High Noon hard seltzers made in Chester County named ‘Coolest Thing made in South Carolina'
COLUMBIA, S.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — An alcohol beverage made in Chester County was named the Coolest Thing Made in South Carolina in 2025.
The South Carolina Manufacturers Alliance (SCMA) announced Wednesday that High Noon Sun Sips, manufactured by E&J Gallo at its Fort Lawn facility, landed the honors.
The announcement was made during a press conference at the State House in Columbia following a month-long contest — Manufacturing Madness: The Coolest Thing Made in SC— that drew 220,969 votes from across the globe.
Coolest things made in NC have the coolest back stories
High Noons are vodka- and tequila-based hard seltzer drinks made with flavors such as peach, tangerine, grapefruit and more.
'We are proud to have an opportunity to celebrate Gallo's High Noon Sun Sips as the Coolest Thing Made in South Carolina,' said Sara Hazzard, president and CEO of the South Carolina Manufacturers Alliance. '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.'
High Noons beat out finalists Boeing's 787 Dreamliner (North Charleston), Sleep Numbers' ClimateCool Smart Bed (Irmo), and MicroCore SpiderWeb Ribbon Fiber Optic Cable made by AFL (Duncan).
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,' said McMaster. '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 opened its Fort Lawn facility in 2022 with a $423 million investment and now employs 350 people. 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.
In addition to its production success, Gallo has made community engagement a priority in Chester County and beyond. 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.
Previous winners include Nucor Steel Berkeley's Steel, Lockheed Martin's F-16 Fighting Falcon, and Honda's Talon 1000R-4.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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