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New pub drink: RTD and cocktails
By Sonya Hook
28/03/2011 11:44
High-street alcopops and swish cocktails are not natural bedfellows but, as Sonya Hook discovers, the recent wave of RTD launches could represent the beginning of a rather fruity alliance.
WKD Purple: Cheeky vodka mix
They seem an unlikely couple, the alcopop and the sophisticated cocktail, but if the raft of recent ready-to-drink (RTD) launches is anything to go by, this could be a marriage to rival Wills and Kate’s forthcoming nuptials.
This year alone several of the biggest RTD producers have introduced a classic cocktail flavour or two in their ranges, from Mojitos to Mai Tais, and even those not looking to cocktails for inspiration are investing in new product development and marketing support for their brands.
As a result, 2011 could well be the end of a torrid few years for the much-maligned RTD market and the start of a beautiful new chapter — or will its past catch up with it?
Cocktails expansion
So far so good, and the expansion into cocktail flavours has been welcomed with open arms by licensees in the on-trade.
Driving this potential step change is innovation from Bacardi Brown-Forman (BBF), which made the brave move of resisting further extensions to its classic Bacardi Breezer RTD, and instead brought out a new RTD Bacardi Originals cocktail range. The variants include the Bacardi Mojito and Cuba Libre, with more cocktail flavours likely to join in due course.
“The general trend towards classic cocktails has returned, with the Mojito rising to be the most frequently-drunk cocktail in the UK among 29-year-old spirit drinkers, with awareness now at over 85%,” says BBF brand manager Nik Krys.
“Cocktails can be time-consuming and complicated. However, because of their popularity, pubs are keen to serve them. For those unable to create cocktails, a cocktail in a bottle, such as in the Bacardi Originals range, offers the perfect solution.”
Smaller producers are also looking to take a piece of this “new” sub-category and the popularity of the Mojito, in particular, has been noticed by others in the market. Nuba Cocktails, created by entrepreneur Victoria Novis, has just launched a range of RTD cocktails in a bottle, with flavours of Cosmopolitan, Mojito and Mai Tai, made using only premium spirits and fresh fruit juices.
“There’s a real gap in the market for superior-quality pre-mixed drinks,” says Novis.
Producer Hi-Spirits also has a presence in this sub-category with its Longshots range under the Antica Sambuca brand, launched early last year. The range includes flavours of Raspberry Refresher (raspberry sambuca and lemon) and Black Bite (black sambuca and lemon).
“The Longshots range allows every outlet to serve sambuca drinks quickly and profitably,” says chairman Jeremy Hill. “RTDs are definitely on their way up again. The 18 to 30-year-old demographic in particular has a wider drinking repertoire than previous generations of drinkers and is looking for new experiences, rather than just sticking to their ‘usual’. It’s important that they ‘get’ new RTD brands straight away, which is why many new products reflect flavours in popular cocktails.”
Hill has confidence the cocktail sub-segment of RTDs will be a driving force in moving the category forwards. “We think RTDs will continue to grow for the foreseeable future,” he says. “There is still substantial potential for the category as a convenient alternative to making cocktails to order.”
Fruity innovations
One producer that openly admits to following major drinks crazes with its own innovative interpretation is the RTD brand VK from Global Brands. As a result of the surge in popularity for mixed berry drinks in the cider category and also pear ciders, the company brought out VK Cheeky (a bottled version of the on-trade craze for the Cheeky V cocktail), and VK Pear respectively. Equally, to cash in on the rise of cocktail RTDs and the demand for classic cocktail flavours, the producer now has its own Mojito offering — the VK Mojito.
“I don’t believe RTD brands have an average lifespan,” says VK brand manager Kate Hodson. “The successful RTD brands are the ones that continue to invest in the product and adapt with their target consumers and the market in general.”
This year, says Hodson, the company is investing more money than ever before and its Make A VKend Of It campaign will continue to target consumers through a social media campaign, music festival sponsorships and promotional activity.
WKD support
Another RTD brand that traditionally has a strong marketing support package is Beverage Brands’ WKD. The company says it has held its level of support with marketing for 2011, equating to £30m for the year, and this will include more than 40,000 WKD-related activities.
So far WKD has veered away from cocktails, preferring instead to stick to other forms of innovation. From this month the latest variant, WKD Purple, will be rolled out as a limited edition for a six-month period.
“Cocktail RTDs aren’t yet driving much volume in the market but they are a positive move and they are likely to bring new drinkers into the category,” says marketing director Debs Carter. “We welcome this kind of innovation into the category and it should bring flavours to bars that want ways of improving their speed of serve.”
