Molson Coors Beverage Company is launching Madrí Excepcional 0.0%, a zero-alcohol version of its fast-growing Spanish-style lager.
The alcohol-free variant will be available in 4x330ml glass bottle multipacks and start rolling out in supermarkets and convenience stores across the UK from March, with several listings already secured, including Waitrose.
Sophie Mitchell, Marketing Controller at Madrí Excepcional, said: “Consumers increasingly expect to see no- and low-alcohol versions of their favourite beers. With Madri Excepcional fast becoming the flagship brand in the world beer category, launching 0.0% is a natural evolution for us.
“It means consumers can stick with one of their favourite beers, even when looking to moderate, and enables retailers to better cater for a growing no- and low-alcohol market, while still tapping into the popularity of the Madri Excepcional brand.”
Madrí Excepcional is the sixth-fastest growing of the top 20 lagers in the GB off trade, worth over £123m in retail and growing sales by 9.3% during the last year.
The 0.0% version is created using “cutting-edge technology” to remove the alcohol while retaining its refreshing flavour. The brand pointed to consumer testing, which showed Madrí Excepcional 0.0% was preferred to other zero-alcohol world beers for taste, appearance, aftertaste and mouthfeel.
The rollout will be backed by a multi-million-pound marketing campaign, including advertising, PR, paid social, and a programme of influencer activity. Madrí Excepcional and its alcohol-free variant will both appear in a brand-new TV ad later this year.
