#WBD Blog
May 28, 2025
Suntory's new wine spritz La Casera
Suntory has announced the launch of a new ready-to-drink alcohol brand, La Casera.
La Casera is a leading brand of ‘Tinto de Verano’ in Spain, combining wine and soda to create a drink to appeal to UK consumers wanting a refreshing aperitivo moment.
La Casera, which translates to ‘the home’, is a brand known in Spanish households for generations, dating back to its creation in 1949. Acquired in 2009, it continues to be a bestseller in the Spanish market.
Elise Seibold, Chief Operating Officer at Suntory Beverage & Food GB&I, said: “This is another significant milestone in our ambitions to expand into new categories beyond soft drinks. We’re adding another well-loved heritage brand to our portfolio alongside Lucozade and Ribena, but this time with a Spanish twist. La Casera is a symbol of community and celebration, and we can’t wait to see UK consumers ‘spritz like the Spanish’ this summer.”
Last year, Suntory moved into the alcohol category, launching Japanese pre-mix alcohol brand, minus 196.
Alpesh Mistry, Sales Director at Suntory Beverage & Food GB&I, commented: “Spritz drinks have seen great growth in the on-trade and yet this category is only just getting started in the ready-to-drink format. A lot of the ARTD on shelves right now is spirit led, which gives us a brilliant opportunity to bring something new to the market. There is huge potential in this unexplored segment, and we can lead the way with the launch of La Casera.”
This is interesting on lots of levels. It immediately looks like a great innovation; potentially the right product, right place, right time, given consumer behaviour and category trends. The challenge (as always): it is a crowded marketplace and to win big La Casera must build mental availability beyond its function as a refreshing summer beverage in the Spritz style. It has a great start point with a powerful Spanish heritage and a touch of mystery and it needs to translate this into a cultural trigger that creates a new behaviour and salience in the UK.
An example: even as recently as 10 years ago, only a select few consumers really embraced the phenomenon that is Aperol Spritz. In fact, in the UK, it was even hard to get one, at least one that was made properly. Now, pubs, bars, restaurants and the off-trade throughout the land serve the aesthetically appealing drink by the iced-bucket load. Why? It has transcended from a pleasant drink to a cultural moment, a symbol of mediterranean sun and memories of happy times and shared experiences.
The challenge for La Casera is not whether it is a great drink. It is firmly established in Spain, with a rich heritage and enjoyed by many. The brand task is to create cultural meaning, an angle that takes it from a pleasurable drink to a unique brand that becomes a repeatable choice. Is there already an audience who experienced La Casera on holiday quietly awaiting its launch or will it need to build the magic through product experience and brand building? Time will tell. Like ANY brand, it must invest in creating an image that builds meaning and salience, rather than just launch a worthy innovation into a vibrant category. This will determine the level of its sustainable success. The potential is high, and La Casera has all the tools – and a convenient RTD format – to deliver a new summer phenomenon.
