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From Kendall Jenner’s 818 Tequila to Post Malone’s Maison No.9 Rosé, there’s no shortage of young stars launching alcohol brands these days. But few brands have gotten the celeb stamp of approval as quickly as Sunny Vodka, the new Cali-inspired vodka brand from DJ Zack Bia, social media star Stas Karanikolaou and Global Brand Equities.
The vodka, which officially launches this week in select stores and online through sites such as GoPuff.com, was on the rider for Drake and Justin Bieber’s Super Bowl parties in February, and Jenner herself celebrated the launch of Sunny Vodka with Karanikolaou at L.A. hotspot The Nice Guy the other week. Billboards that announce “It’s Always Sunny on Sunset” have been lining Sunset Boulevard, further building hype for the West Hollywood-based brand.
Though Sunny Vodka comes with huge celeb and influencer pedigree — founders Bia and Karanikolaou have a combined 11 million followers — the two say the brand isn’t reserved for the rich and famous, but rather, it’s a vodka for everyone. To wit: the best friends-turned-business owners say their mission was “to create a community” of fans who “want to drink and bask in all of life’s moments,” from “a casual day by the pool [to] a home cooked meal or a black-tie affair.”
“I love working with our ‘family’ on Sunny Vodka,” Bia says. “This is not like an endorsement where people just add their name; this is an authentic lifestyle we live and breathe. We are very proud of how far we have come with creating Sunny Vodka to be smooth, clean and a refreshing quality for everyone to aspire and enjoy responsibly.”
Sunny Vodka is vegan, gluten-free and made from 100% U.S. grown corn, and then handcrafted in small batches in Charleston, S.C. The spirit is refined and distilled six times, then finished through what the brand describes as “an extra filtration process using California Limestone.” The result: a super smooth vodka that’s clean and bright on the palette, whether served on its own or as part of a cocktail. (Karanikolaou suggests it as part of a spritz, screwdriver or classic martini.)
“We distinctively sought out to make sure this vodka would be made with quality ingredients, better taste and artistic branding,” Karanikolaou says in a release. “Most importantly, we wanted to make sure that it was at a reasonable price point to help recreate some of the amazing memories my friends and I have had while drinking Sunny.”
Bia and Karanikolaou are official partners and brand directors with Sunny Vodka, working in conjunction with Global Brand Equities, the same company behind Post Malone’s rosé.
“Sunny Vodka is not your average spirit, it’s an entire lifestyle and community which revolves around an incredible liquid,” says James Morrissey, president of Global Brand Equities. “Our co-founders are experts in building community and we are proud to partner with them on this incredible brand.”
Sunny Vodka will be available in stores starting at a $24.99 price point for a 750ml bottle. Order it for delivery online here.