The new drink is infused with natural tropical African fruit flavours like pineapple and passion, and has an Alcohol by Volume (ABV) of 4.2%.
Its launch is in response to the changing consumer’s tastes especially among the youths for low alcohol beverages, and their preference to beers that are lively, tastier, colourful, and exciting.
KBL Managing Director (MD) John Musunga, while launching the product into the market, said, “The development of Rockshore Tropical Lager comes in response to the growing market preference for flavorful beers with locally brewed fruit-inspired brews that can increase the base of consumers to the category.”
The new brand is also set to drive more sales in the company’s leading category – beer, as it delivered 30 percent net sales growth in the full year ended June 2022, on the back of strong beer recovery.
“This new brand supports our company’s overarching mission to heavily invest in innovation in the creation of alcoholic beverages that meet the changing taste and demographics, which has enabled KBL to attract new consumers,” said Musunga.
Also speaking at the launch was East Africa Breweries Limited (EABL) Marketing and Innovations Director Anne-Joy Michira who reaffirmed that the goal of the company’s inclusion of Rockshore Tropical Lager is to interact with a constantly changing consumer base through flavoured offerings.
“We are incredibly excited to introduce Rockshore Tropical Lager to Kenyan consumers. This is a product that resonates with a large part of the target population, who have a sweeter palate that is not addressed by mainstream beers.
“It presents a fantastic recruitment potential. With its crisp, clean flavour and exquisite tongue feel, Rockshore Tropical Lager gives a more reviving, lively, and savoury tasting experience,” Michira expressed.
EABL, parent company of KBL has emphasized innovation as one of the company’s key growth pillars, with the its profit growth of 124% in the 2022 financial year being partially attributed to investment behind brands and innovation in the route to market in response to consumer behaviour shifts, as its beer performance increased by 27%.
Launch of Rockshore Tropical Lager follows the introduction of Sikera Apple in 2019 which took the market by storm after KBL’s launch of Kenya’s first locally-produced cider, Tusker Premium Cider in 2016.
Under its low-alcohol offering, the drinks maker recently debuted White Cap Light, a low alcohol beer version of one of its iconic brands, White Cap Lager with an abv of 3%.
In other related news, EABL along with other corporates, has issued its Ksh30 million contribution to the Kenya Association of Manufacturers humanitarian initiative, geared toward raising food distribution funds to families facing hunger and starvation.
During the fundraising drive, Kenya manufacturers donated Ksh 104,087,361 to support Kenyans affected by the ongoing drought in the country.
The fundraising initiative comes when famine and drought continue to ravage millions of Kenyans, especially in Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASAL). The ongoing drought has been termed the worst in over 40 years and currently affects 23 Counties.
