E-Malt.com News article: United Kingdom: Molson Coors to tempt women by new clear beer

Molson Coors will roll out a clear beer in August as part of its drive to increase the number of women lager drinkers, The Marketing Magazine reported on April, 13.

The bold strategy caps a flurry of activity by brewers as they seek to grow their market share by drawing in new drinkers to the declining on-trade.

The new beer will be more likely sold in a bottle rather than on draught. A survey of 30,000 female drinkers by Molson Coors’ female-oriented Bittersweet Partnership has found that women prefer their drinks in bottles because they offer better protection against having them spiked in bars and pubs.

The product's calorie content will be a key feature of the packaging, as the research identified the perception that beer is calorific as a barrier for women drinkers.

Last year, Molson trialled a clear product flavoured with green tea and dragon fruit that had a similar taste to an alcopop. It is understood that the new product will taste more like a beer.

In a separate development, during National Cask Ale Week, which ran from 29 March to 5 April, brewers, pubs and drinks organisations joined forces to launch a movement called Dea Latis, which aims to ‘bring beer to women'.

The group, named after the Celtic goddess of beer and water, is backed by industry heavyweights including Hein­eken, Wells & Young, Greene King and the Campaign for Real Ale (Camra).

The Dea Latis mission statement says: “What unites us is our passion for beer and a belief that it's far too good to be enjoyed only by men.”

According to the group, in the UK only 13% of beer is drunk by women, a far lower proportion than in the US and most of Europe. It attributes this to misconceptions about beer's calorie content and taste and notes that some women believe it is a ‘man's drink'.

Carlsberg, which is a member of Dea Latis, has made a recent attempt to woo female drinkers, but opted to launch a 100% fruit spritzer drink called Eve instead of a beer. The product, which is 3.1% ABV, will be backed by a £3 mln campaign, it is reported.


14 April, 2010