USA: MillerCoors trying new Two Hats light beer to lure young adult drinkers

Up against tough competition from liquor and craft brews, MillerCoors is trying yet another new brand in hopes of luring young adult drinkers. A new fruity light beer brand called Two Hats will hit the market early next year in 16-ounce cans, AdAge.com reported on September 7.

The brewer, which announced the launch on September 7 on its corporate blog, describes Two Hats as "line of clean-finishing light beers brewed with a hint of natural fruit flavor" that is aimed at 21-to 24-year olds. The first varieties will come in lime and pineapple. The brand contains 4.2% alcohol-by-volume, which matches the content found in most light beers.

While big brewers once could rely on a core lineup of regular light beers - like Miller Lite, Coors Light and Bud Light - to lure younger drinkers, the approach has become less effective in recent years. As a result, they have flooded the market with a variety of new brands with mixed results. Fruit-flavored beers and malt beverages are now commonplace.

MillerCoors, for instance, last year debuted Henry's Hard Soda in flavors such as ginger ale and orange. Four years earlier the brewer debuted its Redd's Apple Ale line of apple-flavored beer. AB InBev's fruity line-up includes its Best Damn brand of flavored malt beverages, and its Lime-A-Rita malt beverages meant to mimic fruity margarita drinks. But chasing millennial tastes is often like playing a game of whack-a-mole with today's hot brand turning into tomorrow's loser as drinkers chase the next new thing.

The name Two Hats is meant to reference the two hats that young adults wear to balance work and play, while also serving as a nod to the two main product attributes, light beer and fruit, according to a MillerCoors spokesman. The labels appear to borrow imagery from playing cards.

The brand will be sold at an affordable price, according to the brewer.

"We know that people who choose beer when they become of legal drinking age are two times more likely to continue drinking beer throughout their lifetime, and as an organization, we have an opportunity to regain ground with this group," MIllerCoors Chief Marketing Officer David Kroll stated on the MillerCoors blog. Two Hats "is meant to serve as an easy entry point into beer and an introduction to the rest of our portfolio."

07 September, 2017