UDL’s are back (and better than ever)

Summer has a funny way of resurrecting old friends - thongs from the back of the cupboard, questionable festival hats, and now, gloriously, UDL. Yep, that UDL. After more than 60 years quietly minding its own business in Australia’s drinks canon, the iconic RTD has had a proper glow-up and is officially back for summer, courtesy of new owners Vok Beverages.

This isn’t a dusty reboot or a half-hearted nostalgia grab. Think less “unchanged since 1998” and more “same spirit, better outfit, knows what it’s doing now.” The new UDL arrives with a refreshed, design-forward look, a refined flavour range and a clear focus on modern drinkability (aka, the kind of drinks you actually want to sip in 2026, not just tolerate because they’re cold).

For many millennials, UDL was a rite of passage. Pre-drinks that started at 4pm “by accident,” festival eskies packed to the brim, backyard summers that blurred into one long, sunburnt memory. The relaunch taps straight into that collective muscle memory, but brings it forward with cleaner flavours, sharper branding and a slightly more grown-up energy. You’ve still got the nostalgia, it’s just wearing nicer sunglasses now.

The revived range is rolling out nationally at Dan Murphy’s and other major retailers, with more SKUs dropping across summer. It’s familiar, fun and unapologetically Australian. It’s also proof that some classics don’t need reinventing, just reintroduced at the right moment. And honestly? Summer feels like the perfect time for a reunion.