Multi-year partnership brings Big John’s “All Heart” to retail, college football markets and social media beginning this fall

ORANGE COUNTY, Calif., Aug. 31, 2026 — Happy Dad Hard Seltzer & Lemonade today announced a multi-year partnership with Big John Golfs and the launch of “All Heart. All Happy Dad.,” a new retail and social platform supporting Happy Dad’s national fall pre-gaming campaign.

Big John has generated more than 460 million Instagram views in the past 90 days with relatable day-in-the-life content spanning golf, running, friends and family. His reach extends far beyond golf, connecting Happy Dad directly with new legal-drinking-age consumers.

The partnership comes as younger legal-drinking-age consumers play an increasingly important role in the future of beverage alcohol and RTDs. According to IWSR, Millennials and Gen Z account for 57% of U.S. RTD consumers, while 55% of U.S. RTD drinkers now consume the category at least weekly, up from 44% in 2023. NIQ also reports RTDs are Gen Z’s category of choice, with Gen Z 21+ spending on RTDs indexing at 158 versus the total beverage alcohol panel.

The opportunity will continue to grow as more of Gen Z reaches legal drinking age. Happy Dad estimates approximately 4 million new Gen Z consumers will turn 21 and enter legal drinking age each year for the next seven years. With roughly 30 million members of Gen Z still under 21, more than 40% of the generation has yet to legally enter the beverage alcohol category. This next wave will also reach legal drinking age following the disruptions of the COVID era.

Among Gen Z consumers already of legal drinking age, recent research also challenges the idea that the generation is simply moving away from alcohol. According to the June 2026 Consumer Trends report from The New Consumer and Coefficient Capital, based on a survey of 3,000 U.S. consumers, 35% of Gen Z drinkers 21+ say they are drinking more than they were a year ago, compared with 30% of Millennials, 16% of Gen X and 7% of Boomers. Looking ahead, 26% of Gen Z respondents say they plan to drink more.

What younger consumers choose to drink is changing as well. NIQ research shows fewer than 10% of hard seltzer buyers think of hard seltzer as a type of beer, while newer NIQ research shows Gen Z gravitates toward flavor-forward beverages, variety packs and RTDs. This shift toward flavor-led RTDs aligns with Happy Dad’s portfolio across Hard Seltzer, Lemonade & Tea and its focus on products and marketing built around the preferences and occasions shaping the next generation of LDA consumers.

Happy Dad is positioned at the center of these trends, combining a growing RTD portfolio with a social-first marketing model built around creators, sports, entertainment and real-world experiences. Beer Business Daily, reporting on the partnership, described Happy Dad’s strategy with Big John as an opportunity to find “the next big thing to reach beyond the Nelk Boys to attract Gen Z’s.”

Happy Dad is growing against this backdrop. The brand is currently the #4 Hard Seltzer in the U.S., according to Nielsen L52W data ending 8/16/2026.* Happy Dad as a supplier is up 23.7% in both cases and dollars year-to-date across all channels, according to Circana data cited by Beer Business Daily, while the broader hard seltzer category declined 4.2% in 2025. Circana data independently reports the 4.2% category decline for 2025.

The Big John partnership builds on that momentum. The relationship started before any deal was discussed. Big John was already drinking Happy Dad before meeting the team. Happy Dad President John Shahidi believed in Big John early and saw a long-term opportunity to build together. Known for saying “All Heart,” Big John and Happy Dad later developed “All Heart. All Happy Dad.” together.

“We believe Big John represents where the next generation of drinking culture is going,” said Sam Shahidi, CEO and Co-Founder of Happy Dad. “People follow him because they feel like they know him. He already loved Happy Dad, his audience fits our consumer, and together we have an opportunity to turn that relationship into something much bigger across social media, retail and real-world experiences.”

The partnership launches this fall across college football markets with social content, on-premise events and a YouTube series featuring Big John golfing against LDA college students.

At retail, Happy Dad will support “All Heart. All Happy Dad.” with geo-targeted media around participating accounts, Big John displays, social content, limited drops and sweepstakes designed to turn his audience reach into store traffic, trial and velocity.

The campaign begins with college football and extends into a major Spring Break activation for LDA consumers. “All Heart. All Happy Dad.” will expand nationwide in 2027 as part of the broader multi-year partnership.

“I was drinking Happy Dad before we ever partnered, so joining the family felt natural,” said Big John Golfs. “I’m excited to bring Happy Dad into golf, college fans, retail, social media and events. ‘All Heart. All Happy Dad.’ is about giving everything you’ve got, having fun and bringing people with you.”