SL’s RAGA Sparkling Kithul Toddy gains celebrity status in Australia

Innovative Sri Lankan produce and beverage exporter, Agri Deshiya’s RAGA Sparkling Kithul Toddy has attracted celebrity attention in one of its key overseas markets, Australia. This is after famous football star, Ben Long, recently tried this new trendy beverage.

Upon tasting this native Sri Lankan beverage, produced to international standards, and which is now available in Melbourne, Australia, Mr. Long, a player representing St. Kilda Football Club in the Australian Football League, has become a dedicated fan. RAGA Sparkling Kithul Toddy has become a hot item in Melbourne recently, as more and more locals try this traditional Sri Lankan brew and fall in love with its refreshing and unique flavour, the company said in a media release.

“Mr. Long was quick to express his fondness for this newfound 100 per cent authentic Sri Lankan beverage,” said a representative for Kingston Cellars in Australia, the distributor of RAGA beverages in that country, “One chilled can of RAGA Sparkling Kithul Toddy, and Ben Long became an immediate fan. He is now, not just tremendously impressed with the taste of kithul toddy, but has also become very interested in learning about how kithul sap is harvested, and the myriad of health benefits of kithul, including boosting energy, helping weight loss, regulating blood pressure, migraine relief and improved digestive and respiratory health.”

Toddy, from both the kithul and coconut palms, have been consumed in Sri Lanka since ancient times. “However, it is Agri Deshiya’s Founder and Chairman, Prabath de Alwis’s ingenuity and passion for innovation and combining traditional techniques with modern technology, which has helped to refine and transform this traditional beverage into a trendy modern brew that is enjoyed worldwide today,” the release said.

Commenting on the success of the RAGA range of beverages, Mr. de Alwis said, “We have natural agricultural produce in Sri Lanka, such as kithul which is unique in the world. Thus, our goal is to use our ingenuity and expertise to put Sri Lanka on the map, by exporting unique products the world has never seen. This kind of innovation is what can help us to use the natural bounty we have been blessed with in Sri Lanka to delight the world and bring home much needed foreign exchange to support our economy, our communities and our national aspirations.”

He invited local authorities and all Sri Lankans to support local value-added agricultural produce and industries so that they can truly put Sri Lanka on the map and attract revenue and investments to build a sustainable, strong and economically independent Sri Lanka.

RAGA Sparkling Kithul Toddy is manufactured by Agri Deshiya (Pvt) Ltd and is presently exported to Australia, New Zealand, the UAE, UK and South Korea, and available locally in Sri Lanka at all leading supermarkets and selected wine stores.

Toddy, from both the kithul and coconut palms, have been consumed in Sri Lanka since ancient times.