Many new beverage-alcohol products on display at the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) trade show earlier this month in Las Vegas “[f]ocused on premiumization, convenience, betterment and enhanced flavor profiles,” according to Goldman Sachs senior equity research analyst Bonnie Herzog.
Beer companies on the floor at the trade show included Anheuser-Busch InBev, Molson Coors Beverage Company, Constellation Brands, Boston Beer Company, Mark Anthony Brands, CANarchy Craft Brewery Collective, Pabst Brewing, Geloso Beverage Group, and Founders Brewing.
Previous Brewbound and BevNET coverage of products introduced at the NACS trade show can be found here:
- Monster’s The Beast Unleashed to Roll Out January 2023
- NACS 2022: Tropical Wave Hits Flavor Innovations; Premium Water Brands Boom
- Liquid Death to Launch Iced Teas, Begin Shift to U.S. Production in 2023
Constellation Brands’ Innovations Include Modelo Oro and Fresca Mixed
Constellation Brands’ booth highlighted some of the company’s new products, including Modelo Oro and Fresca Mixed, a spirits-based, ready-to-drink (RTD) canned cocktail that the company makes through a licensing deal with Coca-Cola.
Fresca Mixed Vodka Spritz, a vodka-based canned RTD, will be available in March and sold in variety 8-packs. The line features four flavors: Original Grapefruit Citrus, Mixed Berry Citrus, Pineapple Citrus and Mango Citrus. All check in at 5% ABV and 100 calories, with 0 grams of sugar. The Fresca Mixed family also includes Tequila Paloma, which is sold in 12 oz. can 4-packs and features the same specs as its vodka-based siblings.
The company debuted Modelo Oro in test markets in March and announced it had greenlit the brand for nationwide distribution in July. Modelo Oro will roll out in 12-packs of 12 oz. slim cans and 24 oz. single-serve cans.
With 90 calories, 4% ABV and 3 grams of carbohydrates, Modelo Oro has specs similar to A-B’s Michelob Ultra, the third-best selling beer in the country behind Modelo Especial and Bud Light.
About 65% of Constellation’s sales in c-stores come from single-serve cans, Herzog noted, who wrote she was “once again impressed by STZ’s very full pipeline of innovation.”
Other Modelo family innovations include:
- Modelo Spiked Aguas Frescas, 4.5% ABV flavored malt beverages (FMBs) that contain real fruit juice and are available in four flavors: Watermelon, Pineapple, Hibiscus, and Cucumber Lime. With this product, the company is aiming for drinkers aged 21-39 and hoping to ship 10 million cases in its first three years, Herzog wrote.
- Modelo Ranch Water, which launched in Texas and New Mexico earlier this year, will expand to Idaho and Montana in March.
- Modelo Chelada Sandia Picante (3.5% ABV), a spicy watermelon-flavored, michelada-style beer will join the Modelo Chelada family.
Constellation is also adding a non-alcoholic beer offering to the Corona brand family in March and will refresh packaging for the Corona Refresca family, as well as add two new flavors (Mango and Tropical Punch).
A-B Pushing NUTRL Vodka Seltzer
A-B is “putting more resources behind innovation this year than they did last year,” the Goldman team wrote.
New products A-B highlighted included a cranberry-flavored variety pack from NUTRL, its vodka-based RTD brand.NUTRL is also available in a fruited vodka seltzer variety pack and a vodka lemonade variety pack.
A-B has plans to introduce both NUTRL and Cutwater Spirits worldwide, according to Goldman.
The Bud Light Seltzer family continues to expand with fruit-forward innovations, including a sangria-flavored variety pack and an apple-flavored variety pack, Bud Light Seltzer Apple Slices. Both are 5% ABV.
Year-to-date through October 2, dollar sales of the Bud Light Seltzer brand family have declined -18.1% at off-premise retail outlets tracked by market research firm IRI.
