New 80 Calorie Zero Carb ALIVE a first in Canada

Calgary, May 20, 2009 – Weight and health conscious consumers wishing to indulge this
summer will have a new ultra-low calorie, zero-carbohydrate vodka-based drink to add to their beach side cooler.

The new ALIVE product is the first ready-to-drink liquor beverage to both achieve zero carbs and overcome the 100 calories per serving barrier.

“Compared to even the lowest calorie “light” versions of our competitors’ products, we are the only product in the category that has been able to combine an ultra-low 80 calories with zero carbs,” explained Craig Cooper, president of Independent Distillers Canada. “And unlike many of the competitive products in the category, we were able to decrease the calories and carbs while maintaining an alcohol content of five percent.”

They were also able to maintain the crisp, refreshing taste of a traditionally sweetened beverage by adding sucralose instead of aspartame.

“We chose to sweeten with sucralose because it is a real sugar derivative, unlike aspartame,” said Cooper. “This allowed us to avoid the health concerns surrounding aspartame and that funny aftertaste that consumers complain about with that artificial sweetener.”

Plus, using a naturally-derived sweetener contributed to Independent Distillers Canada’s goal – to provide a Cooler that was a truly healthier ready-to-drink alternative for its customers.

And this goal extended beyond watching calories and carbs.

They believe ALIVE is the first gluten free, sucralose-sweetened, 80 calorie ready-to-drink liquor beverage to ever hit the Canadian market, added Cooper.

ALIVE is available in three crisp, refreshing flavours: grapefruit, lemon lime and mixed berry. Already in stores in Western Canada, the ALIVE products there are demonstrating huge appeal to both women and men because of the crisp, not-too-sweet taste profile.
 
“Personally speaking, this is one of the most exciting, break-through products I’ve ever been involved with bringing to market,” says Cooper.

ALIVE Fast Facts

•    Only 80 calories per 300 mL serving (per can)
•    Zero carbohydrates
•    Sweetened with sucralose
•    Gluten free
•    Comes in 4-packs
•    Available in Lemon Lime, Grapefruit, and Mixed Berry
•    First RTD beverage to achieve both ultra-low calories and zero carbs and be gluten free
•    Innovative packaging utilizing our quick chill slim-line can

Industry Fast Facts

•    Ready-to-drink (RTD) products are relatively new to the liquor trade and include a broad spectrum of beverage types. Either, beer/malt or spirits-based, they first started appearing on shelves across Canada in the late 1980’s on the heals of the popularity of wine coolers which had entered the liquor market earlier that decade.

•    ALIVE beverages fall within the spirits-based group of RTD’s, and more specifically are positioned to compete within the LIGHT ready-to-drink category (beverages touting fewer calories, less alcohol content and/or fewer carbohydrates). Competitors in this area include Smirnoff Ultra, Mike’s Light Lemonade (Mike’s Hard Lemonade) and Woody’s 99 (just launched).

•    LIGHT RTD’s now hold 2.1 percent of the of the spirit-based RTD group, a market share that is projected to increase as the consumer trend toward low-calorie, low-fat, and low-carb consumable products continues to cross over from mainstream grocery brands. ALIVE, offering low calories, zero carbs and zero gluten is well positioned to capitalize on its category growth.

How Alive Measures Up to the Competition

Mikes Light Hard Lemonade   100 cal      4 carb       4.1% alc
Smirnoff Ice Light                    100 cal      1 carb       5%    alc
Woody’s  99                              99 cal        1 carb       4.7% alc
Alive                                         80 cal        0 carb       5%    alc

Sucralose

Sucralose is made from sugar through a patented, multi-step process. It is used around the world as an ingredient in processed foods and beverages and in tabletop sweeteners, and has an excellent safety profile. (source: the International Food Information Council, ific.org, June 2004)

Alive distribution dates for Canada

In stores by Province Flavours available:
BC, AB, SK          Lemon Lime, Grapefruit, Mixed Berry
Newfoundland      Lemon Lime, Grapefruit
New Brunswick    Lemon Lime, Grapefruit, Mixed Berry
Ontario                  Lemon Lime, Grapefruit



For more information:

Please email info@idcanada.net