Australian “cult” anti-hangover startup Bae Juice has capped off its biggest “silly season” yet; selling “one pack of 100% pure Korean pear juice every 12 seconds in December 2026, triggering stock outages and sending the Melbourne-founded brand mainstream as one of Australia’s fastest-moving functional lifestyle beverages”, according Bae Juice.
The surge in popularity comes as the bootstrapped brand secures new national deals with Costco, Coles and 700-plus new retail doors, with further expansion to New Zealand and China.
“This marks a major leap for the challenger product, which began as a niche festival hack and has since become a cult pre-party ritual among young professionals, festival-goers, shift workers and anyone trying to balance lifestyle with functional Monday mornings,” the company said.
“December alone delivered $495,988 in sales and 220,000 units sold, the biggest up from $150,000 in the same month last year; a +230 per cent jump year-on-year, while stocks sold out across petrol and convenience, online and independent grocery; hitting record velocity.”
The before-care go-to now forecasts $5m in revenue this financial year, up from $2.5m last year, adding another inflection point in a growth curve that started humbly: $127,500 in 2019; $560,000 shortly after; then $1m+ as word-of-mouth momentum tipped into national retail.
A new pairing category for alcohol: “natural, not punishment”
Bae Juice Co-founder Sumin Do says: “Bae Juice, meaning simply “pear juice” in Korean, is exactly that – just 100% pure, organic Korean pear juice. But it’s now so much more than that. We’ve tapped into a new cultural territory somewhere between wellness and the real-world need for functional drinking habits that help you feel human the next day. It isn’t selling optimisation or detox; but a tomorrow of not hurting. So, in other words… Bae before you play.”
Bae Juice Co-founder and Director Tim O’Sullivan says: “December was enormous for us, our biggest yet. Weddings, work drinks, festivals, end-of-year blowouts – it all lands at once, and Bae Juice has become part of that rhythm.
“It’s the thing people buy before or at the same time they buy their drinks. Now it’s right there on the counter at any independent, family-run bottle shop or supermarket, as well as on the shelves at Woolies and now Coles and Costco.
“People don’t stop going out, they just want Monday and Sunday to be less painful. And while that’s the behaviour powering Bae right now, it’s also powered by our rugged, relatable approach to marketing our brand in a way that reflects us at our very core – with a lot of cheek and a collective hatred of hangovers,” says Mr O’Sullivan.
Expansion “powered by behaviour, not just hype”
Unlike the celebrity-backed wellness drinks that have dominated stores and ads, Bae Juice’s rise has been built from the bottom up – from loyalty, repeat purchases, retailer reorder velocity, and a cultural fit for the end consumer.
Bae Juice co-founder Liam Gostencnik says: “With most big events happening in the late-summer window, and social behaviour continuing to rebound post-Covid, this summer has already reset the category and will continue to do so throughout the year – and we’re really looking forward to building an even larger following and expanding further well past 2026.”
