From: Packaging Strategies

Festive Beverage chose a pouch and pull tab by Ampac (ampaconline.com) for its WingDing™ wine cocktail line.

Ampac, a division of ProAmpac, has launched the Ampac Pull Tab™ beverage pouch, now marketed and produced in the U.S. for alcoholic beverages. Ampac’s Pull Tab award winning beverage pouch first launched in Switzerland for a local juice brand in 2014.

The Ampac Pull Tab pouch is an alternative format to the traditional straw-punch beverage pouch. It is new to the beverage market and provides a hygienic protection of the straw hole with a tear away, customized Ampac Pull Tab label. The premade hole on the pouch body, covered by the label that is applied by fully automatic label dispensers, is novel for this application. The convenient, easy open pull tab feature allows for a larger hole to drink slurries out of – perfect for a frozen ready-to-drink cocktail. Traditional pouches require the consumer to pour the contents into another glass before consuming.

The technology of this pouch is currently produced in Ampac’s Kirchberg, Switzerland location, but is now available in the United States. The Pull Tab pouch now includes alcoholic beverages in a larger sized format (375ml) compared to the original 200ml size for fruit juice based drinks. It is the only flavored cocktail beverage available in the United States in a single-serve stand-up pouch with straw hole and easy to open tab. The pouch can also be placed in the freezer and the product can be enjoyed frozen.

Additional features of the pouch make it truly portable. In comparison to other competing products on the market, the Pull Tab beverage pouch with attached straw creates convenient straw access with no need to tear open the pouch or use a separate cup. The straw hole is pre-cut so no piercing of the straw is needed, in addition to a larger diameter straw providing a better drinking experience.

Because the beverage is in a pouch, there is no fear of glass breakage and a greater reliability when safely used outdoors. The low volume of waste from the pouch, along with a lighter weight compared to glass, also contributes to the benefits of the Pull Tab pouch.

Alcohol consumers between the age of 21 and 35 desire a convenient and portable alcoholic beverage experience for boating, golfing, parks, beaches and sporting events. “The Ampac Pull Tab pouch provides a new and unique experience for consumers. The new format provides consumer convenience and is a fun, unique way to enjoy a cocktail,” says Millie Nuño, ProAmpac’s director of marketing.