The proof is in the latest ready-to-drink (RTD) offerings rolled out by the NC Craft Beverage Centre: “Campus Crush” seltzers. The new seltzers debuted just in time for summer with two distinct, refreshing flavours: Raspberry Rhubarb Rosé and Lime Cucumber Riesling.

The College’s first seltzers are the fruit of a collaboration between the College’s Teaching Winery – part of the NC Learning Enterprises Corporation (NCLEC) – and innovative Food and Beverage Innovation Centre (FBIC), which sits within NC’s award-winning Research and Innovation division.

“This initiative is an excellent example of what can be achieved when Niagara College’s learning enterprises and applied research expertise come together with a shared vision for innovation,” said Gary Torraville, Senior Director, Enterprises. “This collaboration between the Teaching Winery and NC’s Food and Beverage Innovation Centre brought together winemaking excellence, product development expertise and a commitment to creating industry-relevant experiences for students. Campus Crush is definitely a prime example of the power of collaboration to transform ideas into market-ready products.”

Following the debut of these small-batch seltzers, NCLEC plans to offer seasonal varieties moving forward.

“They were made with our Rosé and Riesling as a base, so quality VQA wine, and are only 4.5% alcohol,” said Allison Findlay, Winemaker at the NC Teaching Winery.

Achieving this required careful selection of the wine base, sweetener levels, acidity profiles, and pasteurization and carbonation conditions.

“It was fascinating to work together and learn from each other in terms of flavour definition, standardization and wine-pairing to offer a unique and outstanding RTD experience while ensuring quality and safety,” said Dr. Ana Cristina Vega-Lugo, Scientific Manager at FBIC. “We wanted to offer a unique and outstanding RTD experience while ensuring quality and safety.”

After evaluating numerous flavour combinations in FBIC’s product development laboratories, the team landed on two profiles they felt perfectly complemented the base wines: Raspberry Rhubarb Rosé and Lime Cucumber Riesling.

The first is formulated as a light, fruit-forward beverage with balanced acidity and moderate sweetness. The rosé wine provided the flavour backbone, colour, and aromatic complexity, while the raspberry and rhubarb deliver a vibrant, fruit-dominant finish.

The second is a crisp, wine-forward beverage, where lime and cucumber add complexity, offering a refreshing twist tailored for summer weather.

Using NC’s own VQA wines as the alcohol base gives the seltzers a strong regional identity.

Both products were designed to align with current consumer demands for convenient, natural, and premium RTD beverages. They were packaged in sleek 335-mL aluminum cans at FBIC’s HACCP-certified beverage pilot plant.

The successful launch was made possible by the dedicated work of the research team, including Research Technologist Stephanie Skotidas, and Research Assistant Mya Dodd who is a current student.

The project was applied learning in action for Dodd, who will be entering her third year of the Culinary Innovation and Food Technology program and has been working with FBIC since October 2024.

She helped formulate the recipes, prepare trial batches, and evaluate flavour profiles — adjusting throughout the process to achieve the desired results, and gaining hands-on experience in product formulation, sensory evaluation and beverage innovation.

“I enjoyed seeing how small changes to ingredients and formulations could significantly impact the final product. Working alongside experienced professionals helped me build confidence, strengthen my technical skills, and further confirmed my passion for food and beverage research and product development,” said Dodd. “This experience has been an important part of my growth as a future food scientist and product developer.”