The drink is fermented with Champagne yeast and sweetened with 100 per cent blue weber agave
I’m trying to get healthy, so I’d grab a beer, said no one ever. But what if you can have your booze, and drink it too? Local brewery Trouble Brewing claims to have found the key to healthier drinking while blazing a trail with the launch of Singapore’s first locally brewed hard seltzer, Joe’s Singapore Seltzer.
Brewed and fermented with Champagne yeast, the seltzer is sweetened with 100 per cent blue weber agave sourced directly from Mexico. This natural plant-based sweetener benefits from having a low glycemic index and its usage in place of sugar is why the seltzer is allowed to carry the “sugar free” label. Similar to a beer, most hard seltzers are fermented to around five per cent ABV—this one’s 4.8 per cent. But unlike a beer, a 330ml can is less than 100kcal.
For Joseph Barratt, CEO of Trouble Brewing, bringing Joe’s Singapore Seltzer to market has been a labour of love. After failing to find a supplier that could meet his expectations for quality, affordability and production capacity, he was forced to manufacture the drink in-house, only to be met with the challenges of keeping up production during the pandemic.
Once the hurdle of production was crossed, Barratt tested the market with a soft launch phase during which he introduced the seltzer to consumers at selected events, such as those by locally based party collective Ice Cream Sundays and this year’s Formula 1 Grand Prix. According to Barratt, feedback on the drink from these events have been “extremely positive”.
The seltzer comes in three flavours, Lime, Peach, and Grapefruit, developed to complement our favourite local dishes. The two citrus versions, Lime and Grapefruit, are made to go with salads, seafood and cheeses, while the brand recommends pairing the Peach flavour with “tropical and intense” dishes (we are hearing curries).
Joe’s Singapore Seltzer currently retails at a promotional price of S$96 for 24 bottles.
