Precious minerals

While the old reliables continue to dominate, the soft drinks market is experiencing continual product innovation to try to satisfy curious consumers. Drinks Industry Ireland takes a close look at how the overall category is preforming

 

Ireland’s soft drinks market continues to evolve at pace, shaped by shifting consumer expectations, tightening regulations, and a renewed focus on health and sustainability. While traditional carbonates remain a staple of the Irish retail landscape, growth is increasingly concentrated in categories that promise added functionality, lower sugar, or a lighter environmental footprint. From vitamin-enriched waters to zero-sugar innovations and a wave of craft-style mixers, the sector has embraced diversification in response to a more discerning shopper.
At the same time, economic pressures and changing shopper behaviour are influencing purchasing patterns. Consumers are seeking value without compromising on quality, prompting brands to balance affordability with the kind of differentiation that drives loyalty. Publicans and retailers, are recognising the category’s potential, investing in expanded ranges, engaging in more strategic merchandising, and leaning heavily on new product development to maintain momentum.

Adding a bit of sparkle

Since 1783, Schweppes has been adding sparkle to life’s greatest moments. Crafted with care and perfectly balanced flavours, Schweppes mixers have always been the essential companion for every celebration – big or small.
As Ireland’s No.1 mixer brand, Schweppes continues to lead the way in quality and taste, delivering the perfect blend of bubbles and sophistication. With +5% value growth year-to-date, the brand remains a favourite for those who appreciate the finer details in every drink.
This festive season, Schweppes is turning up the fizz with its Schweppes Festive campaign, running from 3 November to 29 December. The campaign brings a touch of golden glamour to gatherings, encouraging people to raise a glass and celebrate togetherness in style.
Shoppers can also get into the spirit of the season with a chance to win premium Schweppes glassware, simply by scanning the QR code on pack. The new mini can range is made for festive moments – easy to serve, fun to share, and fizzing with Schweppes’ signature sparkle.
 

With eye-catching seasonal displays and a fresh, festive look, Schweppes is set to shine across stores and celebrations nationwide. As the festive season sees the biggest burst of joy and togetherness, Schweppes invites everyone to embrace the sparkle and make every gathering unforgettable. Because with Schweppes, every moment is worth raising a glass to.

Coca-Cola Designated Driver Campaign kicks off

Coca-Cola HBC Ireland and Northern Ireland, in partnership with The Coca-Cola Company, is primed to usher in the festive season with its longstanding Designated Driver initiative.
This annual campaign shines a spotlight on the givers of the season, the designated drivers, who give the gift of safety by ensuring their friends and loved ones get home safe after festive nights out.
Designated drivers can avail of two complimentary soft drinks from the Coca-Cola range at participating venues across the island of Ireland. Whether it’s a refreshing Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, Fanta, or Sprite, these free drinks are a small token of appreciation for those who choose to put others first and focus on what really matters.Coca-Cola has long been a cherished part of Christmas celebrations, and this year, the focus shifts from receiving to celebrating the givers who uplift others through meaningful gestures or acts of kindness.
As more people now choose not to drink, the Designated Driver initiative offers inclusive options for those who prefer to stay sober on nights out. It ensures that everyone, regardless of their choice to stay sober, can still enjoy their night, celebrate with friends, and most importantly, get home safely.
Coca-Cola’s Designated Driver, now in its third decade, recognises that while Christmas is a time for joy and celebration, it’s also a time to makesmart choices, especially when it comes to road safety.
Designated Driver runs from 1– 31 December 2025.*

Commitment to quality

This Christmas, Britvic Ireland is helping the licensed trade deliver unforgettable experiences with a portfolio of trusted brands that bring quality, flavour, and versatility to every occasion.
Club Orange, Ireland’s number one citrus carbonated drink, remains a firm favourite behind the bar, offering real fruit taste and unmistakable zest. Alongside it, the Club Mixers range, including Tonic Water, White Lemonade, Ginger Ale and Soda Water, ensures bartenders can craft premium serves and seasonal cocktails with ease.
No Christmas line-up would be complete without globally loved favourites Pepsi and 7Up, perfect for refreshing soft drink options or as versatile mixers. Add to that the heritage appeal of TK and the nostalgic charm of Cidona, both guaranteed to spark memories and delight customers during the festive season.quality and sustainability shines through its Origin Green Gold membership and its proud role as a founding member of Love Irish Food.
This year, they are also excited to celebrate their new partnership with Horse Racing Ireland, reinforcing their dedication to supporting iconic Irish experiences and the communities that make them special.

