Fresca will become the second brand that the Coca-Cola Co. licenses to another company for production as an alcoholic beverage.
Fresca Mixed will be the name for a line of premixed cocktails produced, marketed and distributed by Constellation Brands, with the name licensed from Coca-Cola. The product will use Fresca, a carbonated soft drink flavored with grapefruit and lime, as its base. The idea is to position Fresca Mixed as a “bridge between refreshing hard seltzers and full-flavored bar cocktails,” according to a company statement.
The statement said the products will roll out “later this year” but did not give a specific timeframe.
“Constellation’s consumer-focused approach, entrepreneurial spirit, expansive distribution network and distilled distribution expertise make them an ideal choice to bring Fresca Mixed to market,” Dan White, Coca-Cola’s chief of new revenue streams, said in the statement.
Fresca Mixed will be Coca-Cola’s second partnership with another company to bring out an alcoholic version of one of its brands. It licensed Molson Coors last year to produce and distribute Topo Chico Hard Seltzer, a spiked version of its Topo Chico sparkling mineral water.
Alcohol distribution in the U.S. is highly regulated, which motivates a soft drink company to partner with an established alcohol producer that has existing contacts with distributors.
