Molson Coors Partners With CKBG to Distribute RTD Cocktail, Superbird

Molson Coors Beverage Company (NYSE: TAP, TAP.A; TSX: TPX.B, TPX.A) today announced a partnership with CKBG to distribute Superbird— a 100% blue agave tequila-based cocktail. The agreement marks Molson Coors' first entry into the premium ready-to-drink (RTD) spirits category and its latest move beyond the beer aisle.

Through the Molson Coors distribution network, Superbird will seek to expand distribution nationally, beginning with 10 new markets in spring 2021.

“We have clearly executed on our promise to evolve our portfolio beyond beer and moving into fast-growing RTD cocktail space with an incredible brand like Superbird only strengthens our position as a true beverage company,” said Pete Marino, president of emerging growth at Molson Coors. “CKBG created a delicious, authentic, super-premium brand, and it equips our company, and our distributors with another high-quality option.”

“We’re thrilled to partner with Molson Coors and have a distribution network that aligns with our higher purpose,” said Joe Marchese, co-founder of CKBG. “We’re honored to be working hand in hand with one of the best beverage companies in the world, and one that understands the high-quality standards to which we hold ourselves and our product.”

Superbird is a canned, carbonated, 5.9% alcohol-by-volume take on a Paloma made with 100% blue agave tequila grown and processed in Tequila, Mexico; natural grapefruit juice; agave nectar; and sparkling water. The hand-crafted premium RTD cocktail has no sugars or artificial ingredients.

Envisioned by industry innovator Richard Betts, Superbird was created after years of research to find the right spirit, locality, materials and equipment needed to create a high-quality handcrafted Paloma cocktail.

“With Superbird, we created a ready-to-drink Paloma with high quality tequila that we handcraft ourselves, resulting in a purer blanco liquid,” said Richard Betts, co-founder of CKBG. “Finding the local craftsmen and canneries who understood what we were trying to achieve was key. And now bringing Superbird to customers with the right distribution partner is the ultimate accomplishment.”

CKBG first launched Superbird as a ready-to-drink cocktail in 2018. Since then, the RTD spirits category has experienced an 142% growth in 2020 and will be worth an estimated $1.2 billion in 2021, per Nielsen.

The partnership represents Molson Coors’ latest effort to expand beyond beer, a move that has diversified its portfolio to include an expanding roster of wine and spirits, non-alcoholic beverages, better-for-you offerings, energy drinks and CBD beverages.

To learn more about Molson Coors visit www.molsoncoors.com.

ABOUT MOLSON COORS

For over two centuries Molson Coors has been brewing beverages that unite people for all of life’s moments. From Coors Light, Miller Lite, Molson Canadian, Carling, and Staropramen to Coors Banquet, Blue Moon Belgian White, Blue Moon LightSky, Vizzy, Leinenkugel’s Summer Shandy, Creemore Springs and more, Molson Coors produces some of the most beloved and iconic beer brands ever made. While the company’s history is rooted in beer, Molson Coors offers a modern portfolio that expands beyond the beer aisle as well. The company’s commitment to raising industry standards and leaving a positive imprint on our employees, consumers, communities and the environment is reflected in Our Imprint and our 2025 sustainability targets. To learn more about Molson Coors Beverage Company, visit molsoncoors.com, MolsonCoorsOurImprint.com or on Twitter through @MolsonCoors.

ABOUT CKBG

CKBG (Casa Komos Beverage Group) was founded in the Spring of 2019 by Richard Betts and Joe Marchese to create and invest in one-of-a-kind spirits and products. The venture’s portfolio currently includes Komos, a luxury premium Tequila; and Superbird, a 100% Blue Agave Tequila based ready-to-drink cocktail. CKBG prides itself on crafting carefully considered, unique products that embody a true sense of origin and are respectful of tradition but never bound by the past. Headquartered in New York City with operations in Amsterdam and Mexico, CKBG’s one-of-a-kind spirits launched in 2020 and are slated to infiltrate new markets, both domestically and internationally, in 2021. Learn more at www.ckbg.com.

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