Monster Energy Plans to Expand Alcoholic Lineup With ‘Nasty Beast’ Hard Iced Teas

Beast Unleashed, Monster Energy’s first but not last foray into the booming alcoholic market. (Photo: Monster Energy)

Monster Energy is doubling down on the canned alcoholic drink craze.

During a shareholder meeting last Thursday, Monster Energy executives unveiled their plan to release 6% ABV, non-caffeinated “Nasty Beast” hard iced teas sometime before the end of the year. According to the brand, the new lineup will be marketed as a distinctly different product than “Beast Unleashed,” its other alcoholic offering which launched in March.

“Our intention is to launch the hard iced tea extension sub-brand under the Nasty Beast name,” said Monster Energy co-CEO Rodney Sacks. “We think that will give us a much better billboard effect.”

The packaging, flavors and price point of Nasty Beast have yet to be announced.

The decision not to include caffeine — a hallmark of the Monster brand — comes as an apparent response to past failures in the market. Iconic “blackout-in-a-can” Four Loko voluntarily removed caffeine from its recipe in 2010 following widespread backlash to its effects, and few brands have attempted to replicate the potent mix since.

Monster’s expanding portfolio will put it in competition against a tough market.

Amidst the growing popularity of pre-mixed cocktails, recognizable soft drink brands have been piling into the alcoholic ready-to-drink (RTD) category at an unprecedented pace. Since 2022, we’ve witnessed boozy launches from Mountain Dew, Arizona Iced Tea, Sunny D, Simply Lemonade and even Rocket Pop.

The trend has some worried. Illinois recently passed an emergency rule that banned the placement of soft drink-branded RTDs next to their non-alcoholic counterparts.

Illinois Liquor Control Commission executive director Lisa Gardner elaborated: “In some situations, in some instances, these co-branded products have nearly identical markings as the non-alcoholic products, so it’s creating a lot of confusion in the marketplace.”

More likely than not, regulations will continue to trickle in from the state and federal levels as these products gain more traction.

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