GRAND RAPIDS (WZZM) – Grand Rapids has become known nationwide for its craft beer. Now one local man is hoping it will also become known for its craft soda.
"I started playing and mixing the ingredients," said Stephen Curtis, founder of Proper Soda Company. "I had this hop concoction, and I was making soda with that, and it was really delicious, and there wasn't anything like it on the market."
Proper Soda Company launched in 2012. It's a small, two-man business.
Curtis says is main goal is "taking a unique ingredient that you normally don't find in soda and kind of transforming it into a unique and delicious soda."
He considered hops.
"Unlike a typical IPA, where you get that really bitter bite to it, this is a little more toned-down," Curtis added.
The ingredients in Hop Soda are carbonated water, cane sugar, citric acid and hops extract.
"It's kind of like a ginger-ale/Sprite hybrid, but you get that 'citrusy' taste from the hops," said Curtis.
The prototype for Hop Soda hit the market in 2013. It didn't take long for local distributors to gain interest.
"It initially started out with about 40 stores here in West Michigan," said Curtis. "That number has now grown to over one hundred stores locally."
It's now catching on outside of the state of Michigan.
"It's been picked up into 51 Meijer locations throughout Michigan, Indiana, Ohio and Illinois," said Curtis.
The product is also growing in popularity as far west as Seattle, Washington, and Portland, Oregon. It's also been picked up by distributors in New York City and north of the border in Montreal, Canada.
"We've also sent some soda product on a boat overseas," said Curtis. "We now have a distributor in Australia."
With the fast-moving success Hop Soda has had, it didn't take long for Curtis to start thinking bigger in terms of expanding the flavor portfolio. Hibiscus-flavored soda was added in 2014.
"It's really interesting to see the transformation of that ingredient into a soda form," added Curtis.
Beer City USA is officially on the fast track to becoming Soda City USA.
"We're aiming to make it that way," said Curtis. "Especially for Hop Soda, anyway."
Curtis says that distributors in both California and Wisconsin will be picking up his hop and hibiscus sodas later this year. As for a third flavor, he says a coffee soda is next on his check list.
