Coca-Cola owned brand Minute Maid enters alcohol industry with new spirits

Coca-Cola is expanding its Minute Maid brand into the alcohol industry. It has introduced two new vodka-based drinks: Lemonade and Pink Lemonade.

The complex alcohol category has been booming in recent years, prompting many brands to launch products in this market. For example, Boston Beer has released Sun Cruise vodka iced teas, while Anheuser-Busch has introduced its own vodka-based iced teas, offering customers a variety of options.

Coca-Cola is keeping pace by entering the complex alcohol market as well. In recent years, the company has collaborated with Jack Daniel's and Absolut Vodka and has now launched two new beverages under its Minute Maid brand.

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Coca-Cola pushes Minute Maid into alcohol category

Minute Maid is known for its juices. Therefore, Coca-Cola has decided to promote its new offerings that combine alcohol with juices through Minute Maid.

In 2023, the company launched a subsidiary called 'Red Tree Beverages' to facilitate the market entry of its alcohol-based products. When introducing the two new products, RTB's senior director, Rachael Waddell, stated (via Food Dive):

“Alcohol ready-to-drink is our first category, it’s all we do and all we participate in. We really tap into the existing behaviors and rituals that consumers are already doing with our non-alcoholic products.”

The two new products will join the Minute Maid Spiked lineup. They are non-carbonated and have just 5% alcohol by volume. The Pink Lemonade is reportedly the first pink lemonade cocktail in the Ready-to-Drink category. Rachael Waddell shared her thoughts on the new products:

“There’s no fizz and it’s perfect for so many occasions consumers celebrate, particularly in the summer, whether it’s at the ballpark, a tailgate or a barbecue.”

It joins Minute Maid's lineup, which already features offerings like wine-based Strawberry Daiquiri and Lime Margarita. It will be available in stores nationwide.

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Coca-Cola introduced new prebiotic drinks under its brand Simply

Earlier this year, the renowned beverage company introduced a line of prebiotic drinks. These are marketed under its brand Simply and are known as Simply Pop. Explaining why these prebiotic drinks are sold through Simply, the website stated:

"Over more than two decades, Simply has established itself as a leader in juice and consumers have an affinity for the high quality and characteristics of Simply products, making it the ideal brand to lead our exploration and development of the juicy new prebiotic soda."

Regardless, the new drinks are prebiotic and carbonated, and they are reported to offer a variety of health benefits. They contain no added sugar and provide nutrients like vitamin C and zinc. These are available in five flavors:

• Strawberry
• Lime
• Pineapple Mango
• Fruit Punch
• Citrus Punch

Introducing the new Simply Pop drinks, The Coca-Cola Company's CEO of Nutrition, Becca Kerr, said:

"We found that consumers, especially the wellness-focused Gen Z-ers and Millennials, were really interested in juice and prebiotic sodas. Since many brands in this category are new, they were looking to align with names they know and trust for both quality and taste.

"This was particularly true for those curious about prebiotic sodas but who hadn't yet taken the leap. We knew that in order to bring new drinkers into the category, we had to strike that perfect balance of innovation and trust."

The Simply Pop drinks are available in cans and are worth $2.49 each online nationwide.

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