MARKETING: New Products

Take-Away 2: Off-trade launch for C2, the mid-strength lager from Carling, aimed at busy beer drinkers

Product name: Carling C2
Contact details: Coors Brewers, 0128 351 1000
Building on its success in the on-trade, Carling’s mid-strength offering, C2, has now been launched in the off-trade. The 2% abv lager is now available to retailers in 4-packs of 500ml cans (with an introductory rrp of £2.99 until Christmas, and £3.49 thereafter), and will be supported by a £2 million launch. Carling C2 is based on the idea that people are busier and require products that allow them to combine socialising with other occasions. The lager is the result of eight years of research and 786 recipes, culminating in a beer that “is brewed to taste great at 2% abv”, according to marketing director Tom Feinson. The launch will include an on-pack money-back guarantee, as well as outdoor advertising and sampling activity.

Product name: Bella Tavola
Contact details: Gruppo Coltiva, +39 059 413 411
Bella Tavola is an innovative range of Italian wines from Gruppo Coltiva. The distinctive 1-litre carafe bottle shape is not only striking, but has a practical function as well, making the bottle more stable, as well as easier to hold when pouring. The range, in addition to a red and white table wine, offers examples of the most significant Italian areas, including a Piedmont Barbera, Veneto Merlot, and a Sicilian Nero d’Avola. All the wines are bottled in clear glass, with resealable screw caps.

Product name: Cocaine
Contact details: Redux Beverages, sales@drinkcocaine.com

With claims of having 350% more energy content than Red Bull, as well as assertions that even the drink’s name is likely to induce an “energy buzz”, last month’s launch of Cocaine in the US was certainly controversial. In addition to including caffeine, taurine and gaurana, the drink’s manufacturers, Redux Beverages, claims that the use of simple sugars enhances the energising effect of the drink, as well as being less harmful than high-fructose corn syrup. In addition to associating itself with celebrities such as Mary J Blige, the Las Vegas-based brand’s marketing includes a myspace page.

Product name: TastingBuddy
Contact details: www.tastingbuddy.com, 0148 373 0023
Wine tasting has finally turned high-tech with Systeme Ouvert Solutions’ launch of TastingBuddy last month. Running on Microsoft-based mobile phones or PDAs, the software allows wine tasters to take electronic notes that are later uploaded to a personal online database, making them easy to edit, sort and share with others. TastingBuddy is targeted at professionals and enthusiasts alike, and features two operating modes. The freestyle mode is most suited to professionals, while the analytical mode, which prompts the user, is better suited to enthusiasts. The service is subscription-based, (£40 per year, or £30 for members of the trade), but the company provides a free 30-day trial.

Product name: Vinig-Couture Vinegars
Contact details: Chris Hogg, Hamstead Brewing Centre, 0121 358 6800

The Hamstead Brewing Centre of Great Barr in Birmingham has launched a range of naturally fermented vinegars called Vinig-Couture. The range currently comprises 10 flavours, including cider, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, mead and blackcurrant (with RRPs ranging between £1.99 and £4.99, depending on variety). The company, a producer of cider under the brand name WobblyGob, and a fruit wine range called Beacon Valley, makes as much use of its own drinks and locally sourced fruit as possible when producing these vinegars.There are plans to expand the range to over 20 varieties in the next year.

Product name: Fuller’s Vintage Ale 2006
Contact details: Fuller’s, 020 8996 2000
For the past 10 years, the onset of autumn has meant the arrival of Fuller’s Vintage Ale, the highly acclaimed 8.5% abv beer. The limited-edition ale is produced from the best Fuggles and Super Styrian hops, floor-malted Optic malt and Fuller’s unique yeast. Fuller’s managing director, John Roberts, came up with the idea for the vintage ale in 1996, together with former head brewer, Reg Drury. “Neither of us could have imagined the impact it would have on beer drinkers worldwide,” he says. The ale is bottle-conditioned, meaning that it develops with time. Individually boxed and numbered bottles are available in Waitrose, or the shop at Fuller’s Griffin Brewery in London, where previous vintages are also available. Each 500ml bottle of the 2006 vintage sells for about £2.99.

