Thanks to Molson Coors (NYSE: TAP), Croatia is about to get its first hard seltzer. The country’s leading brewery, Molson Coors’ Zagrebačka pivovara, is bringing the effervescent category to the region with a new drink to be launched this spring.

“Hard seltzers are a refreshing alcoholic beverage with natural flavours. This category of drinks has delighted consumers across the United States and will soon be on the shelves of our stores. Zagrebačka pivovara will launch the first hard seltzer in Croatia,” the Zagreb brewery said.

Molson Coors, Adam Collins, chief communications and corporate affairs officer for the beverage company, confirmed the news in a post on LinkedIn.

“Today Molson Coors Beverage Company announced we are launching a new hard seltzer in Central and Eastern Europe, building on our position as a leader in the European hard seltzer market,” Adam Collins, chief communications and corporate affairs officer for the beverage company, said in a social media post.

Molson Coors will be the first beverage company to bring spiked seltzer to many Eastern and Central European countries.

“Our company’s ambition is – as we pointed out last year, to offer the market more than beer, exploring new areas and segments, offering alternatives to our consumers around the world,” said Sergey Yeskov, Molson’s general manager for Central and Eastern Europe.

“Our research and the results of large markets such as the US show us the great potential of hard seltzers. That is why we have decided to soon offer adult consumers from Central and Eastern Europe an alcoholic beverage that is rapidly conquering the world.”

While the spiked and sparkling category has experienced explosive growth in the US, the genre is still emerging in Europe, yet Croatians are ready for its launch.

“Trends are in favour of launching this type of alcoholic beverage. Croatians are increasingly aware of global trends, looking for different opportunities to responsibly enjoy the consumption of alcoholic beverages in society – on premise and off premise,” said Miroslav Holjevac, president of the management board of Zagrebačka pivovara.

“That is why we believe that hard seltzers will become more and more popular in the future in our country, just like in other markets around the world.”

The Zagreb Brewery was founded in 1892, when the growing city realized it was not able to produce enough beer to meet local demand. Now as the Croatian institution prepares to launch the country’s first hard seltzer, it should only strengthen its position.

It was Croatia’s first industrial brewery, and in 2017 held 44% of the country’s beer market. Zagrebačka pivovara has been part of Molson Coors Europe business unit since 2012.

On January 1, 2020, Molson Coors dropped “Brewing” from its name, replacing it instead with “Beverage” Company. Since the company has had a major shift in strategy to Beyond Beer, in line with its name change.

In addition to leading the hard seltzer revolution in Central and Eastern Europe, Molson Coors invested heavily in its US seltzer portfolio in 2020. It launched Vizzy in April of last year, with its eponymous Coors Hard Seltzer following in September. Molson Coors will also partner with the Coca-Cola Company to bring Topo Chico Hard Seltzer to US markets this spring.

Erin Grafton
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