Two Days is a ‘light and sessionable RTD vodka soda’, naturally flavoured and launching with vodka lime soda and vodka raspberry soda. The drinks are low in calories (coming in at 60 calories for lime and 63 for raspberry), gluten-free and contain zero sugar or sweeteners.
Each drink is made using five-times distilled British vodka, lightly sparkling water and a squeeze of lime or raspberry.
Converging trends: Tapping into growth in RTDs and low-ABV
Elise Marks and Brendan Bennett came up with the idea during lockdown, wanting to find a drink ‘that can be enjoyed today without the worry of missing out on tomorrow’ (a concept that eventually led to the name ‘Two Days’). And they say lockdown was the perfect opportunity to dive in, research the market, and make the concept a reality.
“The UK's growth in the low/no alcohol market has highlighted consumers continued desire to move towards healthier lifestyle choices," they told BeverageDaily. "In the past year, a third of adults have reduced or limited their alcohol intake, however the majority of people (80%) do still want to enjoy alcoholic drinks and aren't cutting back completely.
“Alongside this, RTDs are also experiencing significant growth due to their convenience and the ability to monitor both alcohol and calorie content.”
Two Days was therefore formed to fill gap in the market for a product that tastes good, has a low ABV, and is available in a convenient RTD format.
“The use of vodka as a base in our drinks really appealed to us from the start, not only because of its familiarity and popularity as a spirit, but also because it allowed us to create a drink that was crisp, balanced and refreshing - something that will follow through across all of our flavours," the duo continue.
“Our drinks are crisp, light and refreshing - using natural fruit extracts to achieve the flavours. There is a clear desire from consumers for more natural tasting alcoholic drinks, with 50% stating that most RTDs tasted too sweet. This really resonated with us and guided us throughout the development of our flavours.”
‘There’s a gap in the market for RTDs with an ABV comparable to beer’
In choosing a 3% ABV, Marks and Bennett wanted to create a more sessionable take on a hard seltzer.
“The RTD category currently offers both no/low ABV (<1.2%) and standard ABV options, typically around 5%. The low and no alcohol trend has created a gap in the RTD market for a range of lower ABV drinks that are comparable to beer or cider at 3 or 4%, innovation that the category has yet to see.”
Taking the plunge
Marks and Bennett both held full time sales and marketing roles at Microsoft. During lockdown, they explored the concept of a lower-ABV drink and Two Days was born, with both taking the plunge and leaving Microsoft to pursue their new business full time.
“Leaving our roles at Microsoft to go full-time on Two Days was both exciting and scary in equal measures!” they said. “We are both naturally entrepreneurial people, so it wasn’t too difficult for us to talk ourselves into putting everything into the business full-time.
“We wholeheartedly believe in the products we have created and if you look at the alcohol market right now, there are so many things pointing to people wanting lower ABV, convenient and better-for-you beverages. We are so excited to launch and get our cans in customers hands!”
Two Days launches in September via its websites with a limited edition taster pack (£12) with 2x lime and 2x raspberry. Both flavours are also available to purchase separately in 8 packs (£24), 12 packs (£33) and 24 packs (£60).