Pernod Ricard has joined the ranks as the newest distillery to partner with The Coca-Cola Co., marking another step in the soft-drinks giant’s foray into the world of beverage alcohol.
The French wine and spirits company has formed a collaboration with The Coca-Cola Co. to create Absolut & Sprite, a pre-mixed cocktail featuring vodka. The launch of this product is planned for the upcoming year.
Initially, two product variants will be introduced, one utilizing regular Sprite and the other Sprite Zero. These products will make their debut in specific European nations, including the United Kingdom, Germany, and Spain. The timeline for a worldwide release has not been disclosed at this time.
“We are expanding in the alcohol ready-to-drink space, including products that use select brands from our core portfolio,” The Coca-Cola Co. CEO James Quincey said. “We keep consumers at the centre of everything we do as we continue to develop our portfolio as a total beverage company.”
The anticipated alcohol by volume (ABV) for Absolut & Sprite is set to establish a “global benchmark” at 5%, although it may vary based on specific market conditions.
Pernod Ricard is the second global distillery to partner with The Coca-Cola Co. in the development of ready-to-drink (RTD) beverages.
Last year, Brown-Forman introduced a pre-mixed cocktail featuring Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey and Coca-Cola. This beverage made its debut in Mexico in November and expanded to other markets throughout the year.
In July this year, The Coca-Cola Co. made public its formation of a subsidiary named Red Tree Beverages, with the purpose of delving deeper into alcohol-related opportunities.
The company explained that the unit, referred to as a “firewalled subsidiary” of its primary operations, obtained a federal basic permit (mandatory for all alcohol distillers, importers, and wholesalers operating in the US) in the latter part of the preceding year.
“This allows it [the company] to engage further in its relationships with third-party alcohol companies that use The Coca-Cola Company’s brands in the alcohol space,” the group said in a statement at the time. “RTB will not be distributing alcohol in the US, and neither will The Coca-Cola Company.”
The Coca-Cola Co.’s other interests in alcohol include Topo Chico Hard Seltzer and Simply Spiked Lemonade – two products developed with Molson Coors Beverage Co. – and Fresca Mixed RTDs, on which it worked with Constellation Brands.
