Governor announces Coolest Thing Made in South Carolina

The Coolest Thing Made in South Carolina is often found on ice.

The South Carolina Manufacturers Alliance announced that High Noon Sun Sips, made by Gallo at its Fort Lawn facility, has been dubbed the Coolest Thing Made in South Carolina for 2025.

The announcement was made March 26 during a press conference at the State House following a month-long contest — Manufacturing Madness: The Coolest Thing Made in SC — that drew 220,969 votes from across the globe, according to a news release.

“We are proud to have an opportunity to celebrate Gallo’s High Noon Sun Sips as the Coolest Thing Made in South Carolina,” Sara Hazzard, president and CEO of the South Carolina Manufacturers Alliance, said in the news release. “This award recognizes the innovation, vision and creativity of the entire team at Gallo, which has been committed to operational excellence, quality and community engagement. Their hard work is exactly why South Carolina continues to be a manufacturing leader worldwide.”

Gov. Henry McMaster, who announced the winner at the event, praised South Carolina’s manufacturing industry as a cornerstone of the state’s success.

“Manufacturing drives opportunity for families and communities across our state, and we count on our manufacturing industry’s workforce to help pave our path to lasting prosperity,” McMaster said in the release. “We take great pride in what we make in South Carolina and our corporate citizens, like Gallo. We welcome every opportunity to celebrate the products made here that serve people across the country and around the world.”

Gallo’s High Noon Sun Sips beat out three other finalists: the 787 Dreamliner made by Boeing South Carolina in North Charleston, the Ultra HD MicroCore SpiderWeb Ribbon Fiber Optic Cable manufactured by AFL in Duncan, and the ClimateCool Smartbed produced by Sleep Number in Irmo.

Gallo opened its Fort Lawn facility in 2022 with a $423 million investment and now employs 350 associates. The site produces 1,000 cans of High Noon per minute, offering 20 different flavors of vodka and tequila seltzers made with real fruit juice and sparkling water, the release stated.

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In addition to its production success, Gallo has made community engagement a priority in the community. The facility’s team has donated appliances to local centers, supported children’s homes with repairs, and volunteered for events like food drives, health walks and local festivals, according to the release.

Now in its fourth year, the Manufacturing Madness contest — sponsored by BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina — celebrates the products, people and craftsmanship of South Carolina’s manufacturing sector. Previous winners include Nucor Steel Berkeley’s Steel, Lockheed Martin’s F-16 Fighting Falcon and Honda’s Talon 1000R-4.

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