Summer has been turning up this past week across Melbourne, asking us all for beach days and barbeques. Triple J’s Hottest 100 countdown has us sorted with the tunes this weekend, and we have the perfect drink to redefine your summer sessions: Idle Hour’s canned vodka soda range.
A brand born amid the Covid-19 chaos, Idle Hour has been slinging handcrafted rye vodka from their Brisbane base since 2020, with flagship products, Idle Hour Filtered and Idle Hour Unfiltered.
Their expansion, a mere 18 months after inception, into premixed selections comes as the natural next step following the successful launch of their Kakadu Plum and Ginger 700ml variety.
So what are the benefits of switching to Idle Hour’s canned vodka soda range than, say *some other generic vodka brand*, which I could also afford? Glad you asked. Here is a breakdown of the benefits:
It’s Australian made
Keeping local and raising the national flag high, Idle Hour is an Australian-made brand. Blending from their Brisbane base, Idle Hours not only operate on Australian soil, they also use local native botanicals to produce their unique flavours.
A passion for drink
Idle Hour has been produced out of both passion and industry knowledge, with each founder boasting significant backgrounds in the beverage business. Ewen Pettit has been linked to American hard seltzer brand, White Claw, as well as Heineken and Pernod Ricard, Kowal was on the marketing team with Red Bull and Monster, and Goldworthy is the man behind the Balter branding. They each understand the industry landscape and the Australian audience, and have built a solid foundation for a stunning product.
A vodka resurgence and redefinition
The establishment of the Idle Hour distillery came out of a need to change the misconception of the once flavourless spirit. Most would respond to the question “What flavour is vodka?” with “It burns”. The trio are leading that perception charge during a period where vodka sits on the cusp of a resurgence, with the industry seeing an increase in vodka consumption by 6.7%.
Unique flavour palette
Ewen Pettit says: “We have created something that truly captures the tastes of Australia in the summertime. Perfect for those balmy summer nights and long December days to help you Waste Time Well”.
This could not be more true, as Idle Hour captures the elements of the summer season sealed in a can. Inspired specifically by the Australian summer tasting palette with subtle fruit flavours and natural, native botanical bites, the range offers unique combinations of Lime and Bramblebush, Passionfruit and Lemon Myrtle, Wild Peach and Grapefruit, and Apple and Ginger. Along with the charcoal filtered depth of the Idle Hour filtered mixer, and the full bodied weight of the Idle Hour’s unfiltered, the team have crafted a refreshing and refined replacement to your regular.
Award winning
Idle Hour really came out of the gate swinging in their first year, winning medals at both the World Spirit Awards in San Francisco and Melbourne for 2020. A pretty impressive feat if you ask us!
Good for you
Hands up if your new year’s resolution was a post-covid lockdown health kick? Well, great news. While traditional vodka sodas are a more health conscious choice anyway, Idle Hour blows most out of the park with just over 100 calories and zero added sugar per can. Make Idle Hour vodka soda the new drink for the new you.
Premix portions
The free pour methods of making your own vodka soda is a gamble, with nothing worse than feeling the throat burn from overdoing the vodka. Idle Hour’s vodka soda premix cans are convenient and ensure the portions and aromatic blends are perfectly balanced for refreshing drinking.
Gender neutral
Traditionally vodka sodas have been pigeonholed as a female drink and marketed as such. Idle Hour has consciously moved away from gender specific targeting. This is reflected in their cans’ label design as spearheaded by Goldsworthy.
With so much to love, it’s time to crack a cold one yourself. Coming in 330ml cans, Idle Hour vodka sodas can be found at all good bottle shops and online at www.idlehourvodka.com.au