Dive Brief:
- Molson Coors is doubling down on its nonalcoholic portfolio by expanding distribution of some of its booze-free beers nationwide next year.
- The beer giant is preparing for a nationwide rollout of the newly launched Coors 0.0 and will broaden availability of Naked Life, a nonalcoholic canned cocktail. A nonalcoholic version of Leinenkugel's Summer Shandy will also be rolled out in select markets.
- The Coors Light maker said the expansion gives consumers more choice in their beverages, “whether they’re choosing beer, non-alc beer or something beyond beer.”
Dive Insight:
Molson Coors has been broadening its portfolio “beyond beer” for years as moderating alcohol consumption becomes the new norm.
Molson Coors’ nonalcoholic beer portfolio also includes Blue Moon Non-Alcoholic, Peroni 0.0 and Coors Edge.
Despite these additions, Molson Coors is still investing in its beer portfolio and has looked to expand in RTD cocktails, recently purchasing Monaco Cocktails. The beverage giant said in a statement that it has set its sights on “scaling the right brands.”
Coors 0.0, which launched in the Northeast in May, has become the No. 1 nonalcoholic beer innovation by volume sales, according to Circana data cited by Molson Coors. The company plans to further bolster the rollout with partnerships, media campaigns and retail activations.
Molson Coors brought Australian nonalcoholic cocktail brand Naked Life to the U.S. last year and saw “encouraging momentum” for the brand. Naked Life has 5 calories and no sugar, which the company said makes it “built for this moment” as more consumers cut back on alcohol and sugar consumption.
“The distributors who evolve to compete at the highest levels in both alcohol and non-alc won't have gotten lucky,” Kevin Nitz, vice president of non-alc for Molson Coors, said in a statement. “They'll have decided – maybe on a day like today – that they aren't just beer distributors anymore. They’re total beverage distributors.”
