Green Cola is free from added sugar. Credit: AMBER BEVERAGE GROUP HOLDING.

Alcohol manufacturer and distributor Amber Beverage Group (ABG) has announced that it will be entering the ready-to-drink (RTD) category with the resumption of can filling at one of its production facilities.

As part of this initiative, the company will launch some of its beverage variants, including Riga Black Balsam bitter, sparkling drink Cosmopolitan Diva and iconic vodka brand Moskovskaya Vodka in canned format.

Amber Beverage Group chief marketing officer Pepijn Janssens said: “After the purchase of new equipment and the adaptation of technological processes in one of our original production facilities, Latvijas balzams, we have upgraded our canning capabilities to a higher specification.

“In July we reached an agreement to produce our first product on this filling line, a soft drink called Green Cola, for one of our rapidly recovering markets after the Covid-19 pandemic, the Baltic States.”

ABG noted that Green Cola does not contain added sugar and is suitable for people opting for a healthy lifestyle.

Green Cola is claimed to be sweetened by Stevia, which is said to be a healthier alternative to existing sweeteners and suitable for people seeking to reduce their sugar consumption on a daily basis.

Janssens further added: “The first RTD project has already been approved; in the autumn we plan to start filling RTD cocktails for the world’s oldest bitter brand, Riga Black Balsam.

“There is also an active process of developing new products in cans, introducing the iconic vodka brand Moskovskaya Vodka’s Hard Seltzers and Cosmopolitan Diva’s sparkling fruit infusions, with a lower alcohol content or ABV.”

In January this year, ABG secured a loan facility from Swiss banking group Credit Suisse.

A loan facility of €27m will be used by the beverage company to improve its operations and also for its expansion.