Kiwifruit & Kawakawa, launched today, is the latest exclusive botanical syrup flavour by Six Barrel Soda in collaboration with Zealandia Te Māra a Tāne.
The limited-edition flavour is a nod to the kiwi that roam Zealandia and the rich plant life regenerating in the sanctuary. But this syrup wasn’t just inspired by the wildlife sanctuary – for each purchase Six Barrel Soda will also donate $1 to support Zealandia’s conservation efforts to help birds, plants and critters thrive in Wellington and beyond.
Co-founder and managing director of Six Barrel Soda Joe Slater says since establishing in 2012 their mission has been to shake up the soda game with experimental flavours. “This syrup is more than just a zesty new flavour inspired by the wildlife-filled paradise. It gives everyone the opportunity to contribute to reversing the decline of biodiversity in our country and see more tūī, kererū, kākā and other native birds in our backyards.
Kaka and soda syrup / Photo credit Janice McKenna
“As a local Wellington business, we love Zealandia, it’s a family favourite for all of us. Having a wildlife-filled paradise so close to the city is amazing. Supporting their mission with this partnership has been a delight.”
Joe describes the syrup as “botanical” and a delicious combination of “the slightly tart and sweet flavour profile of kiwifruit with the zesty, refreshing pepperiness of kawakawa leaves”.
“All our drinks are made with real ingredients, so for this syrup we used NZ-grown kiwifruit and harvested native kawakawa plants sustainably from Tairawhiti,” he says.
Chief executive of Zealandia Te Māra a Tāne Dr. Danielle Shanahan says the syrup tastes even sweeter knowing that with each purchase comes a donation to conservation. “This has been a new, creative collaboration for us, and the money donated will be put to seriously good use – translocating species, maintaining the predator-exclusion fence, providing supplementary good and ground-breaking conservation research,” she says.
You can pick up a bottle at Moore Wilsons, Six Barrel’s Cellar Door, Zealandia’s gift store, or online at shop.visitzealandia.com and sixbarrelsoda.co
