Dive Brief:
- Fire Department Coffee launched a new spirit-infused coffee line, according to Grocery Headquarters.
- The new flavors include Bourbon Infusion, Rum Infusion and Tequila Infusion. "Our Spirit-Infused Coffee is set to redefine coffee innovation across the coffee industry," said Luke Schneider, Fire Department Coffee's co-founder.
- The company said its new line is different than traditional cask barrel aging, relying on a proprietary infusion process.
Dive Insight:
Combining the flavors of coffee and popular spirits appears to be a winning move by Fire Department Coffee as consumers are often drawn to flavor innovations in both segments. It also could attract the millennial crowd, widely coveted by the alcohol industry, who is eager for something new and different than the stodgy coffee their parents used to drink.
The National Coffee Association of America reported 48% of U.S. coffee is perceived by the consumer to be specialty so there’s a strong market for the beverage if it offers more than the typical flavors. Meanwhile, 35% of 18 to 24-year-olds said they drink specialty coffee daily. With Americans consuming an estimated 400 million cups of coffee a day -- odds are most of those drinks include more than just coffee, cream and a few sugars.
Wine-infused coffee has already started to make the rounds, and innovations combining morning beverages with a bit of adult taste could soon be all the rage. For Fire Department Coffee, if their spirit-infused coffee tastes good and is priced right sales of the specialty drink could be on fire.