Beenleigh Distillery has expanded its RTD range with the release of Hard Orange Crush, a bold beverage crafted with real Australian orange juice.
In Australia, flavoured RTDs now account for at least 50 per cent of all RTD sales, and over the last 12 months, citrus flavours in particular have dominated the RTD landscape. Despite this, orange has remained underrepresented until now, says Will Sullivan, Brand Manager at Beenleigh Distillery.
“We saw a clear opportunity to create something nostalgic yet fresh – a throwback flavour with mainstream appeal,” he stated.
“Orange is one of Australia’s most-loved soft drink flavours, yet barely touched in RTDs. We crushed it with Pineapple, and with Hard Orange Crush, we’re confident we can crush it again.”
Hard Orange Crush is crafted from a sweet yet neutral base of Beenleigh Australian White Rum, combined with real Australian juice. The result is a light and citrusy beverage with sherbert aromas, and a sweet palate with a subtle tang.
The release follows the successful launch of Beenleigh Rum & Pineapple Crush in August last year, which became one of the top three RTD launches in bottle shops for FY25 according to scan sales across select banner groups.
With one-in-three consumers who purchased Pineapple Crush repurchasing the product within 12 weeks, Beenleigh hopes to see Hard Orange Crush further expand its market share in light RTD.
“We see this as a strategic move into a space that’s been overlooked for too long. With Hard Orange Crush, we’re bringing something new to shelf, recruiting the next generation of drinkers, and reinforcing that Beenleigh isn’t just participating in this category – we’re leading it,” added Sullivan.
Rolling out nationwide this month, Beenleigh Hard Orange Crush is packaged at 4.5 per cent ABV in four-packs of 375ml cans.