Monster Energy expands further into alcohol with Nasty Beast

Monster Energy has plans to launch a second alcoholic drinks line, entering the hard iced tea category with a brand named Nasty Beast.

The launch of Nasty Beast follows the energy drinks company’s debut of its carbonated “malt alcohol” variant named The Beast Unleashed which it released in 2023.

Speaking to investors this week, Monster Energy co-CEO Rodney Sacks revealed that its new 6% ABV hard tea drinks line Nasty Beast will be available in 12 fl oz cans in the flavours: Original, Tea and Lemonade, Peach and Green Tea.

Just like The Beast Unleashed, Nasty Beast will be distributed by CANarchy Craft Brewing, which Monster acquired for US$330 million back in 2022.

According to a presentation by the company, The Beast Unleashed was flagged as the best-selling new brand in the beer space last year with more than US$87 million in sales.

Monster has spent the last two years growing its presence beyond energy drinks, particularly in the alcohol space after it acquired CANarchy, a craft beer and hard seltzer business which owns several breweries including Oskar Blues and Deep Ellum Brewing Company.

A move that Monster’s co-CEO Hilton Schlosberg said would give his company the needed infrastructure to manufacture and distribute alcoholic products.

Historically, Monster’s energy drinks were only sold within the soft drink category, however Nasty Beast will now reportedly compete with other prominent hard tea offerings.

According to FoodDive citing statistics and projections on the hard tea category from Grand View Research, the global hard tea sector was valued at US$2 billion in 2021 and is forecast to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 24.7% through to 2030.

Monster’s new Nasty Beast brand will use the catchlines: “Brewed hard to…party harder” and “Are you ready to get Nasty?