Ahh, brunch, mimosas, and Pride weekend and Palm Springs. Sounds like paradise right? You’d be sorry you missed out, but that’s exactly what’s happening this weekend as SunDaze, a Palm Springs LGBTQIA+ founded business, sponsors The Girlz Skate Jam, a Lesbo Expo Event on Saturday, November 6th.
Hosted by skater Sierra Prescott, Girlz Skate Jam will include the top women-identified LGBTQIA+ skaters, including 2021 Olympian Alana Smith! Skaters will sip on SunDaze’s newly launched flavors throughout the Girlz Skate Jam, and into the after party! The newly launched, seriously refreshing, better-for-you alcoholic beverage was co-founded by Arthur Gallego, a local Palm Springs resident and member of the LGBTQIA+ community. SunDaze is made from an 100% Valencia orange juice blend that uses an exclusive fermentation process. The brand’s debut product lineup features three refreshing flavors including: Classic, Spicy, and Botanical.
Read on for a special Q&A with Arthur to learn more about SunDaze, what they have coming in the future, and what it means to participate in LGBTQIA+ events on the horizon!
A Q&A With Co-Founder and CEO Arthur Gallego
Q: Hi Arthur, and thank you for taking the time to give us some insight into SunDaze! Let’s start off with you and your role at SunDaze. What is your background, and how did you get started with the company?
Arthur: As a SoCal-born brand, we appreciate local media support. I’m the co-founder and CEO of SunDaze, a new line of fermented cocktails that emphasize minimal ingredients, authentic taste, and low sugar. I’m a long-time beverage marketing executive and finally decided to throw my hat into the entrepreneur ring.
Q: SunDaze achieves what many could only have dreamed of by creating something comparable to, yet better than a mimosa — while also better for you! What was the creation process like for you and your team to come up with the 3 flavors you currently offer?
Arthur: My brilliant food scientist and co-founder, Juan Toledano, identified a unique fermentation tech that transforms a fruit juice’s naturally occurring sugar into alcohol and also reduces overall sugar levels in the drink. We were able to produce a light, delicious, and more refreshing version of a citrus cocktail and started with orange juice because it’s so beloved.
Q: Were there any hurdles your team faced to get where you are today, and if so what were they?
Arthur: The biggest hurdle right now for an alcohol drink start-up like ours is competition — there are so many choices on store shelves. But we’re confident the simplicity and quality of SunDaze will make us a big success. People still love juice and juice-based cocktails. They are iconic and we’re making them better.
Q: Name a better duo than the LGBTQIA+ community and mimosas. (We’ll wait!) While you think that up, can you tell us why it’s so important for SunDaze to sponsor Girlz Skate Jam, and what this event means for so many – not just in Palm Springs – but everywhere?
Arthur: The community lives for brunch, and mimosas are synonymous with brunch-ing if that’s a proper verb! For me personally, as a gay man and a Palm Springs resident, it was important to support a local event that attracts more tourism to Palm Springs and builds a stronger community here and in SoCal.
Q: Are there any future LGBTQIA+ or other events we can expect to see SunDaze at?
Arthur: Absolutely, we’ll be building community with SunDaze in the LGBTQIA+ communities in California and Texas through 2022, one meaningful event at a time. It’s part of our social commitment program.
Q: What are some of your team’s longterm goals that you hope to achieve in the coming years?
Arthur: The big vision for SunDaze is to become the go-to brand for juice cocktails. Everyone has a favorite juice cocktail, whether it’s a mimosa, a daiquiri, a greyhound, a piña, or something else, and our fermentation tech can elevate all of them.
Q: Finally, can we expect an expansion for the SunDaze brand beyond the current offering? Are there any new flavors secretly being worked on, or a new type of drink? Care to offer a sneak peek?
Arthur: We’ve experimented with everything from watermelon to mango to pineapple to berries, and you’ll see some exciting new drinks from us in Spring 2022. Our fermentation tech has incredible potential in the alcohol drinks industry and we’ve only started to show people what we can do to change social drinking.