In the serene yet slightly off-kilter shores of Byron Bay—where every sunrise feels like a secret between the ocean and the sky—a quiet rebellion was set in motion in 2012. It wasn’t a rebellion of flags and banners, but one of flavors and fizz.
StrangeLove was born, not in a boardroom, but seemingly conjured by the eccentric spirit of the bay itself, ready to flip the beverage world on its head. This was no ordinary drink brand; this was a cocktail of audacity, imagination, and a pinch of chaos that dared to defy the norm.
A Manifesto Written in Fizz
While the world was content sipping on the same-old, same-old, StrangeLove decided to pop the cap on something different. Picture this: Byron Bay, a place where the locals mix surfboards with sage advice and where the phrase "why not?" is practically a greeting.
Here, StrangeLove took its first bubbly breath with a mission so radical it might have been whispered to them by a passing dolphin: to create non-alcoholic beverages with the attitude of a rockstar and the swagger of a surfer.
They weren't here to mimic; they were here to make waves. StrangeLove’s drinks were anything but shy. They were bold, brash, and completely unapologetic—designed for those who wanted their taste buds to experience the equivalent of a mic drop. These weren’t your grandma’s ginger ales; these were concoctions that could make your socks roll up and down all by themselves.
The Maverick Behind the Magic
Now, you don’t get a brand like StrangeLove without a mind that’s as twisted as a pretzel. Enter the founder—a visionary who saw a world too full of the expected and decided to inject it with a double shot of the unexpected. In 2012, they didn’t just launch a ginger beer; they unleashed it.
The result?
A drink so fiery it could have roasted marshmallows from three feet away. Of course, such audacity doesn’t come without a price—cue a lawsuit from the unsuspecting palate of the masses—but hey, what’s a revolution without a few battle scars?
Turning Up the Heat—And the Flavors
Once they realized they had a hit, StrangeLove wasn’t about to sit back and sip on their success. Oh no, they doubled down. Their ginger beer, which could have easily powered a steam engine, was just the beginning. Soon, the shelves were graced with an array of beverages that defied logic and delighted the senses.
Smoked Cola? Bitter Grapefruit? Blood Orange & Chilli?
Each flavor was like a dare wrapped in a bottle, a challenge to drinkers everywhere: Can you handle the heat? Can you embrace the strange?
In Byron Bay, where the bizarre is celebrated as much as the beautiful, StrangeLove didn’t just fit in—they thrived. The locals, after all, had long since traded the ordinary for the extraordinary. Why shouldn’t their drinks do the same?
From Gin to Tonic to Taking the World by Storm
By the time 2016 rolled around, the world was falling head over heels for craft gin. Naturally, StrangeLove wasn’t about to miss out on the party.
But true to form, they didn’t just RSVP; they became the DJ, spinning out a Premium Mixer Range that turned the cocktail world on its ear, along with Tippled Topper cocktail garnishes geared at transforming a simple mixed drink into a bar-quality cocktail masterpiece.
These weren’t mixers meant to sit quietly in the background; these were the life of the party, loud and proud, with flavors that didn’t just complement—they completed.
What began as a quirky alternative to alcohol morphed into a mission to revolutionize the very idea of drinking. StrangeLove wasn’t content to merely exist on the sidelines; they were here to steal the show, one bold blend at a time.
A Toast to the Unconventional
StrangeLove’s journey is a testament to the power of being unabashedly yourself. In a world where beverages often play it safe, they’ve chosen the path less carbonated. The launch of their Lo-Cal Sodas in 2018 proved that you don’t need a high ABV to have a good time, as did the launch of their sparkling and lightly infused Australian mineral waters, which are locally sourced and bottled in Victoria's Macedon Ranges. These sodas and flavoured waters were low on calories but high on attitude, transforming the designated driver from a buzzkill to the coolest cat in the room.
And let’s be honest—who needs alcohol when your drink has enough personality to carry the conversation?
The Odyssey Continues—Onward and Upward
StrangeLove’s saga is still unfolding, and if the past is anything to go by, the future promises to be as wild and wonderful as a Byron Bay sunset. From their roots in a town where weird is worn like a badge of honor, they’ve grown into a brand that’s as much about the journey as it is about the destination. Today, StrangeLove can be found everywhere from posh eateries to gritty dive bars, each bottle a tribute to the brand’s dedication to exceptional ingredients and rebellious spirit.
A Decade of Daring—The Story Unfolds
Twelve years on, StrangeLove is far from a has-been. Their story isn’t one of fading glory; it’s of ongoing adventure. They’ve proven that rebellion can be refined, that eccentricity can be excellent, and that sometimes the best way to stand out is to be unapologetically yourself.
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Words by AW.
Photos courtesy of StrangeLove.
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