“These are two amazing pieces of innovation that will prompt channel growth, and from a brand perspective will wider Amarula’s appeal.” That was how Distell International Head of Europe & Global Travel Retail Luke Maga introduced new expressions Amarula Chocolate cream liqueur and Amarula African Gin, during a media event at TFWA World Exhibition.
As reported, the chocolate-flavoured cream liqueur features the flavour of the marula fruit and chocolate undertones of African cocoa beans. It is launching with Big Five Duty Free in South Africa in December with a full concourse activation.
The new gin from Amarula is the only gin made from marula fruit spirit, which is indigenous to Sub-Saharan Africa.
Outlining the vision for the brand, Distell International Head of Marketing – Global Travel Retail Rachel Hawes said: “Having had one SKU for the past 30 years we have been on an innovation journey recently. We are creating extensions of the brands that talk to new consumers and for different drinking occasions. It means the brand does not sit still but comes to life for different groups in new ways.”
Amarula Global Brand Lead Charmelle Conning said: “We are aiming to ‘deseasonalise’ the brand so we have a spread across the expressions.
“For the gin we had to ask ourselves whether we are a cream liqueur or a marula fruit brand? It was clear to us that we are a marula fruit brand, and this gin is distilled based on that.” It also includes juniper, orange blossom and grains of paradise notes which emphasise the marula flavour.
Crucially, £1 per litre of every Amarula African Gin sold will be donated to the Amarula Trust to support elephant conservation, empowering people, and strengthening local communities.
It made its debut in Europe this month starting in the UK local market followed by travel retail and other regional domestic markets. The 43% Amarula Africa Gin is distributed by B&S in the European on and off trade, including travel retail in the UK, Germany, France and Poland.
Of Amarula Chocolate, Conning said: “Cream liqueur is an indulgent category – a lot of consumers mix Amarula into hot chocolate or chocolate milkshakes. The feedback was that we should make it easier to enjoy Amarula like people drink it, whether with coffee or chocolate. So this is the most indulgent expression yet, made with Ghana cocoa beans, sustainably sourced. So it’s for that consumer who wants to combine Amarula with chocolate.”
After the travel launch in South it will be rolled out to domestic. It is line-pried with other Amarula flavours at around €18-19.
Conning added: “The flavours give us more to talk about and to position the brand differently for a new consumer, even if we have many long-established consumers who love Amarula from the beginning.
“And the flavours work differently in different markets – Coffee is doing very well and introducing more men to the brand for example. Amarula Raspberry, Chocolate and African Baobab has brought in a younger adult consumer in markets such as South Africa and Brazil but in travel retail other variants work, perhaps as it’s an older consumer.”
Maga concluded: “Travel retail remains a very important channel for Distell and this innovation drive is key to developing our presence with Amarula further.”
