What began as a simple idea at home has turned into one of Rhode Island’s newest beverage brands.

Super Seltzer, created by Barrington husband-and-wife duo Vinu and Ann Malik, is entering a crowded drink market with a product labeled as a balanced, better-for-you beverage. With four electrolytes, no caffeine and a smooth, lightly sweet taste, the sparkling beverage is already landing on shelves across the state  —  and the couple says it’s only the beginning.

For the Maliks, the company is not their first venture. Years before launching Super Seltzer, they built FuelBelt, a hydration gear brand designed for runners and endurance athletes. The company grew from a single product idea into a widely recognized name before it was sold to private equity in 2015.

That earlier chapter, they say, was also rooted in hydration and active living.

“We never thought we’d have a beverage company,” Ann Malik said. “But when you look at it, FuelBelt was about hydration and being active. This business is, too.”

The idea for Super Seltzer had been sitting with them for years. At home, they had taken soda out of the household while raising their three children and turned instead to sparkling water. But as an active family, they felt something was missing.

Plain seltzer was refreshing but offered little else. Sports drinks, meanwhile, often felt overloaded with sugar, sodium or intensity.

“It was either nothing or too much,” Ann said.

That middle ground became the inspiration for Super Seltzer — a drink designed to be functional, but not overwhelming. Each can contains potassium, sodium, magnesium and calcium, offering a more balanced electrolyte profile than many drinks on the market, Vinu said. At the same time, the sodium is kept relatively low, and the beverage is sweetened with agave rather than stevia to avoid a bitter aftertaste.

The goal, he said, was to create something people could enjoy daily, not just after intense workouts.

Getting there took time. The Maliks began by experimenting at home, mixing sparkling water with electrolytes and different sweeteners before eventually working with a formulation company to refine the product. It took multiple iterations to get the taste right.

“Taste was the most important thing,” Ann said. “If it doesn’t taste good, people aren’t going to keep buying it.”

After a soft launch last summer, the couple began introducing Super Seltzer at local events and businesses. The response, they said, was immediate.

The beverage is now available at locations across Rhode Island, including Seven Stars Bakery, Plant City, Blue Kangaroo and Season’s Corner Market, among others.

Seven Stars Bakery became one of their first major accounts, expanding from an initial test into all seven locations. Season’s Corner Market marked another milestone. To meet the needs of convenience retail, the Maliks quickly adapted their packaging into a slimmer can, allowing stores to maximize cooler space. Those cans are now appearing across the chain.

For the Maliks, however, growth has been driven as much by relationships as by retail strategy.

That approach dates back to their FuelBelt years, when they built a large running community in Barrington, organizing group runs, bike rides and events that brought people together. The focus was less on selling and more on creating connection.

They see that same philosophy guiding Super Seltzer.

Whether donating product to local sporting events, introducing the drink at golf outings, or simply handing out samples in stores, the couple is relying on word of mouth and face-to-face interaction to build the brand.

Ann said she will often visit stores that carry Super Seltzer, buy a few cans herself and offer them to employees or customers who haven’t tried it.

“It’s such a small thing, but it makes someone’s day,” she said. “And tasting it is everything.”

The brand currently offers flavors including grapefruit, lemon lime, tangerine, watermelon and berry lemonade, with additional ideas in development as the company continues to grow.

Behind the scenes, the business is expanding quickly. The Maliks have established warehousing and fulfillment in West Greenwich, secured a manufacturing partner capable of scaling production, and built relationships with distributors across Rhode Island and Massachusetts. A recent partnership with Sysco is expected to bring Super Seltzer into restaurants, colleges, country clubs and recreational venues throughout New England.

They are also in discussions with national retailers, including Target.

The long-term vision is to grow beyond Rhode Island while maintaining its local identity.

“We’re a Rhode Island brand,” Vinu said. “But there’s no reason this can’t be a national brand.”

For now, the couple remains focused on steady progress — building the business one connection at a time.

“We’re always asking, are we a little better today than yesterday?” he said.

In a beverage industry often defined by excess — more sugar, more caffeine, more additives — Super Seltzer is betting on something simpler.