Found Treasure: West Peak Sparkling Spirits

March 29, 2024 – The inspiration for Santa Cruz-born-and-based West Peak Sparkling Spirits can be found in some surprising places.

Like barrels of boiling black liquid discovered on a trip to Hong Kong, from which native vendors would scoop inky-looking eggs for daring eaters.

“Our adventurous spirit is translated into every endeavor, including West Peak,” says one half of the Surf City mom-and-pop behind it, Nick Sanyal, who took down the eggs with his wife Jamie. 

Another unexpected place: in the hands of decorated West Peak “ride-or-dies” who serve as on-board ambassadors (as in on-surfboard). The name-check roster, that West Peak aids with contest fees and equipment, includes Santa Cruz pro surfers Autumn Hays, John Mel, Shaun Burns, Wilem Banks, Alo Sleiber, Chad Underhill-Meras and Sam Coffey. 

According to Nick, an enthusiastic surfer himself, they each “embody the Santa Cruz lifestyle, charging big waves and ripping the local breaks, all the while being humble and positive humans.”

“The wave-rich ecosystem of the Monterey Bay heavily influenced the creation of West Peak as a brand linked to the sea and surfing,” he adds. “It is only natural that we support the surfing community.” 

Edible first encountered West Peak drinks atop a beverage bar at a Santa Cruz Warriors home game, where the Sanyals spent several years as season ticket holders and their brand joins food-and-drink partners like Woodstock’s, Ivéta, Hula’s and Pono Hawaiian. 

“It felt right to align with a community-focused organization such as the Santa Cruz Warriors,” Jamie says. 

Outside of the SeaDubs’ Kaiser Permanente Arena (where the markup is major), West Peak’s four flavors (around $4/can, $12-$14/four-pack) can be geo-located in retail stores like Total Wine & More, California bars and local venues like Shopper’s Corner, U-Save Liquors, Laughing Monk and your house, after a delivery order at West Peak’s website. 

Nick’s supply chain work at natural food-friendly spots Tradin Organics, UNFICK and SunOpta provided foundational experience from which to build the startup. Time at Moss Landing’s Sweet Earth Natural Foods—and conversations with founders Brian and Kelly Swette on strategy and investor appeals—catalyzed more planning, and Jamie’s background in corporate marketing provided oomph.

The early mission became unearthing a way to produce ready-to-drink (aka RTD) cocktails without big sugar loads or malt liquor.

“Everything we tried either tasted like chewing on pennies or was a sugar bomb,” Nick says. “We realized we were probably not the only ones looking for better quality, ingredients and taste.”

Easy drinkability, light carbonation and clever fruit combos come through in a taste test—they’re more cocktail spritzer than conventional mixed drink, in both mouthfeel and lower 6% ABV. In particular, the Palo Madre Paloma (with tequila, a flash of red grapefruit and a touch of sea salt) speaks my language and the Fathom Falls Cooler (rum, yuzu and Japanese plum) earns a bow for its balance. 

West Peak also trafficks in two vodka takes, a Saddle Creek Spritz with blood orange and bitters, and a Buscadero Bay Punch with passionfruit and lime.

“With a spirits-based seltzer brand, we aimed to provide consumers with an experience that combines the best of both worlds,” Nick says. “The familiar and enjoyable flavors of spirits…[in] a lighter alternative that pairs well with foods, complementing flavors without overwhelming the palate.”

They are cagey about where they source their bulk spirits, noting only that they turn to Jalisco for the tequila and the Caribbean for the white rum. 

Eventually discussion of what led to the project returns to travel.

Nick unspools a tale from his first month with the Maritime Academy—during which he also learned he was prone to death-con-level-5 sea sickness—when his ship ran into an unapologetic typhoon in the remote reaches of the Pacific. 

He describes a full 24 hours being hit by waves “the size of Mavericks,” sleeping in a survival suit and accepting, as he says, “the fact that this was the end.” 

But the mariners made it through, and the ensuing meal sticks with him almost as much as the ordeal.

“Anything is possible if you put your mind to it, and touching land in Guam was the best feeling ever, [and] so were the cheeseburger and beers I had while trying to process the last few days,” Nick says. “That was just the beginning of some extraordinary experiences that have shaped my temperament and outlook on life, all courtesy of the ocean.”

While West Peak resonates as a savvy investment, he’s not without regrets, admitting, “I also should have bought stock in Dramamine.”

More at drinkwestpeak.com.