Exclusive Tim Palmer Allied Domecq is staking £11m on the launch of a new brand designed to claim a major share of the cream liqueur market. Tia Lusso, a brand extension to Tia Maria, is set to be the biggest launch in the spirits sector this year and had been kept strictly under wraps until this week. But in a sneak preview for The Grocer, marketing director Cathryn Sleight said: "We expect cream liqueurs to increase in volume by 40% in the next five years and Tia Lusso will be driving that growth. "In that time it will grow bigger in volume terms than its Tia Maria parent brand." The new brand will be unveiled formally on Monday by chief executive Phil Bowman when he presents the company's interim results. He will underline the importance of the new brand which will also get launches in France, Germany, Spain, Italy Greece and Ireland. Sleight said: "We have put a lot of research into this and we know we have a powerful property and the heavyweight commitment to the brand is a significant step change for the company." Tia Lusso is a coffee and rum based cream liqueur with 17% abv. It will be going into the trade from this week with an rsp of £11.99 and a launch price of £10.49. It is targeted at 23 to 28-year-old independently-minded women and the campaign supporting it has a feminine intuition theme and the strapline You Just Know'. Support includes a poster and press campaign beginning in June and TV and cinema ads from September. A £1m sampling campaign will also be taking place. Allied Domecq is also beefing up support behind Tia Maria this year by 25% to £7m. {{DRINKS }}