Coca-Cola’s Topo Chico expands into non-alcoholic mixers

Dive Brief:

• Coca-Cola’s Topo Chico is launching a new collection of non-alcoholic mixers including Ginger Beer, Tonic Water and Club Soda.  
• The mineral sparkling water brand said the offerings come as consumers use Topo Chico as a cocktail mixer in beverages at home.
• Coca-Cola has been moving several of its non-alcoholic brands into the alcoholic space through partnerships and product launches like these as it aims to get its products into the hands of more consumers across more occasions.

Dive Insight:

Coca-Cola acquired the sparkling mineral water beverage for $220 million in 2017 as it diversified its beverage portfolio and reduced its dependency on sugary drinks. Since then, the Atlanta-based beverage giant has brought Topo Chico into alcohol with Topo Chico Hard Seltzer through its partnership with Molson Coors. And last April, Coca-Cola debuted Topo Chico Sabores, premium sparkling waters made with fruit juice and herbal extracts that brought the beverage into a new non-alcoholic category and premium drinking experience. 

Coca-Cola has expressed optimism that Topo Chico could one day top $1 billion in sales. The new Ginger Beer, Tonic Water and Club Soda will help the brand get closer to that goal and further Coca-Cola’s presence in alcohol without the beverage producer making its own alcoholic drink.

The impetus for the new products comes from how consumers already use Topo Chico, which should increase the product’s success in the marketplace while increasing the likelihood that shoppers will stick with the brand. Coca-Cola previously introduced other alcoholic beverages that tapped into how its brands were being used, including a Jack and Coke RTD cocktail with Brown-Forman and Absolut Vodka & Sprite with Pernod Ricard.

The new Topo Chico offerings will compete with several other cocktail mixers on the market, like UK-based tonic water brand Fever Tree. In 2021, actress Blake Lively debuted a line of nonalcoholic mixers called Betty Buzz, in five varieties including Ginger Beer and Sparkling Grapefruit.