Source: Unsplash

Monster this week applied to register the Beast Unleashed trademark in the UK

Energy drink giant Monster looks poised to bring its new alcoholic drink to the UK.

The brand earlier this month announced plans to launch The Beast Unleashed, a 6% abv alcoholic drink, in the US in the final quarter of this year, where it is hoping to challenge the dominance of hard seltzers with a four-strong range. It is not clear whether The Beast Unleashed will contain caffeine. 

Monster gave no indication of a UK release at the time, but The Grocer can reveal the company this week applied to register the trademark in the UK. The brand’s UK distributor Coca-Cola Europacific Partners did not comment when approached.

Monster isn’t the only brand blurring the line between energy drinks and booze. RTD mainstay WKD, for instance, recently launched a caffeinated energy drink, the 7% abv WKD X, with which it is hoping to tap the wider growth in energy drinks and challenge rival brand Dragon Soop

It comes on the back of a slew of NPD from the Monster brand. The last year alone has seen it unveil a new zero sugar, watermelon drink, as well as new Ultra Gold and Khaotic flavours. 

Sales of caffeinated drinks soared in the UK last year: Monster, Coca-Cola and Red Bull added a combined £255.6m in extra value over the 52 weeks to 1 January 2022 – the equivalent of 120.1 million extra packs sold [NielsenIQ].