTQIA+ BRANDG — HT HT DYLAN MULVANEY — SO 'S REHG TO SEE A PLETELY QUEER-BRAND PANY LIKE GAY WATER MAKE WAV."I STARTED GAY WATER BEE OF THE REALIZATN THAT THE SPIRS DTRY, CLUDG BUD LIGHT, LACKS QUEER REPRENTATN," HODSON REVEALED. "I REALLY APPRECIATE ALL BRANDS THAT RAISE AWARENS FOR THE LGBTQ+ MUNY, BUT I HAVE TO ADM THEIR MPAIGNS LACKED NSISTENCY. OVERALL, THEY FELT MORE LIKE A ONE-TIME THG, AND THAT'S NOT ENOUGH. WE NEED SOMETHG BOLD AND ONGOG TO ENSURE PROPER MUNY REPRENTATN THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. THAT'S WHAT SPIRED GAY WATER —  THE NEED FOR THENTIC QUEER REPRENTATN. THIS IS SOMETHG THAT ISN’T GOG TO GO AWAY — WE’RE HERE, AND WE MATTER."AS A CUR NSUMER, I HAD TO ASK HODSON WHERE HE ME UP WH THE GEN IA TO MARKET THE EVER-POPULAR VODKA SODA:ADVERTISEMENT"GAY WATER HAS BEEN THE MAKG SCE 2022! IT ALL STARTED ABOUT A YEAR AGO WHEN I WENT ON A TRIP WH A GIRL IEND WHO HAD JT BEGUN WORKG AT A MAJOR BEVERAGE PANY. WE WERE CHATTG ABOUT HER NEW JOB, AND I SUALLY ORRED MY GO-TO DRK, A VODKA SODA (WHICH ALSO HAPPENS TO BE A FAVORE AMONG QUEER FOLKS). I PLAYFULLY MENTNED TO HER THAT THE GAY MUNY AFFECTNATELY LLS THIS DRK "GAY WATER." SURPRISGLY, SHE WAS ALREADY FAIAR WH THE TERM. THAT SIMPLE NVERSATN SPARKED SOMETHG WH ME, AND I WAS IMMEDIATELY SPIRED TO TAKE ACTN. THE VERY NEXT DAY, I BEGAN CRAFTG A BS PLAN TO CREATE A MUNY AND MISSN-DRIVEN PANY AIMED AT MAKG A POSIVE IMPACT ON THE LGBTQ+ MUNY."THE NEW LE OF NNED CKTAILS CLUS FOUR DIFFERENT FLAVORS: LIME, PEACH, WATERMELON, AND GRAPEU. UNLIKE MOST SELTZERS ON THE MARKET TODAY, GAY WATER IS MA WH REAL VODKA AND SIMPLE GREDIENTS, CLOCKG AT ONLY 80 LORI. I N NFINTLY SAY THAT I TRIED AND LOVED THEM ALL BUT LIME WILL ALWAYS BE MY #1. PRODUCTS ARE SOLD AS A SIX-PACK OF LIME OR A VARIETY PACK OF TWELVE. IF YOU'D LIKE TO FD YOUR CLOST RETAILER, GET PRODUCT SHIPPED DIRECTLY TO YOU, OR SNAG SOME CUTE MERCH, CLICK HERE AND GET YOUR GAY WATER ASAP. YOU DON'T WANT TO HAVE FOMO ON THIS ONE, Y'ALL. FEATURE PHOTO: GAY WATERSHARETWEETWE DELIVER!

SuperGay Spirs is a pany that produc vodka, and much like s name suggts, supports the LGBTQ+ muny all year long.

HI, GAY! - CANNED VODKA SODA BRAND CREATED BY AND FOR THE LGBTQ+ MUNY AIMS TO DTIGMATIZE THE WORD 'GAY', LNCH WH FOUR INIC FLAVORS

SuperGay is handcrafted upstate New York g anic rn and pure sprg water. SuperGay’s master distiller veloped the brand’s recipe, which clus filterg the water through activated nut charal to purify the vodka.

