Monster debuts espresso drinks to put jolt in lineup
— Monster Beverage Corp. is launching a pair of espresso beverages to give a jolt to its line of canned coffee drinks.
Espresso Monster comes in 8.4-ounce cans that combine Italian elegance with the violence of Monster Energy’s clawmark logo. It comes in two flavors: Espresso and Cream and Vanilla Espresso.
The drinks include three shots of espresso blended with European milk and Monster’s energy blend, according to the Monster Energy website. They’re not yet available within 100 miles of Southern California, according to the site’s brand finder page.
Rodney Sacks, chairman and chief executive officer, announced the launch during the Corona company’s third quarter conference call.
Sacks said persistent supply problems that caused the Java Monster and Muscle Monster lines to atrophy have been solved and the company is focused on regaining lost shelf space.
The company has also launched a new flavor of NOS energy drink called Nitro Mango, sold in 16-ounce cans. NOS is one of the brands Monster acquired in its 2015 partnership with the Coca-Cola Co.
The company reported a third-quarter rise in net sales of 15.4 percent to $909.5 million over a year ago and a net income increase of 14.1 percent to $218.7 million.
Stock briefly plunged to $56.10 after the report, in part because earnings missed expectations at 38 cents a share.
But on Thursday the stock soared above $60, the highest in a year. Factors include persistent speculation that Monster will be acquired by Coca-Cola.
Delayed rollouts led to disappointment in Monster’s last two major products, a soft drink called Mutant and a sweetened, energized water called Hydro. The latter is sold in plastic cans, but Sacks said that next year it will be offered in bottles as well to make it easier to get to market.
He said Monster still has faith in both products.
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