Kiwi, chocolate, lemon or passion fruit?

LIFESTYLE: Flavoured vodka catches the fancy of top liquor companies.

Radico Khaitan recently entered the flavoured vodka market with six flavours under its Magic Moments extension brand – Remix. The range includes flavours such as chocolate, green apple, orange and lime grass. The company has invested large sums of money to introduce European packaging technology to make sure customers don’t complain.

Radico’s push in the vodka segment is not surprising. The Indian vodka market was 4.5 million cases last year and is projected to grow 30 per cent year-on-year. The flavoured vodka market is growing 12-15 per cent faster than the vodka market.
 

THE BARTENDER’S LIST
Company	Brand	Flavour
Diageo	1. Smirnoff Twist 2. Shark Tooth	Orange, vanilla, citrus, green apple golden apple and orange.
Radico Khaitan	Magic Moments Remix	Chocolate, raspberry, lime grass & ginger, lemon
United Spirits Ltd	Romanov	Green apple and tropical thrill
Bacardi Martini	42 Below	Manuka honey, kiwifruit, feijoa and passion fruit

Even large players like United Spirits and Diageo have zeroed in on brand extensions and flavours as the road ahead for pushing sales in the segment.

A United Spirits executive says: “Vodka, with its cool and international imagery clubbed with the USP of “inconspicuous consumption”, is popular among both the genders and across the age groups. The category will definitely see a lot of exciting flavors sooner than later.”

While the company already has a range of flavours like green apple and passion fruit under Romanov, its other brand, White Mischief, may also see new additions such as chocolate and strawberry. It has also rolled out pink vodka for women under the brand name Pinky.

Diageo, on the other hand, is bullish on evolving its portfolio across premium and prestige lines. The company not only has a wide range of flavours for its Smirnoff Twist (citrus, green apple twist etc) but also for Shark Tooth (golden apple and orange).

Asif Adil, managing director, Diageo India, says: “We always have our consumer in mind when we begin developing new flavour combinations, and we feel this expanded range of flavours in the premium and prestige segments addresses their evolving tastes and desire for selection.”

He adds: “It is definitely a way forward for the company as we see tremendous demand and growth opportunity in this category.”

On the other hand, Bacardi Martini India, which has a wide range of flavoured white rum, is keen to evolve its vodka portfolio.

Mahesh Madhavan, president and CEO, Bacardi Martini India, says: “Flavours provide that new drinking experience. It also allows for mixability which consumers are increasingly demanding.”

He adds: “We will certainly aim to be there as a part of the repertoire in the consumers’ mind by coming up with brands that would fulfill this need.” Internationally, its Grey Goose and 42 Below brands boast of unique fruit flavours.

But even as companies try and make their offerings more relevant to the Indian consumer, the road ahead for them is to build new segments to provide the consumer new drinks, new categories and new flavors.

“As consumers find their disposable incomes are increasing they would find ways to upgrade to new premium brands. They don’t want to keep drinking the same old tried and tested drinks such as whisky,” adds Madhavan.