The Virgin Group is set to launch a range of "new age" drinks in the US, five years after it was set up to take on the might of Pepsi and Coca-Cola. The new range will include fruit juices and energy beverages and used as a test bed for a wider roll out of the prducts. The new range was still under wraps as The Grocer went to press, with a Virgin spokeswoman refusing to say if the products would be rolled out worldwide basis. She said further details of the US launch would be made in the next couple of weeks. But she denied it was an attempt by Virgin to back down from the US following reports it had won only 0.1% of the Cola market. In the UK it has also won less than 5% market share, depite a high profile for its curvaceous Pammy' bottle modelled on Baywatch star Pamela Lee Anderson. Virgin boss Sir Richard Branson said: "We have made no pretence that taking on Coke and Pepsi in their home territory would not be a tough uphill battle. "But we are in the soft drinks market for the long term and will continue to challenge both Coke and Pepsi in countries where they operate an unfair duopoly." The US drinks division will now be headed by Bob O' Brien after being poached from Dr Pepper and Seven Up, the US drinks subsidiary of Cadbury Schweppes. O'Brien has moved with the new HQ from Los Angeles to Conneticut where it is near the Virgin Atlantic airline office. The new fruit products are expected to be launched within th next six months, mainly in convenience stores in the north east and on the west coast, where the company already has distributors. l {{NEWS }}

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