All Blacks Damian McKenzie, Anton Lienert-Brown and former All Black Stephen Donald have taken on the RTD market with the launch of Grins.
The first two flavours in the low-calorie, low-sugar and gluten-free range are tropical — vodka, pineapple, mango and soda — and the more classic vodka, lemon, limeand soda. The men are holding Instagram polls to help decide on the next flavours.
Donald tells Spy the three are great mates and one night were tossing the idea around.
"We woke up in the morning and checked it again with a little more clarity and decided we would give it a crack," Donald says. "It's probably been about six months but it has been an awesome experience and we have all learned a heck of a lot along the way."
McKenzie's nickname is Grins — but the new business partners say the name is about associating the product with good times. The Grins social media page is cheerful with candid shots of the three sportsmen and some well-known shots of McKenzie and Lienert-Brown on the recent ABs tour.
"We are all pretty simple, laidback characters so we have deliberately tried to create flavours that are not too complicated. It has been awesome to watch social media and see the range of people giving it a crack."
The low-sugar RTD market is niche but competitive and growing fast.
"People are increasingly conscious of the amount of sugar they are consuming, so there is no secret that Grins is trying to operate in that space," says Donald.
"Everyone involved is competitive and ambitious so there is very much a burning desire not to be a flash in the pan — we want to bring out more flavours and keep growing. I think continual evolution is pretty important in this market so we will always be trying to keep an ear to the ground to try to make sure we are listening to our customers."
Covid logistics made the launch and rollout slower than the trio hoped but Grins are now in liquor stores across the country.
Donald says they are aware of their social responsibilities and that New Zealand Rugby is supportive of people pursuing interests outside of the game.
"We are all very mindful of the need to make sure we are promoting responsible drinking and are confident we will be able to strike the right balance there."
