Kopparberg has added an alcohol-free version of its Mixed Fruit Tropical flavour.
The 0.05% abv drink would respond to “growing consumer appetite” for more virtuous options, after the flavour first rolled out as a limited-edition cider last summer, said Kopparberg.
“With the liquid’s fruity flavour matched only by its eclectic can design, Mixed Fruit Tropical Alcohol-Free will certainly drive further choice for consumers during a month where many are looking to consume less alcohol than usual,” said the brand.
It is suitable for vegans and has rolled into Asda and Tesco (rsp: £3/4x330ml).
The flavour had “risen from a limited-edition summer launch to become a permanent fixture in only seven months”, meaning it made “perfect sense” to roll out an alcohol-free version, said Kopparberg head of marketing Rob Salvesen.
Indeed, sales of the Mixed Fruit Tropical flavour full-strength cider hit £7.8m in 2021, NielsenIQ data reveals – making it the 29th biggest cider product, and with less than a year on the market [52 w/e 11 September 2021].
It’s the latest in a series of launches from the cidermaker, which has been trigger-happy when it comes to NPD over past years. 2021 alone saw it move into flavoured vodkas with a trio of spirits (having already played in rum and gin for some time), and add a new Passionfruit & Orange flavour to its cider lineup.
However while sales of Mixed Fruit Tropical surged in 2021, its other frontrunners did not have as easy a time in the mults: its two biggest flavours, Strawberry & Lime and its core Mixed Fruit flavour, saw their sales fall by £6.8m (8.9%) and £11.2m (15.3%) respectively [NielsenIQ].
William Reed – the publisher of The Grocer – runs a trade show exclusively for the low & non-alcoholic drinks industry. For more information visit low2nobev.com
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