Smirnoff With A Twist, Launches Citrus Flavour

EH&C Staff - Mumbai

Smirnoff Citrus Twist, launched in May is the first flavoured vodka and latest offering from the stable of Guinness UDV, a part of international spirits major Diageo Plc. The product has been launched in Mumbai, Pune, Kolkata, Goa and Hyderabad and will be distributed across the nation subsequently.

The company also plans to launch another three variants of flavoured vodka by the end of the year and is also planning to set up a greenfield plant to produce Smirnoff, its highest selling brand. Globally, the product is available in raspberry, orange and vanilla flavours.

“Our business focus is to align Indian business in line with Diageo and focus on premium international brands. We have set a target of achieving 2,00,000 cases of vodka by end of this year,” stated Amar Raj Singh, managing director, Guinness UDV.

Smirnoff Citrus Twist not only expands Smirnoff’s product portfolio and sets a new dimension in flavoured drinks in the country.

Confirming the plans of setting up a greenfield plant, Anupam Datta, director marketing, UDV Guinness said that Smirnoff is the only international brand the company produces in India. The company is looking at potential sites in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh for the project. “Keeping in view the growing demand for the product, we are setting up a very special plant which will produce, at least in the beginning, only the Smirnoff brand,” stated Dutta.

While refusing to comment on the investments for the project, Dutta said that the company may not look for a tieup for third party production as Smirnoff needs special production facilities to maintain quality. Smirnoff was earlier produced in the UDV plant at Neera. However, recently the company sold off all its domestic brands, which include Gilbey’s Green Label and Gilbey’s Gold Club. As part of the selloff, the Neera plant is no longer in the UDV fold. This has made a new plant a very vital requisite for the company.

With the largest drinks portfolio amongst all MNCs, the company is currently marketing some of the most renowned brands in the world, which include Jhonnie Walker, Smirnoff, J&B, VAT 69 among others. In India, Guinness UDV is focusing on Smirnoff and Johnnie Walker, the two main international brands.