Carter predicts that the RTD category’s volume decline (currently at 6.4% in the on-trade, according to CGA MAT data to 25 December 2010) will stabilise and gradually move into growth, led by innovation.
Another brand to carve out a loyal following in the RTD category is Diageo’s Smirnoff Ice, which together with WKD, makes up more than 50% of the total RTD category.
Like WKD, Diageo has no immediate plans to move into cocktail RTDs.
“It is early days to say whether cocktail-based drinks are drawing in consumers,” says commercial planning and activation manager for Smirnoff Ice, Clare Moscrop. “However, they provide a perfectly served drink, which is quick and easy for bartenders to prepare, so they are likely to do well.”
Harnessing Mojito madness
There’s pressure on the Mojito now to drive growth in the on-trade, with three RTD producers showing their faith in the popularity of this classic drink. But do they all have something to offer Mojito fans, or will one outshine the rest?
Bacardi’s Mojito is made from Bacardi Superior Rum with soda, mint and lime and has an ABV of 5.4%. It is aimed specifically at men aged 18 to 24, according to the company, and is positioned as a “refreshing alternative” to beer.
“With sales of Mojitos increasing by 60% in the past two years, BBF is confident there is life in the RTD category yet,” says BBF brand manager Nik Krys.
In contrast, the Mojito drink from Nuba Cocktails is much stronger — with an ABV of 7% — but, says Victoria Novis, brainchild of Nuba, this is lower than the alcohol content in freshly-made cocktails. So far she has been “overwhelmed with positive feedback” about the drink.
Meanwhile, VK’s Mojito, at 4% ABV and made with Caribbean rum, has been on the market since 2008. New Mojito rival variants could reinvigorate the brand’s fortunes but VK is also tapping into the 18 to 24-year-old market, so competition could be fierce.
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Ready-to-drink cocktails from Nuba
Angela Frewin
Wednesday 27 April 2011 17:59
Product Nuba Cocktails
USP These ready-to-drink cocktails in a bottle are ideal for busy venues, outlets that want to introduce cocktails without investing in staff training, hotel minibars, airline and event catering, and concert venues.
Details Made to traditional recipes from premium spirits and fresh fruit juices without any artificial colours, flavours or preservatives, the drinks have a lower alcohol content (of 7% abv) than freshly made cocktails.
Flavours Three: Cosmopolitan (vodka, triple sec, and cranberry and lime juice); Mojito (light rum, sugar, lime juice and mint); and Mai Tai (golden rum, triple sec, lime juice and orgeat syrup)
How supplied Cases of 24 x 200ml
Price £25.99 per case
Supplier Nuba Cocktails 0845 807 666
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NUBA COCKTAIL BOTTLES LAUNCH INTO THE READY-TO-DRINK MARKET
May 26th, 2011
Nuba Cocktails are launching a range of ready to drink cocktails in a bottle.
Designed to appeal both retail and the bar, pub, restaurant & hotel industry, Nuba Cocktails are made using premium spirits and fresh fruit juices.
The cocktails are available in three flavours – Cosmopolitan, Mojito and Mai Tai – and are based on traditional recipes claiming to have the same depth and complexity of flavour as freshly made versions.
Furthermore, they do not contain any artificial colours, flavours or preservatives.
The bottles have been designed to give off a stylish image and are 200ml each, the equivalent to one single serving.
Nuba Cocktails are aimed at what the brand describes as the more discerning drinker and for ‘on-trade’ establishments with busy peak hours and for venues that don’t yet have a cocktail list but are keen to introduce one without having to invest in costly staff training.
They are also hoping to appeal to the ‘off-trade’ keen to offer a premium ready to drink cocktail choice for consumers.
Nuba Cocktails, which are made in the UK, are also pushing themselves as an option for hotel mini-bars, airline catering, event catering and concert venues.
Nuba Cocktails is the brainchild of North West Entrepreneur Victoria Novis.
Victoria commented: “I wanted to create a high-end range of bottled cocktails.
“There’s a real gap in the market for superior quality pre-mixed drinks and we use only the finest ingredients that you’d find in freshly made cocktails.
“We put our cocktails to the test against freshly-made versions made by professional mixologists serving in award-winning cocktail bars and we were overwhelmed with positive feedback.”
In an effort to help promote responsible drinking, Nuba Cocktails have lower alcohol content than freshly-made cocktails at 7% ABV and are served in 200ml bottles.
Nuba Cocktails RSP is £3.60, they are available to purchase for trade in cases of 24.
