Paulaner enters the ready-to-drink cocktail market with Bella Bavaria
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The Paulaner Brewery Group is continuing its strategic transformation from a brewery into a diversified beverage manufacturer. With Bella Bavaria, the Munich-based family-owned company will enter the market for ready-to-drink cocktails and aperitifs for the first time in the spring of 2027 with its own independent brand. To kick things off, the three varieties—Hugo, Limoncello Spritz, and Paloma—will be available nationwide in beverage and grocery stores. With this move, Paulaner is tapping into a new growth area beyond its traditional beer business.
A Growth Market with Potential
The entry comes amid a dynamic market environment: Compared to the traditional market for alcoholic beverages, the ready-to-drink (RTD) segment is emerging as a key growth driver. According to estimates, the market in Germany recently grew by around 25%. For Paulaner, the category thus offers the opportunity to appeal to new target groups and consumption occasions and to broaden its product portfolio in the long term.
“With Bella Bavaria, we are deliberately moving beyond our traditional core business and entering a new, high-growth category,” says Jörg Biebernick, CEO of the Paulaner Brewery Group. “Even though beer is in our DNA and, together with our carbonated soft drink family, forms the foundation of our business, we are strategically expanding our portfolio and tapping into new growth potential.”
“With Bella Bavaria, we’re responding to changing consumer needs and creating new occasions for consumption. We spent over a year working intensively on the recipe, surveying consumers, and conducting numerous tests to best meet consumers’ taste preferences. After all, we want to successfully establish Bella Bavaria in the ready-to-drink segment and further develop Paulaner as a beverage company.”
Three classic cocktails for hassle-free enjoyment
At its market launch in spring 2027, the Bella Bavaria lineup will include three well-known classic cocktails: Hugo, Limoncello Spritz, and Paloma. The pre-mixed drinks are available in a convenient 0.33-liter can and are ready to enjoy right away, with no further preparation required.
During product development, Paulaner collaborated with renowned and experienced bartenders. The goal was to translate the taste of high-quality bar cocktails into a convenient ready-to-drink format. The focus was on balanced recipes, high-quality ingredients, and an authentic taste experience—in keeping with Paulaner’s quality promise: “Good, better, Paulaner.”
Munich heritage meets the Italian way of life
With Bella Bavaria, Paulaner combines its Munich roots with Mediterranean aperitif culture. It’s no coincidence that the Bavarian capital is often referred to as “Italy’s northernmost city.” The new brand draws precisely on this connection: Bavarian heritage, Italian joie de vivre, and modern cocktail culture.
Bella Bavaria represents a fresh take on well-known aperitif classics and is designed to create new opportunities for enjoyment, whether during social gatherings at home or on the go.
The three varieties will be available nationwide in grocery stores starting in March 2027.
