Campari Group

New Sophisticated Packaging Debuts with Flavors

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - Skyy Spirits, LLC, maker of SKYY Vodka®, the leading domestic super premium vodka, announced today the introduction of SKYY Spiced™, SKYY Berry™, and SKYY Vanilla™ to its line of super premium vodkas.

Adding a variety of all natural flavors to its quadruple-distilled and triple-filtered vodka, SKYY's new flavors offer sophisticated adults unparalleled vodka purity with exciting new complex tastes including:

• SKYY Spiced: a blend of natural spice flavors including cinnamon, nutmeg and clove essence creating an enticing bouquet with a rich and exotic taste perfect with Coke®;
•  SKYY Berry: a blend of all natural raspberry, blueberry and blackberry flavors with a strong raspberry bouquet and luscious berry taste perfect for mixing with 7-UP®;
•  SKYY Vanilla: a blend of Madagascar vanilla bean with hints of amaretto offering a strong vanilla bouquet with a smooth and creamy taste perfect for SKYY Vanilla Martinis;

SKYY Spiced is unique in the flavored vodka category, offering a “pure alternative to spiced rum.” According to Adams Business Media, Rum and Coke® is the second most popular drink ordered out, representing an enormous untapped market for a sophisticated pure spiced spirit alternative.

“We are proud to launch three new SKYY Flavors that are sure to excite both consumers and the spirits industry alike,” said Keith Greggor, COO of Skyy Spirits, “Building on the success of SKYY Citrus, SKYY's new Flavors offer a whole new palette to create great tasting, pure and smooth cocktails.”

New Packaging for Entire SKYY Line
The flavors will debut SKYY's new ultra premium packaging. SKYY revolutionized the super premium vodka category ten years ago with the introduction of its signature cobalt blue bottle. The new packaging system now allows additional products to be added quickly with SKYY style and sophistication.

The entire SKYY line of vodkas including: SKYY Vodka, SKYY Spiced, SKYY Berry, SKYY Vanilla, and SKYY Citrus will feature the cobalt blue bottle with sophisticated new touches including a stylish new cap, sleek neck design and an elegant consumer-preferred silver SKYY logo for SKYY Vodka and color-coded logos for each flavor to clearly differentiate Flavors from the core brand.

“Consumers choose SKYY many times because of the cobalt blue bottle,” added Greggor. “These stylish packaging changes reflect our commitment to be a brand leader in spirits packaging.”

Pricing for the new flavors will be parity priced with SKYY Vodka and will begin hitting retail stores in April in 750 ML, 1L, 1.75L and 50 ML sizes. The new brands will be supported by aggressive marketing support including print and outdoor and on premise and off premise promotional support. Advertising for the new products will break shortly after the flavors debut in market.

New Flavors Signal Continued Strong Growth for Skyy Spirits
The new flavors strongly position Skyy Spirits, LLC for future growth. Flavored vodka continues strong growth, up 33 percent in 2002 among premium vodka with Berry and Vanilla flavors growing 59 percent and 177 percent respectively (Source: AC Nielsen, F/D/L, YE 12/21/2002).

Vodka represents the largest most versatile spirit available in the marketplace representing 23% of all spirits sales. Flavored Vodka is one of the fastest growing segments in the US spirits market today.

SKYY Vodka
SKYY is the fastest growing spirit globally and the leading domestic super premium vodka in the United States. SKYY's state-of-the-art process of quadruple distillation and triple filtration yields a dependably pure and ultimately smooth vodka. In addition to 80 proof SKYY Vodka, the SKYY Flavors include all natural SKYY Spiced, SKYY Berry, SKYY Vanilla, and SKYY Citrus. SKYY Cosmo Mix, a non-alcoholic cosmopolitan mixer, and SKYY Blue, a flavored malt beverage jointly marketed with Miller Brewing Company, complete the line of available SKYY products. (www.SKYY.com)

SKYY Spirits
San Francisco-based Skyy Spirits, LLC is one of the fastest growing spirits companies in the world. Originator of SKYY Vodka, Skyy Spirits is a subsidiary of the Campari Group with exclusive marketing and distribution rights for other leading brands including: Campari, Cutty Sark, Glenrothes and Glengoyne, Reserva 1800 & Gran Centenario tequilas, Cinzano, Ouzo 12, Ron Matusalem Rums, Pallini Limoncello and Vermeer Dutch Chocolate Cream.