Diageo has launched three 20% abv products, marking its entry into the mid-strength category.

The launches, under the Gordon’s, Smirnoff and Captain Morgan brands, are intended to “provide consumers more choice within Diageo’s portfolio for different occasions”.

 The company cited health, wellness, affordability and more casual get-togethers as key drivers behind the launch.

The 20% abv range will roll out in selected Tesco stores from mid-September and the company said it is “designed to create a new space between existing alcohol categories, combining the familiarity of some of Diageo’s best-known brands with a proposition that reflects the increasingly flexible way consumers approach alcohol”.

Diageo said flavour has been central to the development of the range, with Gordon’s said to deliver “its signature juniper-forward profile with citrus and botanical notes”, while Captain Morgan offers “hints of vanilla, brown sugar and caramel with warming spice”. Smirnoff is described as having “a clean, smooth finish with subtle grain and citrus characteristics”.

Mark Sandys, chief product officer at Diageo said: “When socialising today, consumers want choice and it’s our job to ensure that our brands offer something for every occasion, including different abv options. Consumers expect great taste and quality from brands they know and love and we’ve worked hard to ensure that these new products from Smirnoff, Captain Morgan and Gordon’s deliver the same great flavour, with just less alcohol.”

 To help establish mid-strength as a distinct category, the product range features a teal colour across all three bottles. The 70cl mid-strength range will have an rrp of £15.