Will the Next Generation of Cocktails Taste Like Sports Drinks? Surfside Says Yes

(Photo: Super Lyte)

Surfside Canned Cocktails emerged from humble beginnings to become the fastest-growing alcohol beverage in America in 2024, driving its $300 million market value with a laid-back roster of vodka iced teas and lemonades. Now, its maker has set its sights on the trending appeal of sports drinks — with a boozy twist.

On Tuesday, the Philadelphia-based Stateside Brands unveiled Super Lyte, a canned “Vodka + Ade” that pays not-so-subtle homage to the look, sound and feel of mainstays like PRIME and Gatorade. Clocking in at 4.5% ABV and 90 calories, the lineup reportedly contains zero grams of sugar and zero bubbles (and, as has been the tradition since Four Loko discontinued its original recipe in 2010, no caffeine).

The brightly colored canned drinks are launching in Fruit Punch, Orange, Lemon Lime and Blue Chill flavors, now available in variety eight-packs in over 20 states along the East Coast and in the Midwest.

Stateside envisions the brand within the health-conscious beverage boom that’s taken hold of convenience store shelves over the past few years. The company laid its intentions bare in a news release, describing Super Lyte as a “staple for Gen Z and Millennial consumers looking for an easy to drink RTD that fits their active lifestyle.”

“We have been ideating and developing Super Lyte for over two years, after identifying a growing trend from consumers who enjoy mixing sports drinks with vodka,” Stateside Brands President and Co-Founder Matt Quigley added.

“As Stateside Brands continues to grow into a top-performing national supplier, one thing remains consistent: our commitment to creating best-in-class new-to-world brands. We love how the branding and packaging has come together and cannot wait to get Super Lyte into the hands of consumers across the country.”

Though Stateside is by far the biggest company gambling on the sports drink and vodka concept, it isn’t the first to market. Competitors include SpikedAde (which, perhaps erroneously, described itself as “the first vodka-based enhanced beverage inspired by iconic sports drink flavors” when it launched in January) and LIGHTSTRIKE, a 5%-ABV mix of coconut water and sea salt sold in a resealable 16.9 oz sports drink bottle.