SuperGay Spirs do everythg by hand to have ntrol over the qualy of the vodka every step of the way. Sat Luna is certified by the Natnal Gay & Lbian Chamber of Commerce. Bce Bozzi, the -founr of the rice-based Japane shochu brand, is openly gay.

ABSOLUT CELEBRAT ITS 30 YEARS OF MARKETG TO GAY CONSUMERS

An entreprenr lnched a nned cktail this week lled “Gay Water” that’s aimed at LGBTQ drkers — and said he’s lookg to palize on Bud Light’s mistak. But “Gay Water” — which adopts a moniker the gay muny has long given to the simple vodka and soda cktail — has been spired by the dtup to bee even bolr about the dience ’s targetg, founr and CEO Spencer Hodson told The Post. Gay Water — a nned cktail brand that plays on the gay muny’s lloquialism for the vodka-and-soda mixed drk — lnched on Wednday and promis to unrstand s dience better than Bud Light.Spencer Hodson/Instagram.

The 30-year-old Hodson said he is g suggtive — albe playful — msagg and imagery Gay Water’s social media and webse, cludg a provotive nod to the 12-ounce n’s 6.1-ch height.

“Our missn is to -stigmatize the word ‘gay’ and start to create reprentatn spac that tradnally don’t have queer-owned products, let alone products wh the word ‘gay’ their tle,” Hodson told The Post. “When was the last time you saw the word gay at a rtrant, bar, liquor store, or grocery store?

GAY WATER — CYNIL, PAT-BY-NUMBERS VIRTUE-SURFG START-UP? OR BEVERAGE INDTRY UNIRN WH GIFT OF GAY RIGHTS?

The word ‘gay’ origally was fed as happy, and we’re hopg to remd folks of that by beg prent,” he add. Founr Spencer Hodson, a gay man, says the brand is about reclaimg the word “gay” as a word that “jt means happy.”Spencer Hodson/Instagram.

“Part of the pot of lnchg outsi of Pri month is to rerce the msage that Gay Water is here to make the LGBTQ+ muny more visible 365 days a year, not jt a sgle month,” he said. New York (CNN) — In a sea of nned cktails, Gay Water wants to stand out. In other words, where Bud Light has buckled unr prsure as bigotry grows agast the LGBTQ+ muny, Gay Water’s creator Spencer Hodson wants his new boozy brand to be the anthis of that.

“The key issue that Bud Light tapped to was the fact that they didn’t unrstand their re dience and know enough about them, ” Hodson, a gay man, told CNN about the ntroversy that began when the Anhser-Bch beer brand sent fluencer Dylan Mulvaney a n of beer.

‘GAY WATER’ IS A NEW VODKA SODA STARTUP WH A MISSN TO CELEBRATE LGBTQ+ INTY

The nned cktail is named after a lloquialism given to the popular mixed drk (vodka and soda) orred at bars by the gay muny. “Puttg a product wh the word gay the tle is reprentatn self, ” which he hop reclaims the word om the negativy ’s sometim associated wh.

He thought of creatg Gay Water about a year ago while on a vatn wh his iend that had got a job wh the beverage dtry. The two chatted about the limed amount of gay people wh , and wh Hodson burnt out om his tradnal day job tech, started the nned cktail. Hodson built up a strong social media followg on TikTok and Instagram durg Covid-19 and is g some of the money om that (as well as om iends and fay) to help fund Gay Water.

“Gay is an umbrella term and the ia behd the brand is to be as clive as possible, which means we want alli, we want straight people to be part of this muny we’re buildg. For now, Gay Water is sold largely onle (wh a few retailers) and four sugar-ee flavors — watermelon, lime, peach and grapeu — at lnch. Gay Water might not have the ep pockets pared to s petors, like Whe Claw, but “even at small sle, pani of many siz are havg succs makg spir-based seltzers and premixed cktails, ” Bryan Roth, an analyst for Feel Goods Company and edor of the alhol beverage newsletter, Sightl+, told CNN.