Coors Rolls Out Beer Cooler

In the midst of the increasingly crowded wine-cooler market, the people who brew Coors beer are invading Southern California with a version they believe stands out from the rest--mainly because it doesn’t have any wine in it. Rather than join the wine cooler business outright in a state that prides itself on fine vintages, the research people at Golden, Colo.-based Adolph Coors Co. went to work and came up with Colorado Chiller, a modified form of beer that is currently being test marketed in San Diego.

Craig Guthrie, the manager of the brand development department at Coors, said Colorado Chiller had none of the drawbacks of drinks featuring wine.

“People were looking for an alternative, something more refreshing.” said Guthrie “We looked at what they were drinking--California Cooler and some of the others--and while they were happy with what they had and were happy with the idea, they were dissatisfied with the execution. It was too sweet, not as drinkable as it could be, there was some aftertaste, all these different characteristics.”

“Our research and development people said, ‘Heck, we can make a better product than that,’ ” Guthrie said.

Colorado Chiller was created from a beer base something like the way a family sedan is turned into a high-performance stock car. The base is made out of the usual hops and malts. Then, through several steps, the taste is removed from the base brew while malt and citrus flavors are added, Guthrie said. The result tastes like tangy ginger ale and packs an alcoholic punch about equal to the same amount of beer.

According to a study on wine sales by Impact Newsletter, a trade publicaton, sales of wine coolers should hit $720 million this year after only four years on the market.

“In the past, they (the consumers) had the choice of spirits, beer or wine,” Guthrie said. “Now they are looking for something new. It may be more moderate in terms of both taste and alcohol, and it may be sweeter.”

Coors’ current advertising campaign has its roots in the beer ads that feature brawny guys knocking off after a tough day at work. Colorado Chiller’s television spots feature a rustic barroom located somewhere in the snowy high country. Inside, roughneck penguins, operated by puppeteers and decked out in tiny hard hats and bandanas, sing the praises of Colorado Chiller while hoisting a few bottles.