Vita Coco is the latest non-alcoholic beverage giant to dip its toes into the RTD cocktail space, announcing today a collaboration with spirits conglomerate Diageo to release a line of coconut water spiked with Captain Morgan white rum.
Diageo will produce, distribute and market the new line, dubbed Vita Coco Spiked with Captain Morgan, which is set to launch sometime in 2023 in three SKUs: Piña Colada, Strawberry Daiquiri and Lime Mojito. Each will contain 5% ABV and will be sold in 4-packs of 12 oz. cans for a suggested retail price of $14.99.
According to a press release, all cans of Vita Coco Spiked with Captain Morgan will feature clear symbols indicating the product as for adults only (21+).
“Consumers in tropical regions have been enjoying coconut water as a great-tasting, high quality mixer in their cocktails for generations,” said Mike Kirban, executive chairman and co-founder, The Vita Coco Company, in a statement. “Now that coconut water is becoming a household staple across the United States, we wanted to make creating a delicious cocktail a few steps easier. We’re so excited to partner with Diageo to offer some great, ready-to-drink options featuring the best of both worlds: Vita Coco and Captain Morgan.”
The collaboration arrives as major non-alcoholic beverage companies have developed partnerships with their counterparts in the beverage-alcohol market to create alcoholic products using existing brand trademarks. The Coca-Cola Company has been among the most active: last month, it announced a global partnership with Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey to release a ready-to-drink Jack-and-Coke cocktail. The soda giant has also launched Topo Chico Hard Seltzer and Simply Spiked Lemonade through its partnership with Molson Coors Beverage Company, as well as Fresca Mixed, a spirit-based ready-to-drink cocktail produced and distributed by Constellation Brands. Elsewhere, PepsiCo has similarly aligned with Boston Beer Company for the launch of Hard MTN DEW.
Diageo boasts an extensive portfolio of RTD beverage-alcohol products under brands like Smirnoff, Tanqueray and Gordon’s, among others. The company acquired Rhode Island-based Loyal 9 Cocktails in 2021.
“Cocktail drinkers are looking for convenient ways to enjoy high quality classic tropical drinks, especially rum-based ones,” said Debra Crew, president, Diageo North America. “As we continue expanding our ready-to-drink portfolio, we consider ways to elevate the category, and it just made sense to marry together two premium brands that are loved by consumers around the world.”