If you’re not down with the trend of turning beloved carbonated water/soda brands into hard seltzers or canned mixed drinks, we have some mixed news to deliver: FRESCA is the latest brand that will become a major “beverage alcohol” brand, as they say in the marketing legalese. Unlike the recent launch of something like Topo Chico Hard Seltzer, and its deceptive Ranch Water, however, FRESCA’s alcoholic version will at least have the dignity of being an actual mixed drink made with real spirits. Will wonders never cease?
Constellation Brands, the owners/distributors of more than 100 brands in the U.S. that include everything from Robert Mondavi wine to Corona beer and Svedka Vodka, today announced it had entered a brand authorization agreement with The Coca-Cola Company in the U.S. to produce and market the new FRESCA product, which will be titled FRESCA Mixed. The company calls it a “new, distinctive line of spirit-based, ready-to-drink cocktails that are well-aligned to a number of emerging consumer trends.”
“The Coca-Cola Company’s FRESCA® brand is not only trusted by consumers, but also directly delivers on consumer preferences for refreshment, flavor, and convenience – attributes that also play well within beverage alcohol and where we can leverage our expertise,” said Constellation president and chief executive Bill Newlands,
There’s no mention of the actual information that consumers will want to know, such as what flavors of FRESCA Mixed will be available, or what spirits will be used in making them—only a promise that the brand is expected to launch in 2022, “starting with cocktails using real spirits and inspired by recipes created by FRESCA fans from around the globe.” Something tells us that means … a lot of vodka, and probably little else. Prove us wrong, FRESCA!
Regardless, the economic incentive for turning a brand like FRESCA into a legitimate canned cocktail is very clear in this particular moment, as ready-to-drink (RTD) cocktails have continued to see rapid growth as one of the biggest success stories of the pandemic era, while FRESCA itself has also been on an upswing ever since its 2018 redesign.