MillerCoors Launches Fruity Beers

The brewer is going after Millennials with apple- and coconut-flavored brews.

May 23, 2012

MILWAUKEE - MillerCoors has decided ordinary brews need a fruity kick to capture Millennial taste buds, Advertising Age reports. This summer, the brewer is debuting apple- and coconut-flavored beers, as well as a new amber lager.

Coco Breve combines coconut water with a clear malt drink aimed at women. Redd??s Apple Ale imports an apple-flavored beer currently sold internationally. Third Shift launches a series of small batch brews that the company will begin widely testing.

All of the brands will be sold regionally at first before expanding to a national platform. MillerCoors hopes to snare Millennial customers, who are known for switching brands as they look for diversity.

"These occasions are very fluid," said Sarah Ross, marketing director for innovations at MillerCoors. During one evening, Millennials "might start with a beer and may move into a spirit and maybe move back into a different kind of beer."

Coco Breve will be on shelves in certain areas starting June 1. The drink has two flavors: kiwi lime and mango citrus. This is "really our first attempt in quite some time to target women," said Ross. "We really developed this brand with Whole Foods in mind, in terms of creating a unique and natural product."

MillerCoors wants its new Redd??s Apple Ale to compete in the flavored malt beverages category. The ale is available already in Columbia, Poland, Russia and South Africa, but the American version is sweet, but less so than the Polish one.

Company brewers created Third Shift during downtime, something that has been done for years but until now, MillerCoors hasn??t brought any of their creations to market. Third Shift will debut at a slightly lower price point than the average craft brew. The company hopes the brew will attract consumers who "want to try something new but they don't have a lot of money in their pockets," she said.

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