COVER STORY: WILD TURKEY DISCOVERY SERIES

Rethinking bourbon with the Wild Turkey Discovery Series

The series launches with the nationally available Extra Aged RTD flagship range, an off-premise exclusive.

One of Australia’s leading American whiskey producers, Wild Turkey, is challenging consumers to re-think bourbon, launching the Discovery Series range of RTDs to keep premiumising the category.

Australia is the first and only country to launch this series, which is the first new product development Wild Turkey has made in the RTD space in years. The series will become a sub brand where Wild Turkey will launch unique flavour combinations outside of the traditional bourbon and cola, that encourage consumer exploration of bourbon based drinks for a range of different occasions.

“Bourbon/glass RTD accounts for more than one in four dollars spent in the total spirits category, however, millennials are less likely to choose bourbon pre-mix than other categories,” said Paolo Marinoni, Marketing Director at Campari Australia and New Zealand.

“Our mission for this range is to bring in light and lapsed RTD drinkers who have left the category as it hasn’t kept up with their needs. We want to challenge people to re-think bourbon and to encourage them to try different mixers.”

Throughout all the RTD releases of this series, Marinoni said consumers will enjoy: “A range of premium, contemporary premixes, purposely selected to hero the bold flavour of Wild Turkey, allowing it to shine through in a variety of need states and occasions.”

The Discovery Series launch kicks off with the nationwide release of Extra Aged, a central part of the series and an off-premise exclusive.

We want to challenge people to re-think bourbon and to encourage them to try different mixers.

-Paolo Marinoni, Marketing Director Campari Australia and New Zealand

At nine per cent ABV per 250ml can, Extra Aged is at the higher strength end of the Discovery Series, designed to complement night time occasions like pre-drinks, house parties and gatherings with friends, or as a special treat after a long day.

“Extra Aged will launch with two SKUs; Vanilla Oak Spiced Cola and Spiced Honey Soda. We can expect a boldly distinctive, Wild Turkey bourbon experience with a discerning flavour twist,” Marinoni said.

Being the first product launched in the entire series, Extra Aged introduces consumers to a premium new way to drink bourbon, in the biggest market for Wild Turkey RTDs in the world. Considering the importance of this market, the brand saw significant value in keeping up to date with the latest in consumer tastes and staying ahead of the category’s pack to maintain and grow an already strong market share.

“Ninety-eight per cent of bourbon RTD is cola and zero cola - this range is to break through the one dimensional bourbon category through unconventional, flavoursome and crafted mixers,” Marinoni said.

Wild Turkey Extra Aged is available for retailers nationally now, with an RRP of $27.99 per four-pack.