After more than a year under the wing of Molson Coors, spirits-based, ready-to-drink canned cocktail maker Superbird will leave the nest as Molson Coors hands the reins to the brand’s distribution efforts back to its parent company, Casa Komos Brands Group (CKBG).
News of the move comes as Molson Coors also acquires a minority stake in the New York City-based company, which also produces Tequila Komos.
“Over the past two years we have worked closely with the Superbird team to help expand the brand and now we’re focused on what’s next,” Molson Coors president of emerging growth Pete said in a press release. “CKBG is having great success with Komos, their ultra-premium tequila brand, so it strategically makes sense for them to drive further growth within their portfolio of tequila offerings. We are excited to continue to be a partner with them and their portfolio of brands with a minority stake in the company.”
The Molson Coors and Superbird partnership was announced in January 2021, six months after the RTD brand’s launch. At the time, Superbird was in four states. Through its partnership with the country’s second largest beer manufacturer, it is now in 24 states.
Superbird offers RTD Palomas – a Mexican cocktail made from tequila, grapefruit juice, soda and lime juice – in two varieties: Superbird Pink Grapefruit (5.9% ABV) and Superbird Free (5% ABV), which each check in at 95 calories and contains 0 grams of carbohydrates and sugar.
“We’re grateful for the opportunity to have incubated Superbird through Molson Coors and we look forward to having CKBG continue to grow the brand’s presence across the U.S. and international markets,” CKBG co-founder and CEO Richard Betts said in the release.
CKBG has gained another investor in E. & J. Gallo, which made a “strategic investment” in the company’s Tequila Komos brand through its Spirits of Gallo investment arm, the company announced last week.
The investment in Superbird gives Molson Coors a toehold in the RTD canned cocktail segment, which has increased off-premise sales by +5.7% during the week ending August 7 compared to the same period last year, according to market research firm IRI. Superbird’s tequila base is also on trend, as the agave spirit has increased dollar sales by +9% during the same period, giving it the “strongest growth among core segments,” IRI beverage-alcohol vertical EVP Scott Scanlon wrote in a recent report.
Anheuser-Busch InBev’s Cutwater Spirits has become a major player in the segment, growing sales +67.7% at multi-outlet food and convenience stores for the week ending August 7.