In Canada, AriZona Hard Tea introduces Half & Half, expands into Quebec

From Molson Coors & Alex Parker:

There’s good news for Canadians who can’t get enough AriZona Hard Tea: The brand this month released its new Half & Half lemonade-and-iced-tea flavor in all provinces aside from Quebec zzubreebym

Not to fret Quebecers: AriZona Hard is coming to Quebec around the same time. The brand’s Green Tea, Lemon Iced Tea and Peach Iced Tea flavors will be available in stand-alone packs, and they’ll be featured together in a 12-pack variety pack.

AriZona Hard Half & Half is made with a premium vodka base; it will be sold with a malt base at the Beer Store in Ontario. At 5% alcohol-by-volume, Half & Half is sold in AriZona’s distinctive brightly checkered packaging in six- and 12-packs of 355-milliliter cans, as well as 472-milliliter singles.

“AriZona Hard has been a hit since it launched in Canada, and we know our drinkers will be excited for another flavor-packed option that’s perfect for summer,” says Faye Houston, marketing manager for AriZona Hard.

The new flavor plays into a growing trend in the iced tea space, Houston says.

AriZona Hard’s Half & Half flavor will be familiar to fans of the non-alcohol beverage, which is that portfolio’s third-highest seller, she says.

“We’ve collaborated really closely with AriZona to ensure the flavor is as close to the non-alc brand as possible,” she says.

Since its debut in 2020, AriZona Hard Tea has won over Canadians, growing exponentially behind the success of flavors such as Green Tea, Lemon Iced Tea and Peach Iced Tea. With the release of Half & Half, AriZona Hard is riding a wave of momentum.

Sales are up triple digits year-to-date outpacing the hard iced tea category, which is up just 5.5% over the same period, according to internal data.

“This brand is such a nostalgic favorite. It’s not often we have such an amazing lineup of non-alc flavors we get to leverage that have such a resonance with our consumers,” Houston says. “AriZona is celebrating 30 years this year, the ‘90s trend is so prominent with our Gen Z and millennial consumers. It’s a brand they know and love.”

The ‘90s are indeed a key part of AriZona Hard’s marketing push for Half & Half, which will be dropping retro-inspired merchandise this summer, starting with the release of Arizona Hard-branded bikes that sell for just 99 cents.

The brand is also making its long-awaited debut in Quebec this month in three flavors made with a malt base. AriZona Hard Green Tea and AriZona Hard Lemon Iced Tea are available in 12-packs of 473-millilitercans and six- and 12-packs of 355-millilter cans, while AriZona Hard Peach Iced Tea is sold in 12-packs of 473-milliliter cans and six-packs of 355-milliliter cans.

To mark the occasion, AriZona Hard is hosting a pop-up salon in Old Montreal on Aug. 6 and 7, where consumers can book an appointment with stylists, win branded merchandise and sample AriZona Hard.

“This is a market we’ve been trying to get into for a while. The opportunity there is amazing,” Houston says, noting the iced tea category is outpacing all RTDs and growing rapidly in Quebec. “Full-flavored beverages are really well received in Quebec, and we anticipate this will be a great launch.”

The launches come as Molson Coors’ Canadian business seeks to grow its beyond-beer business. The new products will be produced in-house for the first time, as part of a $100 million investment the company made to support its beyond-beer ambitions. The investment already has helped Molson Coors surpass a 10 share of the hard seltzer space in recent scans, as its Vizzy Hard Seltzer and Coors Seltzer brands quickly found fans among Canadian drinkers.

“This shows again how we’re investing in our capabilities,” Houston says. “It shows how invested we are in winning in the RTD space.”