Heineken is responding to changing tastes in the market and unveiling a number of major additions to its cider and beer portfolio in the UK.
Old Mout
A major new addition to its best-selling premium cider portfolio and born in New Zealand’s Moutere Valley, Old Mout rhymes with fruit. It’s a 4% ABV range of flavoured ciders, created to appeal to young adult drinkers with a sense of adventure and taste for discovery.
Already New Zealand’s No.1 Packaged Cider Brand, Old Mout is New Zealand’s leading Packaged Cider brand. Since 2008, Old Mout Cider’s experimentation with fruit and cider combinations has brought a great rise in popularity and award winning products.
From the end of March, Old Mout Cider will be available in three distinctive flavours: ‘Summer berries – a fruity little number’. Crisp apples met their match with a bunch of ripe summer berries. ‘Passionfruit and apple – old romantic’. The meeting of luscious passionfruit and crisp apples. ‘Kiwi and lime – what do you expect?’ The ingenious pairing aromatic kiwi with zingy lime.
Its simple amber glass 500ml bottle and quirky label designs signpost the brand’s premium positioning. To offer a true premium drinking experience, Old Mout should be served chilled in a branded glass, ideally with fruit and ice.
Desperados Verde
Desperados Verde is an exciting new variant for the best-selling Desperados brand. Meeting the growing demand for more premium drinking experiences and the burgeoning interest in Spirit Beers, Desperados Verde is a premium lager flavoured with tequila and a big twist of mint and lime.
As the UK’s fastest-growing beer brand, Desperados is driving beer trial amongst 18-34 year olds and delivering incremental category value thanks to the premium price point the brand commands. The brand has seen value sales soar by 70% in the last year, leading the development of a new Spirit Beers sub-category. Dubbed SPIRIT BEERS, the segment has seen volume sales increase by 71% in the on-trade, with value sales forecast to be worth £400m by 2016. Desperados Verde has been launched to drive brand relevancy, continuing to build appeal amongst current drinkers and encouraging new consumers to add beer to their repertoire.
The exciting new Mojito flavour sets it apart from traditional bottled lagers and is set to appeal to both male and female drinkers with its lighter, sweeter taste. As well as tapping into the trend for flavour experimentation amongst 18-34 year olds, the 4.7% ABV also broadens the brands drinking occasions.
BULMERS taps into Moderation Trend
Heineken is strengthening its Moderation portfolio with the launch of two new lower ABV fruit variants from its Bulmers brand. The UK’s No.1 Modern Cider is introducing the refreshing new flavour combinations to tap into the growing demand for products aimed at lighter drinking occasions.
At 2.8% ABV Bulmers Cider Five Fruit Harvest and Bulmers Cider Indian Summer have been developed to offer pub goers a compelling choice of lower alcohol ciders that deliver extra refreshment without compromising on superb quality and taste.
The Moderation segment has the potential to grow to 5% of total Cider and Beer volumes in the UK within 10 years. However, until now the category has largely focused on beer-based propositions leaving cider options largely untapped. Heineken is committed to increasing consumer choice to help licensees realise the growth potential of lower-alcohol ciders which could represent a £150m opportunity over the next decade.
The two new fruit variants have been specially created to appeal to 18-34 year old male and female drinkers who enjoy experimenting with exciting new taste combinations. Bulmers Cider Five Fruit Harvest is a lighter-drinking, refreshing cider, made with a blend of five late harvest fruits; Apple, Pear, Plum, Quince and Grape. Bulmers Cider Indian Summer is a unique cider with a subtle spice, made with apples and a hint of ginger and cardamom. Both ciders will be sold in 568ml single bottles.
Bulmers is now the No.1 Modern Cider brand, growing its portfolio and strengthening its share of the segment via an exciting product innovation programme which has, to date, included notable successes like Bulmers Cider Bold Black Cherry and Bulmers Cider Pressed Red Grape. The new lower alcohol variants will offer drinkers a choice of two very different but equally refreshing flavours from the market leader while opening up the Bulmers brand to new drinking occasions.