New no alcohol 1664 variant launches into stores

1664 Bière 0.0% joins Carlsberg Britvic’s growing roster of low and no alcohol beers, ranging from Carlsberg 0.0 to Erdinger Alkoholfrei. It will be available in 6x330ml sleek cans in several major national retailers, including ASDA, Tesco and Waitrose.

According to the drinks firm, the beer performed strongly in consumer research ahead of its launch, where it was particularly recognised for its taste – on par with UK’s market-leading alcohol-free beer.

‘Strength to strength’

Dharmesh Rana, director of marketing for premium brands at Carlsberg Britvic, said: “1664 has gone from strength to strength since we relaunched the brand last year. As the alcohol-free beer category continues to grow, we are thrilled to continue driving the 1664 brand to new heights with the launch of 1664 Bière 0.0% in the UK.”

The Low & No alcohol category has continued to attract new drinkers, with figures showing that 42.8% of drinkers (21.2 million) have said they are moderating their alcohol consumption in the past 12 months – an increase of 2.2 million drinkers compared to 2016 (Kantar).

The alcohol-free category is also the fastest growing (CAGR 14.6%) with an overindex with Gen Z and millennials.

‘Moderating drinking’

“As consumers look to moderate their drinking across different occasions, whether that’s out with friends or at home with family, it’s essential that brands provide great-tasting options that don’t compromise on flavour or sophistication,” Rana continued.

“1664 Bière 0.0% is a perfectly balanced, flavourful and eminently sippable beer and we’re confident that this brand can go head-to-head with the market leader.”

Carlsberg Britvic will support 1664 Bière 0.0% with a multimillion-pound marketing campaign launching from April across TV, out of home, and social & digital display.

Meanwhile, in January, The Carlsberg Group completed its acquisition of Britvic, triggering the creation of a new combined business in the UK called Carlsberg Britvic.