Boston Beer Big on Truly Vodka Seltzer; New Jim Beam-Branded FMBs Coming
Boston Beer’s booth included innovation products from nearly all brands under the company’s umbrella except for Twisted Tea, which Herzog noted was highlighted at last year’s NACS Show.
“The de-emphasis makes sense given the company’s desire to showcase Boston Beer as a whole,” she wrote. “However, it also suggests Twisted’s runway may have peaked in the c-store channel, which is the focus of the NACS event.”
The company’s “big push” was behind Truly Vodka Seltzer, a 5% ABV spirits-based RTD now available nationwide that contains 110 calories and 2 grams of sugar intended to compete with E. & J. Gallo Winery’s High Noon Sun Sips.
Truly’s sugar-brew flavors were recently reformulated to include real fruit juice, but samples were not featured at the show, which “surprised” the Goldman team.
Boston Beer also debuted Jim Beam Kentucky Coolers, a new FMB family born out of the company’s JV with Beam Suntory (5% ABV, 120 calories). The new FMB is available in Strawberry Punch and Black Cherry Lemonade. Ostensibly, it will compete with Jack Daniels Country Cocktails, which Pabst produces under a licensing agreement with Brown-Forman.
Other innovation products on offer at the company’s NACS booth included the Dogfish Head Barcart Variety Pack (7% ABV spirits-based RTDs in Lemon & Lime Gin Crush, Blood Orange & Mango Vodka Crush, Strawberry & Honeyberry Vodka Lemonade, and Blueberry Shrub Vodka Soda) and Samuel Adams Wicked Double Hazy Juicy Double NEIPA (8.3% ABV).
Simply Spiked and Topo Chico Highlighted at Molson Coors’ Booth
At Molson Coors’ booth, Topo Chico Hard Seltzer and Simply Spiked were given prime real estate with dedicated bars flanking the central bar featuring the company’s offerings.
“While we noted a good display of TAP’s core beer brands (like Miller Lite and Coors Light) at the central bar, the kiosk set up served to emphasize the importance of emerging growth products to TAP’s revitalization ambitions,” Goldman worte. “Expanding beyond beer is one of TAP’s three key priorities. The other two are to continue to invest behind its core beer brands and to aggressively pursue above premium.”
The Goldman team reported “the most amount of interest” was focused on Simply Spiked, which Molson Coors launched earlier this summer through a licensing agreement with Coca-Cola. The 5% ABV FMB will launch two new flavors in time for Spring 2023 resets: Kiwi Peach and Strawberry Peach. Simply Spiked has already captured 3.5% of FMB dollar sales, Goldman noted.
Geloso’s Twisted Tea Challenger, Buzz Tea
Wine and flavored malt beverage (FMB) maker Geloso showcased Buzz Tea, a 6.5% ABV hard tea intended to compete with Boston Beer’s Twisted Tea. Buzz Tea’s three flavors (Original, Peach and Half & Half) are available in 12 oz. variety 12-packs and single-serve 24 oz. cans.
Founders Brewing Embracing 19.2 Oz. Cans
Founders Brewing showcased its 19.2 oz. single-serve can lineup:
- All Day IPA, 4.7% ABV;
- 4 Giants IPA, 9.2% ABV;
- And new 4 Giants Tropical Treasures IPA (7.5% ABV).
Founders is wise to offer the packaging format, as 19.2 oz. single-serve cans have increased dollar sales +55.4% year-to-date through October 1, according to NielsenIQ data shared by Bump Williams Consulting. The format now accounts for nearly 5% of craft off-premise dollars.
The Grand Rapids, Michigan-based brewery is also releasing 16 oz. 4-packs of All Day IPA for c-stores, which will be priced at $8. New All Day seasonal variant, All Day Chill Day Session Cold IPA (4.8% ABV), was available at the booth. It is sold on draft, in 12 oz. 15-packs and 16 oz. 4-packs from September through November.