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Lucky Sod eyes up St Patrick’s Day

Irish whiskey liqueur brand Lucky Sod has unveiled a series of UK activations to capitalise on the increased on-trade footfall generated by St Patrick’s Day and Cheltenham Festival.

Lucky Sod
The liqueur clocks in at 29% ABV

Exclusively distributed by Proof Drinks, Lucky Sod was developed to appeal to a younger legal drinking age demographic of non-traditional whiskey drinkers, as well as elevate the growing shot category with ‘better and more innovative products’.

The 29% ABV liqueur, boasting flavours of toffee, caramel and vanilla, is inspired by the fable of the lucky Irish black bog cat, and features a ‘mischievous’ smirking cat character on the bottle.

Stephen Reynolds, head of marketing, Proof Drinks, commented: “[According to 2022 data by Euromonitor], on-trade operators have reported liqueur sales increasing by 27%. However, the category lacks innovation, and it hasn’t premiumised in-line with other categories.

“Launched in May 2022, Lucky Sod sweeps away the dusty image of Irish whiskey, and we have seen a huge rise in sales in its first nine months in the UK.”

To mark St Patrick’s Day (17 March) and Cheltenham Festival (14-17 March), the brand is offering support packages and point-of-sale kits to drive sales and increase revenue for venues.

According to CGA’s Drinks Recovery Tracker, spirits sales were up 25% in 2022 over the St Patrick’s Day celebrations, while beer sales were up by 7%.

The ‘eye-catching’ materials will be used to encourage customers to order a Short & Stout, the brand’s take on a Boilermaker, comprising a shot of Lucky Sod Irish Whiskey Liqueur and a pint of Irish stout.

The Lucky Sod activation team will also be out sampling in 50 select venues, including Pins Social Club, Liverpool; Louie’s Liquor Store, Newcastle; and London-based bars Burkes Warehouse, Dalston; The Faltering Fullback, Finsbury Park; plus Oberon, Elephant & Castle.

The team will also be providing classic bar games such as Cornhole and Toad in the hole to interact with consumers and bring the gamification element of the brand to life.

The on-trade activity will also be partnered with an online promotion on Amazon in the run up to St Patrick’s Day.

To date, Lucky Sod has collected more than 100 five-star reviews on the e-commerce site.

The product is also distributed in more than 1,000 UK outlets, recently gaining listings in multiple facias of the Mitchells & Butler’s estate, and Admiral Taverns.

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