A drink for all seasons

On the hottest week of the year Eliot's Spiced hot wine has unveiled a new strategy to make mulled wine a drink for all seasons.

The brand made a big splash in pubs, such as Mitchells & Butlers' Ember Inns brand, last Christmas, and those behind it believe there is an opportunity for the product in pubs beyond the festive season.

"We are not saying you will sell loads of the drink during the middle of summer," commented Andrew Hamilton, brand development director at Eliot's. "But there is a great opportunity to start selling the drink from October through to Easter at least."

As a result the brand will be running a new advertising and marketing campaign under the tagline "the drink for all seasons" in September and October.

"Think of all the occasions people might want to drink mulled wine, from Bonfire night and Hallowe'en, to the January sales to the cold days and nights of February and March. When people come out of the cold into a pub they often want a hot drink.

"Eliot's is an incremental sale. People won't choose it instead of something. They will drink it as well as their beer or wine," Mr Hamilton added.

The message appears to be getting across. Eliot's dispensers were distributed to 4,500 pubs last year - repeat and brand new orders for this year have already hit 10,000.

Mr Hamilton also pointed out that stocking Eliot's could offer pubs another sales opportunity when the smoking ban is introduced next year.

"We can see the creation of the hot alcoholic drinks category, and in a few years time this category will grow considerably. The smoking ban will see lots of people standing outside in the cold," he continued. "How many of them would like a hot alcoholic drink to warm them up?"