Two premium brands are being launched this month to tap into the burgeoning market for spirit-flavoured beers.

SHS Drinks is offering an alternative to tequila beers such as Heineken’s Desperados with the bourbon-flavoured Dead Crow and rum-flavoured Cuvana, both aimed at 18-25 year olds.

Although the spirit beer market had seen “staggering” growth in recent years, there had been little choice in spirit flavours, said SHS head of innovation and development Mark Hopper.

“The spirit beer category is very much in its infancy and presents plenty of scope for development,” he said. “Our aim is to accelerate the growth and open up the category by offering different flavour options rather than ‘me-toos’.”

Dead Crow, described as “a light beer with undercurrents of aromatic bourbon”, and Cuvana, which has a light rum and lime flavour, both have an abv of 5.5% and are available in single 330ml bottles and four-packs (rsp: £5.49).

The brands will roll out next week ahead of marketing initially focused on social media, sampling and brand presence at music festivals.

The beers are aimed at “high energy” social occasions, and although positioned as unisex propositions, Dead Crow is expected to be more popular with men, while it is hoped that the sweeter Cuvana could encourage female beer drinkers into the flavoured category.

The flavoured beer market is dominated by Desperados, which saw sales rocket 44.4% last year [Nielsen off-trade 52 w/e 15 September].

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