PANDEMIC restrictions on hospitality venues led many consumers to experiment with home-made cocktails and new flavours – and those same consumers are now back in bars looking for the spirits brands they learnt to love in lockdown.
One such brand is KAH Tequila, which has risen to be the UK’s No.1 Ultra-Premium Tequila by value and volume in the multiple grocery channel, thanks to a 2022 listing with Tesco.
Its UK distributor, Amber Beverage UK, is now promoting it to the on-trade, recommending that bars, high-end pubs, hotels, and restaurants should list KAH because consumers will be looking for it.
NielsenIQ data for the past six months indicates that KAH Tequila was the top performing Tequila in its price range within the grocery channel during the period ending March 11, outperforming Patron Silver in grocery.
An authentic, 100% agave tequila brand, KAH was embraced by Tesco in what Amber described as a ‘visionary move’ to meet the growing consumer trend towards super- or ultra-premium tequilas.
Whilst the format available through Tesco is currently exclusive to that retailer, KAH is available to the UK on-trade in ‘eye-catching and iconic’ skull-shaped bottes.
Senior brand manager for Amber Beverage UK, Tina Connolly, said: “KAH is an eye-catching as well as delicious, authentic tequila brand. Tesco had the vision to list this, their first super- or ultra-premium tequila brand in August 2022, and this has undoubtedly helped to bring the brand closer to consumers who find this category an exciting one to explore.
“Whilst of course tequila is not new, the move towards hand-crafted, authentic, sipping tequilas has attracted what is in effect a new wave of tequila lovers, whether they are new to the drink or whether they are revising outdated views based on drinking poor mixtos [tequilas made with less than 100% blue agave] in their youth.”
Amber Beverage is predicting a strong brand growth trajectory during the rest of 2023, anticipating that volume will be doubled this year.