Product name: Rires & Sourires
Contact details: Moreno Wines, 020 8960 7161
Rires & Sourires (Smiles and Laughter) is a rosé from French winemaker Irène Tolleret. The wine, made at the Mas d’Auzières winery in the Coteaux du Languedoc, consists of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre. Tolleret explains, “With this rosé we wanted to do a really friendly wine.” The Mas d’Auzières is located north of Montpellier, including over nine hectares of vineyard, surrounded by garrigue and pine groves. The launch of this rosé in the UK by Moreno Wines follows the introduction of Tolleret’s two reds, Les Eclats and Le Bois de Perie. Rires & Sourires has an rrp of £10.99.

Product name: Glenmorangie Margaux Cask Finish Vintage 1987
Contact details: Moët Hennessy, 020 7235 9411
Last month saw the launch of an exclusive whisky from Glenmorangie, Margaux Cask Finish Vintage 1987. After maturing in ex-Bourbon casks for 16 years, this whisky was aged for a further two years in casks that previously held wine from vineyards in Margaux, France. For the whisky’s launch, Glenmorangie teamed up with Michelin-starred chef Tom Aikens, to highlight the French influence on this distinctive Scotch. Fewer than 800 bottles will be available for purchase in the UK (from Harrods, Selfridges and independent specialists, with an RRP of £220). Each is presented in a display case on a black plinth, hand-numbered and signed by Glenmorangie’s master distiller, Dr Bill Lumsden.

Product name: Voyant Chai
Contact details: Outin Drinks, 0870 7040110
The world’s first real tea-based cream liqueur was recently launched in the UK, following rapid success in the US. Voyant Chai is made from four-year-old Virgin Island rum, premium vodka, Dutch cream, black tea, and a blend of spices used to make chai tea. Using no artificial flavourings, the spices include vanilla, anise, cloves and cinnamon. The liqueur has a lower cream content than many other cream liqueurs, making it a lighter drink. It has an ABV of 12.5%, and an RRP of £12 for a 750ml bottle. A new company, Outin Drinks, is the sole distributor for Voyant in the UK.

Product name: Chileno
Contact details: PLB, 01342 318282
This year’s Chile tasting provided an opportunity for Chileno to show off its new look. The brand, a joint venture between Viña Ventisquero and PLB, now has updated packaging for its entry-level tier (RRP £4.79). Various modifications have been made to the label and distinctive “C” logo, with some aspects placing greater emphasis on the brand’s Aztec ethos. The range will now make use of screwcap closures, colour-coded for red, white and rosé wines. In addition, the Sauvignon Blanc will now be packaged in a clear glass bottle.

Product name: Peroni Nastro Azzurro Limited Edition four-pack
Contact details: Miller Brands UK Customer Service, 01483 264118
As an extension of the La Dolce Vita campaign, premium Italian beer, Peroni, has launched a range of four limited-edition packagings for the off-trade. The collectable four-packs feature photography by Tom Stoddart of Peroni’s tribute to Federico Fellini’s 1960 film that established Italy as an authority in effortless style. The four-pack, available from next month, has an rrp of £3.94. The SABMiller-owned brand continues to be the number-one imported Italian lager in the UK.

Product name: James White Organic Beetroot Juice
Contact details: James White Drinks, 01473 890 111
The new superveg is beetroot, according to James White. As the popularity of superfruits continues its inexorable rise, fruit drink producer James White has diversified into vegetable juice production. The British-grown vegetable is said to have a blood-cleansing effect that assists with healthy liver function, as well as having rich antioxidant, silicon and folic acid content. The company has plans to introduce an organic carrot juice, as well as an organic vegetable juice. The juice, available since last month in Waitrose, is packaged in 25cl and 75cl glass bottles, with an rrp of £2.59 for the 75cl format.