Molson Coors teams with Spanish brewery for new lager
MOLSON Coors has launched a new draught European-style lager – the result of a collaboration with La Sagra Brewery in Spain.
Said to capture ‘El alma de Madrid’ (‘the Soul of Madrid’), Madrí Excepcional is a 4.6% ABV “crisp, clean and refreshing liquid” which has “all the taste characteristics of a modern European-style lager”.
The lager’s branding is said to have been inspired by the term ‘chulapo’ – originally a group of people in Madrid in the 19th century who were known for their “elaborate style of dress and cheeky attitude”; and a term that is said to be still used to refer to people from Madrid and the “sense of style and attitude that lives on in the city”.
Ryan Mcfarland, regional business director for western Europe at Molson Coors, said the beer will be rolled out across the UK on-trade over the next year.
“In these incredibly challenging times for the hospitality sector we’re continuing to invest in the future and support our customers with innovative new products which will encourage people to visit pubs and bars when they’re able to do so.
“World lager is now the second biggest sector of the lager category in the UK, making up almost one in four pints of lager consumed. Madrí Excepcional provides a new and unique option in this category for pub and bar operators and we’re confident will be a huge hit with consumers.”
The launch of Madrí Excepcional came as Molson Coors revealed plans to rebrand Coors Light as Coors and to expand the range with the launch of Coors Original next year. The rebrand and new product launch will be backed by a major marketing campaign alongside point of sale material, glassware and dispense kit which will be rolled out to outlets by the end of 2021.
Sophie Jamieson of Molson Coors said: “Having reflected on the unique strengths of the brand, we saw an opportunity to maximise its potential. Our testing has shown that consumers love the new branding, finding it more distinctive and appealing, and by changing to simply ‘Coors’ we can build further momentum in the premium 4% beer category, while continuing to champion our refreshing great taste which is a clear point of difference for consumers. It also gives us the opportunity to introduce some incredibly exciting new products from the Coors family, starting with Coors Original later in the year.”
