Canada & Ireland: Molson Coors launches Molson Canadian in Ireland

Molson Coors has announced the Irish launch of Molson Canadian, The Irish Times reported on April, 9.

This is the first time the 54-year-old beer brand, which is known as Canadian, has been officially launched outside North America.

According to Molson Coors, the arrival of the brand represents the biggest lager launch in Ireland in over 10 years.

Speaking in Dublin at the launch of its Molson Canadian lager, Mr Molson said: “We’re currently number three behind Diageo and Heineken. Within five to six years we’d like to be number two in the market. That’s a pretty tall ambition, but it’s good to have tall ambitions.”

Molson Coors, whose brands include Coors Light and Carling, has spent €25 million over the past four years establishing a foothold in Ireland. It has built a market share of 11 per cent and acquired the Franciscan micro-brewery in Cork and its portfolio of craft beers. This still puts it a distant third to Guinness-owner Diageo and Dutch lager giant Heineken.

Molson Coors expects to produce 100,000 hectolitres of beer at its Cork brewery following a substantial investment in facilities this year. This will include the launch of a new “community beer”.

Molson Canadian will be available in 300 pubs and off licences by the end of this month. It is being launched as a premium lager in draught, bottles and cans, supported by an advertising campaign worth a “few million euro”, according to Niall Phelan, who heads the Molson Coors operation here.

10 April, 2013