UK – Coca-Cola European Partners (CCEP) is launching a new variant; Salted Caramel flavour, an addition to its ready-to-drink Espresso Monster energy drink range which includes Espresso & Milk and Vanilla Espresso.

The new flavor features a combination of brewed coffee and the Monster energy blend available in premium black 250ml cans. The beverage will be rolling out to convenience retailers nationwide at the end of November.

CCEP introduced the Espresso Monster range earlier this year, which the company said has been well received by consumers and is now worth £5.5million (US$7.07m).

Simon Harrison, vice president, commercial development at CCEP GB said: “The range delivers a real point of difference for retailers, combining the functionality of an energy drink with cold coffee, two soft drink segments that are delivering strong growth in GB.

“The salted caramel flavour profile is already popular with consumers in coffee shops and across other food and drink categories.

“We’re therefore confident that the new great-tasting variant will help to fuel further growth of the Espresso Monster range, delighting Monster’s core fan base whilst also recruiting new drinkers.”

The full Espresso Monster range will also be available in a £1.99 price-marked pack option to the independent channel from 2020.

As the for ready-to-drink coffee market is estimated to grow at a healthy 32% (According to a recent report by Neilsen), the flavored cold coffee drink is designed to capitalise on the increasing demand.

Meanwhile, Coca-Cola and its strategic bottling partners Coca-Cola HBC and CCEP System are introducing innovative KeelClip packaging technology on multipack cans in Europe, initially to be roll out in Ireland, the Netherlands and Poland early next year.

The launch represents a first for the non-alcohol ready-to-drink (NARTD) industry, as a new type of packaging that not only replaces the plastic wrap, but also minimizes the amount of paper/card required. 

The three partners worked closely with Graphic Packaging International – developer of the KeelClip technology – to bring this sustainable packaging solution to market.

As part of this initiative, Coca-Cola HBC will remove shrink-wrap from all its can multipacks in all European Union markets by the end of 2021.

In total, Coca-Cola HBC will invest €15 million (US$16.53m) in KeelClip and will begin the roll-out in Ireland and Poland early next year, followed by Austria, Italy, Switzerland and Romania in 2020.

All of Coca-Cola HBC’s European Union markets will have KeelClip by the end of 2021, which the company estimates will save 2,000 tonnes of plastic and 3,000 tonnes of CO2 annually.

The KeelClip will be used on all can multi-packs of up to eight cans, larger can multi packs will be bound by a carton pack.

CCEP is investing €14 million (US$15.42) in its factory in Dongen, Netherlands to install a new can line and a KeelClip packaging machine.