Heineken USA has released its first spirit-based portfolio extension of Jamaican beer brand Red Stripe with Red Stripe Rum Drinks. The canned cocktail will roll out in Florida starting today, and is set to hit select markets in the Northeast throughout the spring.
The new cocktails— made with Caribbean rum, mango and lime juice and natural flavors— are available in two flavors, Red Stripe Rum Punch and Rum Mojito, sold in 12 oz. 4-packs at a $10.99 price point. Each 12 oz. can checks in at 5.9% ABV.
“The spirit-based cocktail segment is the fastest growing category within the beer, wine and spirits industry, and with our latest Red Stripe rum innovation, we are able to tap into this trend, and introduce this iconic brand to a new generation of consumers,” said Oscar Martinez, senior director of marketing & innovation at Red Stripe’s parent company, Heineken USA.
Red Stripe was originally brewed in Jamaica in 1928, and has become known for its signature squat brown bottles. As part of a $780.5 million deal in 2015, Heineken bought a controlling stake in Jamaican alcohol-producer Desnoes & Geddes from Diageo, whose assets included Red Stripe. After Diageo moved production of the U.S. supply of Red Stripe to the U.S, Heineken brought production back to Jamaica in 2016. A year later, Desnoes & Geddes Limited invested $1.7 billion into a new packaging line and technology to keep up with demand.
In 2021, Heineken chief marketing officer Jonnie Cahill hinted that the Dutch beer brand was exploring ready-to-drink canned cocktails, coffee, wine and punch for 2022. Red Stripe now joins other beer companies angling for a share of the fast-growing RTD cocktail market. Pre-mixed cocktails have been increasing dollar sales +55% year-over-year (YoY) in convenience channels (last 52 weeks, ending January 2023), according to market research firm Circana (formerly IRI). Cocktails and long drinks are forecasted to spur the most growth in RTDs globally, with volumes expected to overtake hard seltzers in 2025, according to the IWSR.
While tequila and vodka still lead in RTD spirit bases, new innovations from leading brands in mai tais and tropical punch are boosting rum-based drinks, as reported by the IWSR.