RTD brand Hooch moves into spirits

Global Brands has extended its Hooch portfolio to include full-strength spirits for the first time.

Hooch Spirits comprises two flavoured gins and one flavoured rum: Hooch Lemon Gin, Hooch Raspberry and Lemon Gin, and Hooch Mango and Lime Rum. Each product has been bottled at 37.5% ABV and will retail for RRP £20 (US$28) per bottle. The raspberry and lemon gin is available to buy online now via goodtimein.co.uk, while the other spirits are currently available to pre-order. Charlie Leaver, senior brand manager at Global Brands, said: “We are so excited by the extension of the Hooch brand into 37.5% ABV spirits. "The original RTD [read-to-drink], Hooch, as a brand retains a lot of loyal followers from the ’90s, while constantly recruiting new contemporary consumers. “This new range allows all those fans to enjoy Hooch in a different way and recruit even more fans to the brand. “The great thing about Hooch is that it’s straightforward; tasty, easy-drinking liquids with a citrus kick, so just like our brilliant range of RTDs, this range of spirits should have wide-reaching appeal to convenience consumers and beyond.” RTDs have been growing in popularity, with many spirits brands tapping into the burgeoning trend with their own pre-mixed iterations. New players in the RTD space include Brewdog and Regal Rogue, alcohol-free Caleño, Beefeater and Bombay Sapphire. In March this year, Diageo North America invested US$80 million in expanding its RTD production capacity to more than 25m cases annually. Diageo also acquired vodka-based brand Loyal 9 Cocktails last month.