Who would have thought the most read story at Drinks Bulletin in 2018 would be about a non-alcoholic beer?
But CUB’s release of Carlton Zero got the industry in a lather – it was our top article of the year by a mile.
Non-alcoholic is the latest buzzword in drinks, with burgeoning releases and surging sales in both spirits and beer.
A spokesman for CUB said Carlton Zero “has been one of the most successful new product launches we’ve ever had”.
“The biggest sales week in its four-month history was last week, and the second biggest week was the week before that,” the spokesperson added.
According to market research company IRI, monthly sales of non-alcoholic beer in bottle shops have increased up to 10-fold since Carlton Zero’s launch.
“This has been driven by the release of Carlton Zero, which has accounted for the great majority of these sales,” the spokesman said.
Statistics from Euromonitor International’s Alcoholic Drinks In Australia report predict non-alcoholic beer brewing in Australia will quadruple from two million litres in 2003 to 12 million litres by 2022.
A few months after the debut of Carlton Zero, Heineken 0.0 finally arrived Down Under after being released in 38 countries globally.
Damian Dabkowski, country manager Heineken Australia, said: “As pioneering brewers, we are committed to introducing new and innovative products to meet consumer needs. Heineken 0.0 has been a huge success globally, by fulfilling a need for consumers, and we expect this to be replicated in the Australian market driven by great innovation on taste.
“The alcohol-free beer segment is in its infancy in Australia. Our ambition is to lead the category development here, with a premium proposition from a brand consumers are proud to be seen with.”
CUB also took out the No.2 spot on our list with a story about the brewer downsizing Carlton Dry from 355ml to 330ml and switching to ring pulls rather than crown caps.
CUB noted that the reduced bottle size move was to “help ensure it remains one of the most affordable beers on the market, at a time of rising brewing costs and government beer excise increases”.
2018’s Top 10
1. CUB releases first-ever non-alcoholic beer
2. Carlton Dry ditches twist tops for ring pulls
3. Kahlúa debuts Espresso Martini RTD in Australia
4. Amber Beverage Group acquires majority stake in Think Spirits
5. Australia wins World’s Best Vodka trophy
6. Kaufland – the new liquor chain threat coming to Australia
7. Why Kaufland put a 28-year-old in the top Aussie job
8. Accolade Wines sold to The Carlyle Group for $1billion
9. Little Fat Lamb under fire again for encouraging underage drinking
10. Diageo dominates 2018 Top 100 Spirits Brands