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Why the name Desperados?  A desperado is a person who decides what they want to do with their lives.  This is a young person who is not afraid to chart their own course. Think of the mantra ‘work hard, play hard’. Think of people in their mid and upper 20’s. Most of my friends fall in this age group. This drink is targeting this particular niche market. Get it from the horse’s mouth, I am almost 25 and I can tell you for a fact that we do work hard. This is the time when people get a glimpse of what they want to do and who they want to be. We might pass as people who live our lives with reckless abandon or people who throw caution to the wind but this is the age where we work so hard to make our dreams happen. But with the hard work comes the need to let loose and kick back.

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#AtDuskWeRise is the tagline that resonates with this experience. If you are a twitter adherent, you have probably come across the hashtag #AtDuskwWeRise.  As the sun sets and darkness falls, this is the time we are shutting down our computers, taking off our suits, letting our hair down and calling our like-minded friends. We just wanna grab a beer, catch up with friends and release the tension of a bee-busy week. This is where desperados comes in.

I recently went to a tasting for a new brand in Eldama Park at Heineken Offices. HEINEKEN East Africa Import Company has expanded its portfolio in East Africa with the introduction of Desperados, the world’s first tequila-flavoured beer.

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DESPERADOS is a tequila flavored beer that caters for the young and young at heart. It was launched a few weeks ago in Kenya and Uganda. It comes in an iconic 330ml long neck, thick glass, highly engraved, transparent bottle.

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It is currently being stocked in supermarkets and outlets countrywide. The drink is straw coloured and almost light yellow. It smells fruity and there is a hint of tequila. Even on the tongue, one could taste the tequila ‘from a distance’. Personally, I love that the beer was not bland-tasting. It tasted fresh and the ladies seemed to enjoy it. In the Kenyan outlets, ladies do not have such a variety of drinks to choose from.  Even the guys loved the drinks. It is 5.9% ABV so you will not get drunk fast.

According to Uche Unigwe, HEINEKEN’s General Manager East Africa. “This is a unique product proposition that will help to further expand the beer category as it is at the boundary between the beer and spirit territories. The launch of Desperados in Kenya marks another milestone for us in this market as we seek to tap the opportunities we see for alternatives to plain lagers and spirits, which we believe is what consumers are looking for.”

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Nina, Uche and Krijn

Desperados was first launched in France in 1995, and is now present in bars and clubs in 66 markets around the globe. It has been delivering double digit growth for the last 6 years, accelerated by its growth in key markets. For example today, in France, Desperados is the number 1 preferred alcohol brand among young adults. In Germany and the UK, it is the fastest growing Imported Premium Lager. In Africa, Desperados has been successfully launched in 11 countries in the past couple of years.

We are very confident in the potential of the product. Consumers are traveling a lot, are curious to experience new products and eager to live unforgettable experiences. Desperados, which has created and led the development of the spirit flavoured beer segment globally, is an authentic proposition geared toward them,” added Carlos Bethancourt, Desperados Global New Business Development Manager.

It was a great tasting and I urged all my friend to try it. It did not disappoint. Order a Desperados next time you go out or have the boys over to watch a game. It is perfect when chilled prior to opening.

Here are Photos

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The Guys Enjoyed it

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even the ladies enjoyed it too..

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People tweeted #AtDuskWerise

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Krijn Jansen (Marketing Manager Heineken E.Africa) facilitating the tasting

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Yusuf & Krijn playing foosball

All Photos by Bundi Anassi Photography.