New sparkling water springs in Richmond: Here's where you can get it
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Natural Spirit in the wild. Image: Courtesy of Evan Slagle
There's a new, locally sourced option for sparkling water, one of the hottest trends in the beverage market right now: Natural Spirit.
Why it matters: This ain't your grandma's hose water. This is Richmond water sourced from Eastern Henrico's Camp Holly Springs, one of the oldest natural springs in Virginia, the Natural Spirit founders tell Axios.
The big picture: Business partners and pals Evan Slagle and Joe Soriero launched Natural Spirit last year, dubbing it the "Wild West of Water."
- The two became friends while working in the alcoholic beverage world, Slagle selling natural wine and Soriero selling craft beer. They were looking for an opportunity to collaborate on something new, Slagle tells Axios.
- They knew from their research there was a demand for local and nonalcoholic options. In the wine world, the ask was even more specific, Slagle said: His clients wanted a local spring water option.
- When they stumbled upon the natural spring in Virginia, Natural Spirit was born.
Worth noting: The nonalcoholic beverage sector is expanding rapidly as alcohol consumption declines, Axios' Jaden Amos reports.
- Nonalcoholic beers, wines and spirits alone are a $13 billion global market. Sparking water is a $43 billion one.
Zoom in: Because of the growing shift away from alcohol — a trend driven by Gen Z and millennials — branding became especially important for Natural Spirit, Slagle said.
- So the team designed the can to look like beer and developed a vintage-inspired social media roll out.
- "When you're out in a social setting, you never want to be that person that has a bottle of Dasani and people asking, 'Why aren't you drinking?'"
And with a can of Richmond-made Natural Spirit in your hand, you can imbibe in peace.
- If you're in the market for some, you can find it at Union Market, Ellwood Thompson, Afterglow Coffee, OddBird and Penny's Wine Shop.
- It retails for $3 for a 16-ounce can, $12 for a four-pack.
Editor's note: This story was corrected to say that Natural Spirit retails for $3 for a 16-ounce can, not a 12-ounce can.