Kraft Heinz's Claussen Pickles Enters Beverages With April Fool's Joke Turned Reality
Claussen Pickles, owned by Kraft Heinz Company, is entering the beverage category through a new partnering with the Spritz Society to launch a pickle-flavored cocktail.
Pickles are everywhere at the moment. From pickle chips and pickle cotton candy to hot pickle-eating TikTok challenges and pickle ice cream, it’s safe to say that the humble gherkin has captured the attention and taste buds of many, becoming a trending sensation in a multitude of permutations.
This particular pickle product innovation had unexpected beginnings. On April Fools' Day 2022, the Spritz Society jokingly rolled out a pickle flavor as a prank, expecting little more than a few laughs.
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However, the brand says, the new flavor received an overwhelmingly positive reception and led to an unexpected uptick in demand from its customer base — including “almost daily” requests for the cocktail, according to Ben Soffer, founder and CEO of the Spritz Society. In fact, the Spritz Society states that consumer insights and inputs gathered from its “community” was instrumental in deciding to take the new product more seriously.
As a result, a year later, the Spritz Society called on Claussen and, together, hatched a plan to roll-out a pickle-infused sparkling wine cocktail.
Lizzy Goodman, brand manager of Claussen at the Kraft Heinz Company noted that this would be the first time entering the beverage space in the pickle company's 150-year history.
The beverage went on sale today, July 18, and will be available for purchase exclusively online.
