Hops, the magical flower that enhances the flavor of beer, is being unleashed in a new liquid: water.
Vyne Botanicals, the new non-alcoholic hop-infused sparkling water from Molson Coors Beverage Company, is now available at premium grocers across Canada. The bubbly refreshment made with all natural flavors is gluten free, verified vegan friendly, with zero calories and sugar. It comes in 355-mililiter slim cans featuring a design that highlights the inextricable link between humans and nature, weaving some vitality into your everyday H2O.
“Our flavors are going to meet your taste expectations because of the natural ingredients. It’s refreshment revitalized,” says Faye Houston, Molson Coors’ beyond beer brand manager. “There’s nothing artificial about Vyne, from the ingredients and taste to the intricate can design and branding.”
While hops are the key bittering agent in beer, they play a more subtle role in Vyne, says Houston.
“People don’t really know what to expect with hops outside of beer, but they’ll have a completely unique experience with Vyne,” she says. “Tasting is believing.”
The first-to-Canada hop-infused sparkling water, Vyne comes in three flavors: The Citrus One offers a bright citrus taste and aroma, with hints of lemon-lime and grapefruit; the Herbal One has a subtle herbal character, with an inviting blend of tropical fruits, rosemary and spice; and the Floral One is a delicate and subtle blend of rose and hibiscus with fresh, green notes.
“Each flavor gives you a very different experience,” Houston says. “One of the first things you’re going to experience is the aroma. Hops are such an interesting botanical; when you crack open a can you’re going to taste first with your nose, awakening the senses even before it hits your tastebuds.”
With a national distribution footprint at premium grocer Sobey’s, Vyne will soon be available at IGA in Quebec, and at Metro and Loblaws locations. The alcohol-free beverage is also available for delivery on Amazon.
As with many new brands introduced during a time when the coronavirus pandemic made in-person sampling impossible, Vyne found an innovative way to get the brand in front of consumers. A partnership with meal-kit service Hello Fresh put Vyne alongside healthy ingredients, delivered to home chefs.
Now the brand is working with a set of health-conscious influencers on Instagram, as well.
As Molson Coors augments its beer portfolio, flavorful beyond-beer products like Vyne are becoming a larger part of its product mix. In Canada, it has beefed up marketing around Aquarelle, its vodka-based drink that comes in still and sparking water varieties. And retailers have seen a blistering response to AriZona Hard Green Tea, a 5% alcohol-by-volume hard tea made with premium vodka that rolled out across Ontario and Western Canada in April.
Molson Coors’ recent U.S. launches of Vizzy Hard Selzter, MOVO Wine Spritzer and Leinenkugel’s Spritzen are complemented by partnerships in the U.K. to distribute Bodega Bay hard seltzer and canned drinks from Miami Cocktail Company. The long-awaited Coors Seltzer is expected to hit shelves soon, as well.
“This is a big step for Molson Coors,” Houston says. It’s very different, and very exciting.”