With non-alcoholic wines and spirits becoming mainstream in the drinks market, Campari America has high hopes for the launch of its Crodino Non-Alcoholic Spritz brand. Crodino comes in 4-packs of 175-ml. bottles with a suggested retail price of $15. Initially, it will be available in California, Texas, Florida, Massachusetts, Illinois, Washington D.C., and Maryland.
“We’re going to be launching it in all channels and we’re really looking to bring it into all types of accounts across the U.S. A mix of chains, independents, grocery, and obviously restaurants and bars,” Allison Varone, head of marketing at Campari America, tells SND. “We’re looking to capitalize on the non-alc trend in the U.S. and also on our aperitivo strategy.”
The plan, says Varone, is a limited launch in 2025 with a wider expansion in 2026 and the potential for other releases—like Crodino Rosso—to come to the U.S. in the future. For the launch, Campari focused on markets where Spritz cocktails overindex. “By and large, those markets we feel have the highest penetration of Spritz consumers,” she says. “And they are where we think we have the best chance of success for a non-alc option.”
In the on-premise, Varone sees Crodino as a way to expand Spritz and aperitif occasions. While Campari declined to provide a case projection for the launch, Varone tells SND that the company has high hopes, given the current popularity of both non-alc drinks and RTDs. “We expect it to be a success and we’re doing it in seven markets to really make sure that we get it right,” she says.
The brand, according to Varone, is a complement to Campari’s existing aperitivi like Aperol and the company’s namesake brand. She sees runway for Crodino among younger consumers 21-plus who are looking for a non-alcoholic alternative in the Spritz and cocktail spaces. “We at Campari created the Spritz category and the Spritz occasion, so this is a natural progression for us in terms of bringing a non-alc offering as part of that portfolio,” she says.
Last week, Campari released Q1 results that showed U.S. sales down 11%, citing market volatility and tariff-related destocking. Aperol, however, continues to grow in the U.S., rising 10% to 604,000 cases last year, according to Impact Databank. Campari Group’s global CEO Simon Hunt will be among the speakers at the 49th Annual Impact Marketing Seminar at New York’s Pierre Hotel on October 9.—Shane English
