Miller Chill Heats Up Competition Down Under

Competitors roll out lemon- and lime-flavored beers in Australia.

Miller Chill has exceeded sales expectations since its launch last December in Australia.

And the competition has noticed.

Lion Nathan is introducing Barefoot Radler, a lemon-and-lime infused beer. Foster’s Group already has rolled out Carlton Fusion, a beer brewed with lime and salt … not unlike Miller Chill.

From the Sydney Morning Herald:

All the big companies believe drinkers want more choice. Lion is targeting Barefoot Radler at existing beer drinkers who want to add yet another beer to their repertoire and those who prefer wine or spirits. Radler-style beers are particularly popular in Germany, where 300 million litres of the stuff are drunk each year.

Miller Chill is doing well, the story reports:

The marketing director of Pacific Beverages, Andrew Walker, said Miller Chill sales were "well ahead of forecast" even though marketing had been low key, limited to on- and off-premise taste tests to communicate what is an unusual combination. "Consumers are always looking to try something different. They don't want to be stuck in a rut."

Pacific Beverages is a joint venture between Coca-Cola Amatil and SABMiller.

The Sydney Morning Herald story can be seen here.