According to the Dow Jones Newswires, Molson Coors Brewing Co. says it is actively pursuing opportunities to gain followers who prefer wine and spirits to Coors Light. The market for alcoholic beverages continues to grow, but a lot of that increase comes from wine and spirits, whereas beer’s market share is sinking
“I think we were asleep at the wheel,” said Chief Executive Peter Swinburn, nothing that wine has become a popular “aspirational” drink and spirits companies have done a good job broadening their market.
According to date from the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, beer suppliers held a 49.8% share of the alcoholic beverage market in terms of revenue in 2010, down from 55.5% a decade earlier. Meanwhile, sprits gained 4.6 points to 33.3%, and wine rose to 17% from 15.7%.
Molson Coors, whose brands include Coors Light and Molson Canadian, as well as Carling and Blue Moon, has been increasing its focus on attracting wine and spirit drinkers to its beers. Specifically, Molson Coors is going after females, a major segment of the wine-drinking population, by launching three new beers with a feminine twist in the U.K. this year.
The company’s newest beer, Batch 19, has the tagline “It’s the beer that got beer banned,” something Swinburn said sounds “rebellious” like an edgy bourbon. The beer is currently being tested in 12 markets across the country and will debut nationwide at a later date.
