Diageo spices up Captain Morgan cocktails

Captain Morgan is calling the latest flavors in its Sliced RTD lineup Sweet vs. Heat, which is designed for younger consumers looking for a spicy kick in their canned cocktails. The new flavors include Chili Lime Margarita, Jalapeño Paloma, Blackberry Mojito and Peach on the Beach.

Sliced is a line of canned cocktails introduced by Diageo last year in flavors that mimic the taste of popular cocktails such as Pineapple Daiquiri, Strawberry Margarita and Mango Mai Tai. The drinks are made with malt alcohol as opposed to real spirits, and contain 5% alcohol by volume.

Justin Faiber, director of brand marketing for RTD beverages at Diageo, said the company’s strategy for the new flavor profile was to deliver on the growing demand for bold flavors.

“As sweet-meets-spicy continues to trend across food and beverage, we saw a great opportunity to bring that contrast into a ready-to-drink format in a way that’s flavor-first, convenient, and always exciting,” Faiber said. “By putting two distinct profiles into one pack, we’re giving people an easy way to explore and enjoy new flavor lineups without overthinking it.”

With the growth of products like Mike’s Hot Honey, food and beverage formulators have capitalized on sweet and spicy flavor combinations. Last year, Q Mixers added Spicy Mango Margarita mix to its lineup targeting Gen Z heatseekers.