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Off Licence News – The Voice Of Drinks Retailing
Nuba aims to shake up cocktail market
Published: 18 March, 2011
A new ready-to-drink cocktail range is aiming to take the category upmarket.?Nuba Cocktails come from Euphoria Cocktails, founded by managing partner Victoria Novis, a former accountant.?The cocktails come in Cosmopolitan, Mojito and Mai Tai varieties with an abv of 7%. Each 20cl bottle has an rrp of £3.60.
The UK-made drinks are free from artificial colours, flavours or preservatives.?Novis said: “Nuba Cocktails took nearly a year to develop and I worked with a number of professional mixologists in that time to fine-tune the recipes to ensure they tasted as close to the fresh versions as possible.?“We put our cocktails to the test against freshly-made versions made by professional mixologists serving in award-winning cocktail bars and we were overwhelmed with positive feedback.”
© Agile Media Ltd 2011. All Rights Reserved. Registered Office: Zurich House, East Park, Crawley, West Sussex RH10 6AS. Registered in England No. 6646125.VAT No. 938 4452 95
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The Grocer 4 June 2011
Nuba Cocktails seek supermarket Listings
Premium pre-mixed cocktail brand Nuba which was rolled out to bars and clubs in March is seeking supermarket listings.
The line-up comprises Cosmopolitan, Mojito and Mai Tai variants and is sold in 200ml bottles, which sets it apart from other pre-mixed cocktails on supermarket shelves, according to brand creator Victoria Novis. “There are similar products sold in supermarkets but people don’t always want to buy a whole litre or 70cl,” she said.
Novis added that the 7% abv range was designed to fill a gap in the market for quality pre-mixed cocktails. “They are based on traditional recipes,” she said, “ensuring they have the same depth and complexity as freshly made versions.”
The bottles sell for £3.60 in the on-trade, and Novis is expecting an off-trade rsp of between £2 and £2.50.
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Manchester Evening News
Victoria launches cocktails in a bottle
April 12, 2011
A former personal tax adviser is shaking things up after quitting her job to launch a range of ready-to-drink cocktails in a bottle.
Victoria Novis’s Nuba Cocktails are aimed at retailers and bars, pubs, restaurants and hotels.
She has already been selected by events company Ampersand to supply cocktails for London Zoo’s late night openings throughout the summer and has received interest from the drinks industry including distributors.
Nuba Cocktails are based on traditional recipes using spirits and fresh fruit juices but contain no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives. Each 200ml bottle, which is the equivalent to a single serving, contains seven per cent alcohol.
Victoria, whose company Euphoria Cocktails, is based in Manchester’s Northern Quarter, said she spotted a gap in the market for bottled cocktails aimed at women who want more than just a beer or alcopop.
She said: “As a woman who doesn’t drink beer, the only options left when out in bars and clubs are usually an uninspiring range of wine and spirits.
“Furthermore, when you find a bar that serves cocktails, there are long queues and the drinks are prohibitively expensive.”
Victoria,27, quit her job as a personal tax adviser at KPMG in Manchester to concentrate on her venture. The range took a year to develop and Victoria received financial support from her family to launch her products.
“I worked with a number of professional mixologists to fine tune the recipes to ensure they tasted as close to the fresh versions as possible,” she said.
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Written by Fiona Briggs
Nuba Cocktails, the brainchild of north west entrepreneur Victoria Novis, is targeting the retail, bar, pub, hotel and restaurant trade with its new range of ready-to-drink cocktails in a bottle.
They are available in three flavours – Cosmopolitan, Mojito and Mai Tai. According to the company, the cocktails are made using premium spirits and fresh fruit juices with no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives. They are available in 200ml bottles, equivalent to one serving.
The company claims the Nuba Cocktails are ideal for on-trade locations with busy peak hours and for venues that don’t have a cocktail list but are keen to introduce one without having to invest in costly staff training.
They are also ideal for the off-trade retailers, keen to offer a premium ready to drink cocktail choice for consumers, it says. Made in the UK, the cocktails are also a great option for hotel mini-bars, airline catering, event catering and concert venues, adds the company.
Novis said: ”I wanted to create a high-end range of bottled cocktails. There’s a real gap in the market for superior quality pre-mixed drinks and we use only the finest ingredients that you’d find in freshly made cocktails. We put our cocktails to the test against freshly-made versions made by professional mixologists serving in award-winning cocktail bars and we were overwhelmed with positive feedback.”
Nuba Cocktails have a 7% ABV and are available in trade cases of 24. Rrp is £3.60.
Read the original article here