Freshly infused innovation

Following the rise in the popularity of consumers drinking less but better-quality liquids, and the long-term trend of lighter, lower calorie and lower sugar drinks, means there has been a need for brands to broaden their product offering to include ‘healthier choices’.
At the forefront of this evolving category and lighter drinking movement is London Essence, a premium drinks brand producing elegantly distilled mixers designed to accentuate the finest spirits. Each expression is delicately light at under 20kcal per 100ml, low in sugar at under 4g per 100ml and is crafted without the use of artificial sweeteners, thanks to its unique use of distilled essences.
Through its relationship with the trade experts and conversations with world leading bartenders, London Essence also recognised that high sugar mixers often overpowered the characteristics of the spirit partner, instead of enhancing them.
With that in mind, the brand took inspiration from its heritage in creating distilled essences which capture the flavour of the finest ingredients to deliver aromatic signature notes and great taste, with only a dusting of sugar.
Brian Greer, marketing manager at Britvic Ireland reveals that they are launching a premium dispense unit. “We are also excited to bring new news of the successful launch of our London Essence Freshly Infused innovation, a first to market premium mixer dispense unit utilising a patented micro dosing technology that delivers the perfect flavour mix whatever the serve size. The dispense font allows bartenders to offer customisable flavours to optimise choice across the London Essence mixer and soda ranges. The unique proposition is great for the environment too with 99% less packaging verses traditional bottles mixer.”
The London Essence packaged range includes Original Indian Tonic Water, Blood Orange & Elderflower Tonic, as well as a delicate Ginger Ale and a Spiced Ginger Beer. The crafted Soda range includes Pink Grapefruit, White Peach & Jasmine and Roasted Pineapple. The new Freshly Infused dispense solution also includes a beautifully refreshing Raspberry & Rose soda as well as the rest of the favourite London Essence variants.

Just twist, pour and enjoy!

Clearer Twist has entered the market to shake it up and show that mixers can be fun, individual and versatile. According to Clearer Twist co-founder and co-chairman, Ross Lazaroo-Hood.
“We want to be an affordable and accessible brand but also be fun. It’s all about enjoyment – something that the mixer category has seemed to have forgotten about as they focus on pushing luxury and higher price points, which ultimately alienates customers. Clearer Twist is different and wants to be the go-to mixer brand that everyone can enjoy.”Clearer Twist is part of Clearer Group, which is a water company that specialises in water based products. “With 93% of your mixer being water then why wouldn’t you trust the number one ethical water company to deliver a great quality mixer? We searched high and low for a high alkaline water that would bring a delicious beverage with less sugar, no artificial sweeteners and fewer calories – yet bold enough to stand out with unique flavour twists on the classics,” says Lazaroo-Hood.
“We became the first mixer to rename a football stadium – Clearer Twist National Stadium at Windsor Park in Northern Ireland, which not only supports the Irish FA and local communities, but also takes the mixers onto an entirely new stage.”

 

Q&A with Jody Hurley, C&C, Finches Splash,
key account manager

What role does innovation play within C&C’s portfolio, and how do you stay ahead in the soft drinks categories?

Innovation plays a major role here at C&C and our Finches Splash business is no exception to this. We pride ourselves on being agile and customer-focused, continuously gathering insights from our Insights & Innovation team, sales team and direct customer feedback. This approach allows us to identify opportunities quickly and deliver solutions that add real value while offering a practical innovation with purpose approach.

