E-Malt.com News article: World: Carlsberg preparing major focus on no- and low-alcohol beer

Carlsberg is lining up a major focus on “healthy” no- and low-alcohol beer, starting with the launch of new radler-style beer Tourtel Twist in France next year.

The Danish brewer said it has identified a “very big opportunity” for so-called adult soft drinks and will roll out new products across Europe over the next few years. It will also increase the footprint of existing low-alcohol brands such as Nordic Blonde, with an abv of 0.5%, which was released in Denmark this year.

“It will be four-to-five years before it is making the same business impact as cider, craft beer and speciality, but over the medium-term we believe no-alcohol is going to be a much bigger part of the business,” said Graham Fewkes, Carlsberg's head of global sales, marketing & innovation. “It will be something that's genuinely incremental to our business.”

Speaking to journalists in Copenhagen last week, Fewkes said Tourtel Twist will be a “big launch” for the company next year. It will be part of Carlsberg's “natural refreshment” focus, which has already seen success with a range of low-alcohol radler-style releases such as Carlsberg Citrus in the UK.

The other main segment in Carlsberg's no- and low-alcohol focus is “alcohol replacement” products for consumers who enjoy the taste of beer, but do not want alcohol. Fewkes said the company has had a “big breakthrough” in taste quality for no- and low-alcohol beers. Nordic Blonde is brewed using a process that adds back in the hops taste after the alcohol has been removed.

“It has changed our whole approach to liquid development,” Fewkes said.

Carlsberg is well-placed to lead a ramp-up in no- and low-alcohol beers as it is already the global leader in the category because of brands in Russia. It is also a major bottler for The Coca-Cola Co and PepsiCo in Scandinavia and has seen the soft drinks category impacted by health concerns over sugar.

Asked if declines for carbonated soft drinks in mature markets led to Carlsberg's new focus on health and wellness, Fewkes said: “It's certainly one element. The opportunity is there for natural health offerings, which drinks brewed from grains certainly are. They have much lower calorie levels than you get from normal soft drinks.”

Fewkes added that soft drinks “will remain an important part of the business as well”.

Speaking at the same event, Carlsberg CEO Jørgen Buhl Rasmussen said it is “hard to see” a quick solution to the company's problems in Russia, which has seen the Rouble plunge in value against the US dollar in the past few weeks.



17 December, 2014