AB InBev to launch Tequila-flavour beer

Big brewer AB InBev is set to launch a Tequila-flavoured beer in the US to tap into young consumers increasingly interested in the Mexican spirit.

The new brand is to launch in Spring 2015 (Photo: AB InBev)

The new brand, named Oculto, is set to debut in the Spring, and will feature flavourings derived from the tequila-producing blue agave plant.

While it won’t actually have pure Tequila as an ingredient, the alcoholic content will be up to around 6% – much more than the average beer on the US market.

A growing category, Mexican beers are witnessing unprecedented growth in the US, linked with the popularity of other Mexican products such as Tequila and an increasingly hispanic demographic, especially among young consumers.

In 2012 AB InBev also launched Bud Light Lime-a-Rita, a flavoured malt beverage designed to taste like a margarita, that has an 8% alcohol content. It has since rolled out several flavour variations.

The Tequila-flavoured Oculto will feature a label printed directly onto a clear bottle. The name Oculto is etched into a white skull that recalls the style of Mexican “Day of the Dead” art, with the logo turning fluorescent and the skull’s eyes glowing green when the bottle is cold.

Oculto means “hidden” in Spanish, and it is rumoured that each bottle will contain a secret message. Details of the brand’s launch date, marketing campaign and will be announced in the new year.

U.S. sales volumes of spirits have grown at an annual rate of 2.4% over the past five years while beer has fallen 1.2%, according to Euromonitor.