The Heineken-owned Old Mout brand is the number one bottled cider in New Zealand and has a “really strong Kiwi heritage” and a “playful sense of humour,” according to the brewer.
Three flavours will be launched initially: Summer Berries, Passionfruit & Apple and Kiwi & Lime, which will be boosted with a £3m campaign.
“Old Mout Cider meets the needs of 18 to 24-year-old ‘discoverers’ who constantly seek out different flavours that create an impression amongst friends,” said on-trade managing director, Lawson Mountstevens.
“By introducing Old Mout Cider to our UK portfolio, we will be expanding their choice, encouraging existing cider drinkers to trade-up and drawing new consumers into this fast-growing segment."
The marketing campaign will include outdoor poster adverts, digital marketing and sampling in pubs and bars, with a slogan that promises to find “tasty ways to make fruit more useful.”
Experimental
Old Mout was founded in 1947 but hit the jackpot in 2008 with an experimental range of fruit-flavours, which in its home market include a Feijoa flavoured cider (Feijoa’s are a sort of guava) and Boysencider, which is a blend of cider and boysenberry wine.
“Old Mout brings an exciting new dimension to our cider portfolio and will help licensees tap into the rising demand for premium drinking experiences,” Mountstevens said.
"We think it will quickly find popularity with new and existing cider drinkers looking to discover brands that are off the beaten track."
In December the Shepton Mallet Cider Mill launched an Italian cider called Montano, the company is a division of the C&C Group, which also launched US cider Hornsby last August.