Happy Thursday!
No, we haven’t mixed our days up. Happy Thursday is a new spiked refresher from Molson Coors, announced today.
Happy Thursday is a line of 4.4% ABV non-carbonated sugar-based refreshers. The spiked refresher line will launch in March 2024 with four flavors: Passionfruit Mango, Black Cherry, Strawberry and Pineapple Starfruit. All four flavors will be available in a 12 oz. can variety 12-pack. Strawberry will also be available in 16 oz. and 24 oz. cans, and Pineapple Starfruit will be available in 24 oz. cans.
The offering was created with feedback from a panel of legal-drinking-age (LDA) Gen. Z consumers, targeting those who seek “balanced, bright, noncarbonated options” with no “bloating and burning,” according to a company spokesperson.
The latest launch announcement from Molson Coors comes a month after the company’s meeting with distributors in Orlando, Florida, where leadership detailed Molson Coors’ innovation strategy and focus on “fewer, bigger, bolder” brands.
“The Molson Coors innovation strategy is all about focusing on fewer, bigger and bolder bets that push boundaries and put us on the forefront of upcoming trends,” Molson Coors VP of innovation Jamie Wideman-Rotnicki said in a statement shared with Brewbound. “One of those big bold bets is Happy Thursday, Molson Coors’s newest line of non-carbonated spiked refreshers co-created with 21+ Gen. Z consumers.
“We’ve been seeing and hearing directly from Gen Z that they don’t want carbonation,” she continued. “So, together we’ve taken everything the newest legal drinking age consumers love – smooth, flavorful refreshers – and made them spiked, paving the way for a whole new category of alcoholic beverage. With Happy Thursday, it doesn’t matter what day it is, the weekend starts with the first sip.”
Consumers have been making their anti-carbonation opinions known on social media, with hundreds of videos on how to de-carbonate beverages available on platforms such as TikTok. One of the most popular videos, a June 2022 video from TikTok influencer Brooke Lynn, has nearly 84,000 likes.
NOCA Beverages – short for No Carbonated Beverages – launched in 2019, focused on non-carbonated lemonades, iced teas and flavored waters. The Boston-based company has since expanded to more than 20 states, with placements at major retailers including Kroger, Walmart and Albertsons. In the last 52 weeks (ending August 12), NOCA’s dollar sales in NIQ-tracked channels have increased +224.3%, while volume is up 133.7%, according to data shared by 3 Tier Beverages.
And in August, Dunkin’ and Mass. Bay Brewing introduced two of their own spiked refreshers – based on Dunkin’ Refresher flavors Strawberry Dragonfruit and Mango Pineapple – included in the launch of Dunkin’ Spiked hard teas and hard coffees. Mark Anthony Brands also launched its own non-carbonated, flavor-forward bev-alc brand, 2 Hoots Hard Iced Tea, earlier this year.