Should strawberry move over just yet? Pineberry flavored alcoholic drinks in the works

10-May-2016 - Last updated on 11-May-2016 at 09:50 GMT

Comax Flavors developed a pineberry flavor for alcoholic beverages to meet consumer demand for unexpected flavors

R&D company Comax Flavors has developed a pineberry flavor for alcoholic beverages that it hopes will become a mainstream flavor choice for consumers.

The pineberry, also referred to as hula berry, looks like a smaller inverted strawberry with a white exterior speckled with red seeds and has a pineapple-like flavor. A produce newcomer, the pineberry entered the US market in 2012, and is becoming increasingly available in different areas of the world. Australia is the newest market that will soon have pineberries available, the company said.

Growing consumer sophistication

As consumers become more interested in trying new flavors, beverage companies are tasked with identifying and developing the next new taste.

“Consumers today are so much more sophisticated and are willing to try different things so you have to constantly keep looking to see what’s new and exciting,” Catherine Armstrong VP of Corporate Communications at Comax Flavors told Beverage Daily.

But will that taste be able to overpower the $2.6 billion strawberry industry? Armstrong says it is not likely but believes there is a possibility for pineberry market growth.

“I certainly do not see pineberries over taking strawberries but it does illustrate how consumers’ palates, especially younger consumers, are expanding and are willing to try different varieties and varied tastes,” Armstrong said.

Strawberry-pineapple taste fusion

The pineberry flavor was developed specifically by Comax Flavors for alcoholic beverages, a market that “allows for fun and fantasy flavors that do not have to be mainstream.”

The nearly two-year R&D process to develop a pineberry flavor that would work well in alcoholic beverages was a scientific endeavor as much as it was a creative one, according to Armstrong.

“The challenge here was to marry a strawberry with pineapple overtones,” Armstrong said.

Where to expect pineberry

According to Armstrong, vodka in particular pairs very well with the pineberry flavor. However, there is currently not a pineberry-flavored alcohol on the market, but Comax Flavors hopes to change that.

“Our pineberry flavor engages consumers by combining expected and unexpected flavors,” Armstrong added.