Ben Stiller has added a brand-new title to his already impressive CV: soda entrepreneur. The actor, best known for films like Zoolander and Meet the Parents, has unveiled his own line of fizzy drinks, and it all stems from his earliest memories growing up in New York City.
The debut collection features three flavours: Root Beer, Lemon Lime and Shirley Temple; the last one is especially close to Stiller’s heart.
As the Severance director/producer explained to People: “Shirley Temples, in particular, were a big thing for me growing up," recalling the nights in the ’70s and ’80s when he and his sister Amy accompanied their parents, Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara, to nightclub performances.
He said: “They were comedians, and we would be hanging out with grown-ups a lot."
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“And when you'd be at a nightclub with grown-ups as a kid, you'd order Shirley Temple and you felt like you were kind of cool. And of course, because you couldn't really drink anything else.”
Stiller wanted his sodas to capture the joy of childhood memories while keeping them light and better for you. His main focus in creating the drinks was simple; he wanted something that 'tasted like soda' but where 'you don't feel like you're putting bad stuff in your body.' Each can contains only 30 calories and includes vitamins B12, C and D.
The brand was co-founded with food and beverage entrepreneur Alex Doman, and while it began with the idea of a single Shirley Temple flavour, it quickly grew into more.
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Stilled added: “We thought, why don't we do a few different flavors? And then it sort of evolved into this.
“I don't drink, so I love having an option for soda for something to drink for adults too when you're out.”
Family input has been vital to the process, too. Stiller’s son Quinlin became one of the first taste testers. He said: “My son loves soda… when he asked to have a second Lemon Lime because he liked it so much, I felt like we were on the right track.”
His daughter Ella, who didn’t grow up drinking fizzy drinks, has also given her approval, with Stiller revealing: “Ella has tried the sodas and approves of them, too."
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For Stiller, making a healthier soda for children and parents was a key part of the mission. He clarified: “The idea of having a healthy soda for kids, I think, is something that's important to us, too”, also noting the added vitamins and lower calories make it 'something that parents can give their kids and not feel bad about it, too.'
The launch of Stiller’s Soda has been a long time coming. The creator of Tropic Thunder added: “We've been working on it for about three years, and to finally get to this moment where we're actually putting it out into the world is kind of surreal, and I'm super excited about it."
Currently available in New York City and through Amazon in the US, the brand will expand into Walmart.com in the coming weeks, with wider distribution set for 2026.
Ben Williams