Campari is making a fresh start with Crodino. After a lacklustre first quarter, the group is turning to the no-alcohol segment. Crodino (better known as “the blonde non-alcoholic drink that drives the world crazy”), sold on the Italian market since 1965, is landing in the United States on the rising tide of the Spritz trend. The claim? “The non-alcoholic Spritz”. Sold in packs of four 175 ml bottles with a recommended retail price of 15 dollars, it will be available this summer in California, Texas, Florida, Massachusetts, Illinois, Washington D.C., and Maryland.
Banking on the Spritz and no-alcohol success
“We’ll be launching across all channels and aim to reach all types of customers in the US — a mix of chains, independent shops, supermarkets, and of course restaurants and bars,” Allison Varone, Vice President of Marketing at Campari America, told Shanken News Daily.
The objective? To focus on two strategic assets: the Spritz-based aperitif and no-alcohol beverages. “We want to capitalise on the no-alcohol trend in the United States as well as our aperitif strategy,” Varone revealed, also explaining the choice of launch markets: “Campari focused on areas where the Spritz is among the most requested cocktails — where we believe a non-alcoholic version has the best chance of success.”
The no-alcohol beverage market is continuously growing and is expected to reach $5 billion by 2028 (IWSR data).
The story of the blonde non-alcoholic drink
Crodino, essentially a ready-to-drink product centred on the Spritz, is being positioned as a non-alcoholic alternative for younger consumers. “A natural continuation of the Spritz,” according to the group, which last year invested €75 million to boost production capacity at its Novi Ligure plant.
The brand, launched 60 years ago by the Società Anonima Terme di Crodo, founded by industrialist Piero Ginocchi, has been owned by the Campari Group since 1995. The recipe for the blonde non-alcoholic drink — just as secret now as it was then — is only partly known (a few spices include cardamom, cloves, coriander, and nutmeg), and it undergoes a six-month infusion and blending process. The result is essentially a Spritz: sparkling, bittersweet, and ready to drink.
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