I was reading this over a lukewarm espresso in Oakland this morning. Pernod Ricard is rolling out higher-ABV ready-to-drink versions of Malibu — not the old sun-bleached version you’d mix with pineapple juice at a pool party, but something with more heft, aimed squarely at the UK and US markets.
They’re calling it a response to shifting habits — people wanting convenience but also more alcohol per can, less sugar, more ‘presence’. Which is funny, because Malibu used to be the poster child for ‘I’m here to forget my name, not my hangover’.
No word on whether the new cans will still smell like sunscreen or come with a tiny umbrella. Probably not. Progress is rarely tropical.