A recent example is the introduction of blackcurrant cordial to the Finches Splash system due to feedback from On-Trade partners highlighting a strong demand for a premium blackcurrant option to enhance their drinks offering.

Sustainability is increasingly important in the trade. What commitments or initiatives is Finches Splash prioritising in this area?

A key benefit of Finches Splash is that it significantly reduces plastic bottle and can usage and waste in the on-trade. We offer a wide range of flavours including White, Red, Lemon and Lime, Cola, Blackcurrant and Soda Water, which removes the need for large plastic bottles. Our energy drink offering also helps reduce the use of cans, giving our customers both a convenient and more sustainable solution.

We are currently expanding our portfolio to include juices such as Pineapple and Orange Juice, which are ideal for high-volume cocktail stations. Finches Splash supports our customers’ sustainability goals all while maintaining product quality and variety.

How does Finches Splash support its on trade partners in terms of service, training, and operational efficiencies?

At C&C, we’re proud to have a dedicated team of 31 full-time Quality Dispense Technicians, each highly trained across our all our dispense brands, including Finches Splash. Upon installation, our technicians deliver comprehensive training to staff, covering system operation, tank changes, and best practices for cleaning dispense guns and nozzles. As part of our customer-centric approach, we strive to resolve any technical issues within 24 hours. In addition, our team of sales reps and technicians are on hand to provide support to our customers ensuring full confidence in their Finches Splash system.

In terms of the system itself, it is compact and user-friendly, my motto is that if you can change a keg of cider, you can change a Splash keg!

C&C has made strategic acquisitions in recent years. How have these strengthened your offering and distribution capabilities?

In C&C, strategic acquisitions have been a key driver in strengthening our offering and expanding our reach. One of the most exciting developments has been our recent acquisition of Soda Splash, based in Ashbourne, Co. Meath. This move brought 34 new Finches Splash customers into our portfolio and opened the door to a valuable partnership with Simpsons Drinks, a UK-based post-mix manufacturer.

While we continue to produce over 90% of our Finches Splash products at our Bulmers Brewery in Clonmel, this partnership with Simpsons Drinks enhances our ability to offer new products such as Pineapple, Mango and Orange Juice as well as Sweet and Sour Mix, further strengthening our range.

This strategic acquisition further solidifies Finches Splash as Ireland’s leading dispense system. With our expanded customer base and offering, we are really looking forward to supporting our customers ahead of the busy Christmas trading period with greater efficiency and choice.

How does the Finches Splash on-counter ‘gun’ dispense system benefit operators in terms of convenience and usability?

The Finches Splash gun dispense system is built for speed and efficiency which are key priorities for our on trade customers. Each gun can hold up to six products and dispense drinks instantly at the touch of a button. In addition, our system allows multiple guns to be installed along the bar, allowing staff to serve more customers at pace especially during peak trading hours. This streamlined setup not only reduces customer wait times but also drives higher drink sales. For bar operators, it’s a practical solution that helps cut costs, reduces waste and recycling and frees up valuable storage space at the bar. As more venues look for ways to simplify operations and improve sustainability, Finches Splash offers a high-quality, cost-effective system that delivers on both performance and quality.

Can you explain how the Finches Splash system helps reduce staff handling, waste, space requirements and DRS costs?

One of the key advantages of the Finches Splash system is its ability to streamline operations. Finches Splash products are available in 10-litre Bag-in-Box or 18-litre tanks, with each tank capable of dispensing up to 108 litres of soft drinks. This significantly reduces the need for staff to handle large volumes of bottles and cans, cutting down on manual labour, space and improving efficiency behind the bar

With the introduction of DRS charges, Finches Splash has become even more beneficial. For example, an outlet using 10 cases of containers over 500 millilitres per week could face annual DRS costs of around €1,560. By switching to Finches Splash, bar operators can dramatically reduce or eliminate these charges while also reducing waste and their environmental footprint. Finches Splash is a smart, sustainable solution that delivers real operational and financial benefits to the on trade.