Coors Seltzer is toying with convenience nostalgia, extending its Seltzer lineup to include three “slushie” flavours.

The brand, with a roster that already includes conventional summer fruit flavours, is now promising refreshment and familiarity with grape, cherry and orange slushie RTDs.

“It’s all about familiarity,” says Michelle Sowinski, Molson Coors’ senior marketing manager for the seltzer and flavour portfolio. Promotional point-of-sale materials created by Barrows lean into that kind of notion, with wording compelling buyers to “rediscover timeless flavours.”

In December, Molson Coors announced that it had earmarked $60 million dollars for two of its biggest Canadian facilities to begin production of malt and spirits-based beverages for the growing domestic market, a year after after it was quadrupling its in-house production capacity for seltzers.

Sowinski tells strategy over its three years in the marketplace, Coors Seltzer is looking to have a flavour offering to match a variety of taste preferences.

Traditionally, Coors Seltzer has offered straight-ahead fruit flavours like blue raspberry, taking inspiration from lunchbox and sports drinks flavours, and now it is hoping memories of hitting a 7-Eleven and enjoying a conventional slushy.

The brewery is not only investing on the production side, but in marketing as well, and Sowinski says it has paid dividends: between Coors Seltzer, Topo Chico and Vizzy, that company has almost a 15% share of the total seltzer market.

The competition includes the likes of trendy White Claw from Mark Anthony Group and Nütrl Vodka Soda. However, Sowinski admits it is going after a slightly older demo with its three-strong Slushie offerings. “There was a great opportunity to be the seltzer for that millennial consumer.”

In Quebec, Coors Seltzer has convenience distribution befitting a Slushie product, while nationally it is in conventional alcohol retailers.

“What we try to do is always offer things from a permanent listings perspective,” Sowinski says, looking to increase its shelf set, rather than trying to navigate the supply and demand vicissitudes of an LTO product.

The beverage maker wants to make sure mixer packs are readily available and ensure there are enough flavour innovations to drive trial. “We bring in one new archetype or pack per year,” she says, as buyers look for the next big thing. “Flavour is the number one purchase driver of seltzer.”