Sol Limón y Sal launches in the U.S.
Seeking to accelerate the momentum of its growing Sol franchise, Molson Coors today said it has released Sol Limón y Sal, a bright lager with natural lime flavor and a pinch of salt.
by Peter Frost
Sol Limón y Sal, the No. 1-selling limón y sal beer in Mexico, will “unlock a complete set of new fans” for the Sol franchise in the U.S. It is the second spin-off from the Mexican import brand, which grew 42% in 2019 on strength of Sol Chelada, says Katie Feldman, senior marketing manager of North American imports at Molson Coors. “We’re excited about building the Sol franchise, and we believe the chelada segment can help introduce more drinkers to the brand.”
Built off the original Sol beer recipe, Sol Limon y Sal adds natural lime flavor and salt to produce a refreshing 3.5% alcohol-by-volume lager. The beer is sessionable and plays particularly well paired with food and during daytime gatherings. It is packaged in 24-ounce single cans.
Molson Coors hopes Sol Limón y Sal can follow the trajectory of Sol Chelada, the mix of Sol beer with tomato, natural lime and spice flavors that shot out of the gates upon its debut in 2019 and ranked as one of the top new items released for the full year, per Nielsen data. The Mexican import — the top-selling chelada brand sold in Mexico — sold so quickly it was difficult to keep in stock in parts of the country last year.
The February 2019 release of Sol Chelada helped the brand franchise grow five times faster than the Mexican import segment overall, elevating the Sol franchise to the No. 7 Mexican import brand franchise, up from No. 10 in 2018, as measured by share.
Like Sol Chelada, Sol Limón y Sal has a robust following in Mexico, and, therefore, built-in demand in the U.S. among Mexican-Americans and others who have tried the beer on vacation.
Sol Limón y Sal will be supported with a 15-second spot that is scheduled to air on digital channels and social media starting in March. It also will be backed with a PR campaign and other support, Feldman says.
“We’ve got a ton of energy around Sol Chelada and Sol Limón y Sal, and all we need to do is to continue to unlock it,” Feldman says.
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