It sounds wine-based but it's not. Beer meets berries in this bizarre new alcopop


Company: Freshtrade
Rsp: £1.19 per bottle
Market size: £202.4m
Competition: WKD, Red Square Moscow Mule, Bacardi Breezer, Smirnoff Ice


The consumer
This is dangerously easy to drink, and it's not too fizzy. I quite like beer but also have a really sweet tooth so the sweetness of this appealed. However, the name Rosé is misleading because it makes you think it will be wine-based it should be called something like berry beer and the packaging makes it look like an alcopop. The built-in opener make it perfects for picnics. A nice Sunday afternoon drink, particularly with the low abv of 2.9%. Three stars (out of five)
Georgina Robertson, administrator, London


The retailer
This will get lost on shelf as consumers will get confused as to the difference between rosé sparkling wine and traditional already widely available fruit beer. The fruit aspect in a beer, whatever it might be, should serve to complement the underlying base style rather than overpower it. On this occasion it fails to deliver as the sweet berry aroma overpowers the maltiness. Consumers may try it in a deal but I wouldn't expect this drink to have a long shelf life. Two stars
Christopher Higley, ales & cider buyer, Asda


The Grocer
Beer and berry juice doesn't sound a great combination, so it'll need a lot of promotion in the off-trade. The foil around the neck is presumably an effort to make it resemble a beer, but looks a bit tacky. The built-in opener is great and will appeal to its target female audience. It tastes a bit like bubble gum and is quite pleasant to drink, when chilled, although some may find it sickly. I think I'll be sticking to wine but this is an innovative idea nonetheless. Three stars
Catherine Dawes, Focus On features editor

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