United Dutch Breweries, showcased the can version of its non-alcoholic malt drink 3 Horses at Selangor Expo on 14-17 September 2017. The expo was held at the Setia City Convention Center in Shah Alam, Malaysia.
Can version to debut in November 2017
The canned version of 3 Horses will roll out in Malaysia around November 2017, said Three Horses Malt’s Ng Zheng at Selangor Expo. The 33ml can comprises classic, apple, lemon, peach, strawberry, pomegranate and dark malt variants. The 500ml can is only available in the classic variant.
Compared with the existing 3 Horses in the premium glass bottle, which carries a higher price, 3 Horses in can will have a lower price point and will aim at hawker stalls and other less expensive food premises, said Ng. 3 Horses in glass bottle is currently mainly catering to cafes and restaurants.
Expanding distribution channel
There are a few outlets selling 3 Horses such as Redtick Supermarket in Puchong and Cyberjaya. At the moment, 3 Horses focuses more on the foodservice channel.
In contrast to 3 Horses, Barbican, distributed by Coca-Cola Refreshments Malaysia, is widely available in supermarkets, hypermarkets and convenience stores, which shows the different approach adopted by 3 Horses and Barbican when it comes to market penetration.
Available in vegetarian restaurants
Malt-based drink is aimed largely at Muslim consumers since the consumption of alcohol is strictly prohibited by the religion. Interestingly, 3 Horses have started to become available in selected vegetarian restaurants, said Ng. The drink fits well with the religious atmosphere of vegetarian restaurants who do not promote the consumption of alcohol due to the Buddhist belief. Since the Chinese population is the key patron of vegetarian restaurants. The availability of 3 Horses in vegetarian restaurants shows the versatility of the drink to adopt to the different consumer needs.
Strawberry flavour top choice with Malays
Among Malay consumers, strawberry and peach are the top two flavours. The popularity of strawberry is linked to strawberry being one of the popular choices for vaping and shisha.
The classic flavour is popular among the Chinese and Indian because it resembles the taste of Heineken minus the alcohol content, said Ng. Apple and lemon are also popular with the Chinese.
Light version popular
Due to strong demand, the company said it is restocking the light version, which contains lower sugar. We first reported the launch of the light version in an article in January 2017. The light version will be made available around November 2017. The light version of 3 Horses is popular with consumers who have special dietary needs or conscious of their health.
Halal logo to be included on pack
At the moment, 3 Horses does not have the halal logo on the packaging even though it has been certified as halal by the Iran-based Islamic Chamber Research & Information Center (ICRIC), which is recognised by JAKIM. But this will soon change as the halal logo will soon be included on the pack for both the glass and can formats.
Having the halal logo on the packaging will be a game changer for 3 Horses as this would enable the brand to gain better acceptance in the country especially in Kelantan and Terengganu where the population practices a more conservative version of Islam.
