Loch Lomond Brewery has lined up the introduction of a brace of RTDs from its West Highland Spirits portfolio, with the mark also set to benefit from a rebrand.
The 15-year-old craft brewer, which also owns the Levenbank Distillery, has launched West Highland Raspberry Gin with Lemonade and Scottish Dry Gin with Tonic. The pair are both at 5% ABV, with an RRP of GBP3.25-3.50 (US$4.39-4.72) and will be available from next month in 33cl cans to the UK’s on- and off-premise channels, as well as online.
The initial rollout will be focused on Scotland before moving further afield, the brand confirmed to Global Drinks Intel. Further NPD using West Highland Vodka is also in the works.
Alongside the RTDs, the West Highland business has rebranded its core range, which includes a Scottish Dry Gin, Scottish Raspberry Gin and Triple Filtered Vodka. The Dumbarton-based producer is also planning to introduce two rums, a “Scottish spiced” and a golden rum, to its portfolio “shortly”.
Husband-and-wife founders Euan and Fiona MacEachern opened Levenbank Distillery – which produces West Highland Spirits – last year, and are due to release their first scotch whisky bottlings in 2029.
Euan, who is also head of production at West Highland Spirits, said: “We have gained real traction with [the core spirits range] and wanted to add to the premium feel, including greater warmth, style and standout. We live … and work in a place where colours are rich all around us, whatever the Scottish seasons decide to throw at us, and we want to reflect that in the new range.”
For the RTDs, he added: “The inspiration for the cans came from the success of our canned beers, which sell really well through the local and tourist markets … . We moved out of bottle and into can exclusively in 2020 and saw our sales double overnight with the lighter weight and convenience of aluminium cans a clear winner.”
Loch Lomond Brewery is not affiliated with Loch Lomond Group, which owns the Glen Scotia and Loch Lomond scotch brands as well as Ben Lomond gin and Glen’s vodka.
In other RTD-related news this month, Sazerac Co purchased a stake in SipMargs, while The Boston Beer Co released details of a new-to-market RTD brand for the US to sit alongside its Truly hard seltzer flagship.
