Exclusive: Beam Taps Moscato Trend With Courvoisier Gold Launch

Beam Inc. has added an innovative new offering to its Courvoisier Cognac franchise. Rolling out nationwide tomorrow, Courvoisier Gold is a first-to-market blend of Cognac and Moscato wine sourced from the south of France. Priced at $24.99 a 750-ml., the 18%-abv expression is billed as a lower-alcohol alternative to traditional Cognac, offering what Beam says is a refreshing and approachable taste experience. “We believe Courvoisier Gold will not only appeal to the many existing fans of our portfolio, but will also give new consumers a reason to try Cognac for the first time,” says Megan Frank, director of Courvoisier at Beam.

“Moscato is the fastest-growing wine varietal and mixed with Cognac, it provides a unique, smooth taste,” adds Frank. According to Nielsen data, off-premise retail sales of Moscato were up 73% in both volume and revenue in 2011.

Courvoisier Gold is one of several recent innovations intended to broaden Courvoisier’s appeal. The Moscato-Cognac hybrid is positioned to complement the June 2011 launch of Courvoisier Rosé ($24.99), a female-targeted 18%-abv blend of Cognac and French red wine grapes. Earlier this year, meanwhile, Beam unveiled the 40%-abv C by Courvoisier ($34.99), a small-batch, double barrel-aged expression targeted primarily toward male consumers.

The third-largest Cognac brand in the U.S., Courvoisier struggled throughout the economic downturn, steadily losing volume from 2007 to 2010. Last year, however, the brand staged a turnaround, rising nearly 10% to approximately 420,000 cases, according to Impact Databank. Similarly, for the six months through June marking Beam’s fiscal first half, Courvoisier reported North American net sales growth of 21%.

Tagged : Beam Inc, Cognac, Courvoisier, Moscato

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