Hard kombucha maker JuneShine released Permanent Vacation today in collaboration with DJ, songwriter and JuneShine investor Diplo.
The limited offering is “the biggest [release] ever done” in JuneShine’s Passion Project Series – which features collaboration offerings with celebrity investors – Forrest Dein, the San Diego company’s co-founder and CMO, told Brewbound.
“We’ve definitely gotten deeper on this one,” Dein said. “It was definitely the most hands-on we’ve worked with an investor for a collab, and this is by far the biggest investor that we’ve worked with as well.”
The 6% ABV hard kombucha features notes of coconut, cherry, lime and green tea. Label art was created in collaboration with Kelsey Brookes, a San Diego fractal artist.
“Permanent Vacation is inspired by my life – never-ending planes, trains, buses, clubs, festivals, parties and concerts with as much time spent with my kids and taking care of myself in between,” Diplo said in a press release. “I wanted a flavor that tasted like the times when I’m best able to unwind – on a beach with my family drinking out of a fresh coconut.”
Permanent Vacation is available in a 12 oz. 12-pack with a suggested retail price of $33, and a 12 oz. 6-pack, priced between $14.99-$17.99, according to the release. This also marks the first time JuneShine has released a limited offering in a 12 oz. 6-pack instead of 16 oz. cans, which Dein said is a better fit with Diplo’s lifestyle and audience.
“We feel like as the leader in hard kombucha we need to keep growing the category and introducing new audiences to hard kombucha,” Dein said. “And we felt like 6-packs do that better because if one person buys a 6-pack, they’re probably sharing it with friends, and we’re hoping to convert [Diplo’s] audience into hard kombucha drinkers.”
The offering will be available in select retailers and on the JuneShine website until sold out, which Dein estimated will be “sometime in late June or early July.”
This is the third Passion Project installment from JuneShine. Other collaboration offerings in the series include Prickly Pear Margarita with comedian Whitney Cummings (released in November) and Passion Orange Guava with actor and skateboarder Evan Mock (released in February). A collaboration with YouTuber Cody Ko will launch in July, followed by a collaboration with athlete Kimi Werner in the fall, Dein said.