Energy Drinks in Ireland

PROSPECTS

Caffeine in the crosshairs

Sugar is not the only ingredient under the microscope in soft drinks. The Irish health authorities have separately targeted caffeine consumption as a serious issue for public health.

Sugar and alcohol seen as in cahoots

Reformulation and new marketing strategies due to the sugar tax has led to increasing popularity for low and no sugar variants, and they will continue to show growth in off-trade sales. At the same time, as the leading energy drinks all contain relatively high amounts of sugar, the category has seen prices increase due to the introduction of the sugar tax.

Age restrictions look more likely

Energy drinks has been the subject of widespread negative publicity generated by Irish public health authorities. As a result, in 2018 Aldi and Boots both announced plans to ban the sales of energy drinks to anyone under the age of 16-years-old.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

Birch water brands enter the fray

Products containing birch water are set to become more significant in energy drinks as the trend extends from Northern Europe. The sap from birch trees is becoming more and more popular as a bottled drink and brands are taking advantage of this movement.

Red Bull stays ahead with new product launch

The negative publicity surrounding energy drinks ensured that new product launches are reflective of the regulatory environment. In the wake of the sugar tax, all the leading manufacturers in the category have introduced lower sugar variants of their most popular brands.

Coca-Cola wins Monster dispute and launches first branded energy drink

Winning a dispute that began in 2015, Coca-Cola was given the go-ahead to launch its first energy drink in the UK and Ireland in 2019. Monster Beverage Corporation had claimed that the launch would be an infringement of a partnership agreement between the two companies, but arbitration ruled in Coca-Cola’s favour and Coca-Cola Energy was successfully launched.

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