Emboldened by early success in Canada, Vizzy Hard Seltzer is set to release Vizzy Lemonade in the country, eight months ahead of schedule.
Available in six-packs of watermelon and raspberry-lemonade flavours packaged in 355-mililiter cans, Vizzy Lemonade is available nationwide.
“Vizzy has proven to be very successful in Canada very quickly, and we saw a massive opportunity to meet consumer demand for innovation,” says Michelle Sowinski, senior brand manager of seltzers and flavour for Molson Coors Beverage Company. “Lemonade is one of the fastest-growing hard seltzer subsegments in North America, and Vizzy Lemonade is the perfect beverage for summer occasions.”
Vizzy’s move in Canada follows in the footsteps of a prevailing trend in the U.S. where lemonade hard seltzers have proven successful with consumers.
“We know flavour is the top purchase driver in seltzer, so we are always looking for new and innovative ways to excite and delight consumers,” Sowinski says. “Vizzy Lemonade features unique flavours that people don’t expect, helping them continue discovering flavours in the category.”
Flavour-forward variety packs are driving sales for both Vizzy and Coors Seltzer in Canada, Sowinski says.
Both brands launched in the north this spring as part of a shift in strategy for Molson Coors, which is investing $100 million to build in-house production capability for hard seltzers and has identified the space as a top priority for 2021 and beyond as a beverage company committed to move with pace and competitive offerings in the market.
The investment aims to more than quadruple capacity for hard seltzers, which the company says has plenty of runway for growth in the years ahead.
Both products are among the top 10 hard seltzers sold in Canada. Coors Seltzer, which ranks as the No. 6 hard seltzer brand in Canada with a 3.7 share, and with Vizzy, packs a powerful one-two punch, Sowinski says. In Canada, both brands will continue to receive significant investment in production, commercialization and innovation, Sowinski says.
Vizzy, meanwhile, also is thriving in the on-premise, where it ranks as the top seltzer brand sold in the channel in Ontario since the province lifted COVID restrictions and consumers’ favourite bars and restaurants reopened.
And demand continues to grow. Since its launch, Vizzy has grown distribution by more than 80%.
“Vizzy has great momentum, and we’re excited to give people what they want in a lemonade hard seltzer,” Sowinski says.