COVID-19 lockdown has not stopped one Wollongong family from launching a new product that is being distributed nationally.
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Saint + Sinner is the name of a new handcrafted alcoholic kombucha brewed in Unanderra.
Riley Goldspink-Lord, 24, said the idea for the new brew came from his mother Linda, the founder of Poseidon Animal Health, which provides gut health supplements for horses and dogs.
After suffering a health crisis, Mrs Goldspink-Lord started prioritising her gut health, which included cutting back on sugar.
Struggling to find low-sugar alcohol, she saw a gap in the market for a more gut-friendly kombucha.
When the lockdown delayed Mr Goldspink-Lord's plans of starting a legal career in Sydney, the UOW graduate used the time to turn his mother's idea into a reality.
"The more we researched the market, the more we were convinced there was a need for this kind of product," he said.
"So many of the ready-to-drink options out there are full of sugar and preservatives.
"We were determined to create something which people could feel good about drinking.
"It's alcohol on its best behaviour."
Mr Goldspink-Lord said there are three natural, carefully-crafted flavours in the Saint + Sinner range, launched on Wednesday.
The kombucha - organic, low sugar, vegan, gluten and preservative-free - comes in watermelon, pine-lime coconut and passionfruit flavours.
Each 330ml bottle is the equivalent of one standard drink.
Presently 12 packs of Saint + Sinner can be ordered online but the family business plans to name select stockists within the next few weeks.
After helping to develop the new product, Mr Goldspink-Lord will now hand over the day-to-day running of the business to his father parents, Peter and Linda, as he returns to pursuing a legal career.
"I am starting as a lawyer full time next week at MinterEllison in Sydney," he said.
"It's been great working with mum and dad and working towards this goal for the past 12 months.
"To now have a product we are really proud of is awesome.
"It's a three way partnership between mum, dad and myself."
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