In a somewhat saturated local RTD market, beverage producers can struggle to find distinction. To cut through this noise, one of New Zealand’s newest RTD’s, Quite Good, is standing out by making retro cool again.

For over 18 months, Ryan Christensen, Chief Executive Officer and the Quite Good team worked to create a new and different RTD.

With over 10 years of experience in the liquor industry, Christensen realised there was a gap in the market that he wanted to address – kombucha and vodka.

Christensen says the concept of the mixture is not new, but never commercially put together.

“Quite Good is made for those who want to have a few and get up early for a surf or round of golf, those heading away for a weekend in a glamping tent, those partying at the summer festivals or a chilled couple of moments with mates on a Sunday afternoon,” he says.

Once they had perfected the combination, the Quite Good team released their first three flavours in the summer of 2021 to Tauranga.

“It was about testing and learning, understanding the market. Does it work? Do people like the taste?” he says.

Read more: Shaking up the RTD market with originality and class.

The launch in Tauranga was an immediate success for Quite Good and sold well.

In New Zealand, the RTD market is oversaturated, with the industry often seeing new drinks introduced in time for summer.

“Thanks to Pals, there is this big trend of 10 pack RTD’s, so instead of trying to fight something, our beverage itself and the liquid is what makes us different,” he adds.

By adding kombucha, a classic beverage having a comeback, Quite Good leapt at the opportunity to brand the drink as “making retro cool again”.

Facing the oversaturated market, Christensen at first had doubts, questioning whether the brand deserved a place in the market.

“For us, it was about bringing something genuinely different and having organic kombucha in a drink has been it,” he says.

Christensen says Quite Good gives retailers the opportunity to have “different clientele” and gives drinkers a “nice change”.

Quite Good launched in over 100 stores across the North Island on September 22 and the brand is now at the start of phase two to make the drink available nationwide.

“We’d love to go to the South Island, we’d love to be at more events, we’d love to sponsor more festivals, we would love to be everywhere where we could offer a great option for a drink.”

Christensen says they do have two new flavours in the bag and will see how the first four flavours pan out.