Crispin Rosé, one of the top-selling rosé ciders, is launching slim cans nationwide this September.
The 12-ounce cans, which will be packaged initially in six-packs, are wrapped entirely in dusty pink and have an eye-catching, translucent glimmer.
They give the brand a premium feel and “a really clean and modern look, especially when compared to other cider brands,” says Stephanie Zipp, associate marketing manager for Crispin Cider Co. “They’re sleek and unapologetically target females, something we’re definitely not shying away from.”
While Crispin Rosé will continue in six-packs of 12-ounce bottles, the slim cans with the same liquid open the brand to new drinking occasions, especially for outdoor venues such as the beach, pools, festivals and outdoor patios, Zipp says.
The pink-hued hard cider, which is made with rose petals, hibiscus and a blend of fresh-pressed apples and pears, has pushed the Crispin franchise to growth in 2018; sales volume is up 25.6 percent year to date and it ranks as the No. 18 new item across all beer and cider for the last 13 weeks, according to Nielsen all-outlet and convenience data through June 23.
Rosé-branded hard ciders as a whole have exploded this year, leading the cider category back to growth for the first time since 2015, with sales volume up 9.8 percent year to date, per Nielsen.
They represent one of the beer and cider industry’s most-overt volleys to recruit consumers back from wine and spirits, which have been growing share and stealing occasions from beer for several years. Rosé wine, in particular, has been white hot, posting growth of more than 50 percent in 2017, a trend driven by women ages 21 to 34.
With the introduction of rosé hard ciders, cider makers such as Crispin have taken cues from what’s working in the wine industry. Moving into slim cans is another example; canned wine grew 91 percent in 2017 and continues on a torrid pace this year, according to Nielsen all-outlet and liquor store data.
Of the more than a dozen rosé-branded hard ciders on the market, Crispin is aiming to become the first nationally distributed slim can of rosé hard cider. Among the larger producers, Original Sin, Wölffer and Anheuser-Busch-owned Virtue package their rosé-branded hard ciders in cans and Boston Beer Co.’s Angry Orchard is testing slim cans in select markets.
The launch will be supported by ongoing public relations and social media.
“We fully expect this to be a year-round product,” Zipp says. “We’ll get a nice boost from it for the remainder of this year, and we’re really excited to see what we can do with it as part of our refreshed lineup in 2019.”