Kater Wingman
Vendor
We are a Royal-Oak based company that launched our electrolyte-infused sparkling water brand, Kater Wingman, in late 2018, and are the country's first sparkling water designed for socially-acceptable drinking. With three flavors (Grapefruit, Lime and Original (plain)), Wingman is a non-alcoholic drink that's distinctly packaged in amber glass bottles to look and feel like a traditional alcoholic drink. The purpose behind Wingman was to provide an alternative for those adult drinking moments when you want something that tastes great, but with no alcohol (and with no sugar, sodium or calories). Quickly after we launched at a handful of Detroit-area grocery stores and bars just over a year ago, we started to gain a strong following, and just recently were named by Whole Foods as one of their "Top 10 Food Trends for 2020" and by the Today Show online as one of their "Top Healthy Food Trends of 2020." We credit the big following with the growing trend around Detroit and elsewhere for non-alcoholic alternatives to social drinking - folks just are tired of searching for work-arounds when they've either had enough alcohol to drink, or have chosen not to drink for whatever reason, but still want to FEEL like they're an adult. But our secret sauce is the great flavor - at the end of the day the taste+carbonation level+electrolytes has been the #1 positive response and caused such a great response from our fellow-Detroiters.
I started Wingman with my brother, Dennis, following a tipping point of frustration, actually. I was simply tired of going to friends' parties or bars on nights when I didn't feel like drinking alcohol, and not having any non-alcoholic drinks available that actually tasted good. There were only so many Diet Cokes (poured in a rocks glass, of course) or sodas on the rocks with a lime I could handle to do a 'work-around' so my friends wouldn't think I was being anti-social that night. I drink a lot of sparkling water during the week, so just thought it was strange that nothing existed that let me still drink really good sparkling water but in a way that made me still feel like a grown up. One of the greatest things we hear from new fans is that we've provided them with a solution to the same problem they've faced - they want to have a drink at home or at a bar yet don't like the feeling of holding traditional plastic water bottles or pink cans they just don't match the moment. As regular shoppers at Eastern Market ourselves (we bring our kids ALL the time), we'd be thrilled to be part as we know other like-minded visitors will genuinely enjoy a new, Detroit-area based sparkling brand making a different on healthy drinking habits!!!
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