Molson Coors has launched a new Beverage Hub, a dedicated team to support its growing portfolio of brands in emerging categories.
The 15-strong team will focus on building partnerships with new brands in sectors such as Ready-to-Drink (RTD), adult soft drinks, and premium spirits, and promoting them through both retail and hospitality channels.
Molson Coors has also announced exclusive distribution partnerships with three emerging drinks companieswithin these categories: Jimmy’s Iced Coffee, Lixir Drinks, and Southwestern Distillery, producer of Tarquin’s Gin and Twin Fin Rum.
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The move comes in the wake of Molson Coors’ 2019 rebrand as Molson Coors Beverage Company, as the supplier looks to broaden its drinks portfolio beyond beer and cider.
Jack Daniel, beverages director at Molson Coors in Western Europe, said: “The creation of the Beverage Hub is our response to the growing number of consumers reaching for ready-to-drink options, premium spirits and aspirational adult soft drinks and opening up those growth opportunities for our customers. Our latest partnerships are with brands that have great tasting products and founders who have fantastic stories to share that underpin truly distinctive brands.
It‘s the next phase of our already established wholesale offer to the independent on-trade, where we provide a range of beverages outside our own beer and cider heartlands. Through the Beverage Hub we now have the capability to bring a wider offer to our managed retail and off-trade customers as well.”
Jimmy’s Iced Coffee
Jimmy’s Iced Coffee range includes Original and Mocha flavours in 250ml, as well as an Ice Flat White range in Oat, Skinny and Extra Shot varieties, also in 250ml cans.
Molson Coors is also distributing Jimmy’s Coffee Cola, available in a 275ml glass bottle.
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Commenting on the partnership, Jimmy’s co-founder Jim Cregan said: “It gives us the chance to reach places, fridges and people we’ve not been able to due to our limited resources as a small business.
“This will help us to properly expand our presence in the convenience sector, the on-trade, and to expand our distribution in the retail game. It also allows us to further explore export too, which as always been a dream for us.”
Lixir Drinks
Lixir Drinks is a premium tonic water and mixer brand, which will be released in the UK this year after a successful trial in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland last year.
The company’s eight-strong range includes the following drinks: tonic waters Rhubarb & Ginger, Elderflower & Lemon, and Blood Orange & Cinnamon, as well as Classic Indian, and Refreshingly Light tonic water, alongside Ginger Beer, Ginger Ale and Soda Water.
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Co-founder Matt Mahatme said: “When we established the company back in 2018, our aim as bartenders was to create a range of premium mixers with a more informal, unexpected personality and that only used natural ingredients.
“Since then, we have brought eight new exciting mixers to the market and we’re really looking forward to introducing more consumers to our product range, which are big on flavour, low in calories and contain absolutely no artificial ingredients.”
Southwestern Distillery
Tarquin’s Gin producer Southwestern Distillery has already collaborated with Molson Coors’ Sharp’s Brewery to develop the limited-edition Tarquin’s Hopster Gin.
The partnership will see Molson Coors look to rollout Padstow-based Southwestern’s Tarquin’s Gin brand, including Cornish Dry Gin, Rhubarb and Raspberry, and British Blackberry flavours, to UK retailers, alongside its new Twin Fin Rum.
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Tarquin Leadbetter, founder of Southwestern Distillery said: “I’ve spent almost a decade building Tarquin’s Gin, from distilling on my cooker at home in 2012, to selling the first batch out of the boot of my car in 2013, we’ve grown to a team of 50 staff to become one of the largest independent family distilleries in the UK in 2021.
“This new distribution will enable us to rollout further into UK retail and expand export beyond our existing 25 international markets.”
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