Gasteiner gets in on the act

Why canned water is now a trendy drink

From apple to lemon to orange: Gasteiner focuses on natural flavors when the water comes in 330-milliliter cans.

(Bild: Krone KREATIV/janvier – stock.adobe.com, Markus Wenzel)

"Water didn't used to be the coolest category. That has changed," says Spitz boss Walter Scherb. The food manufacturer from Attnang-Puchheim (Upper Austria) is getting involved in the non-alcoholic segment with its Gasteiner brand, which has a new image. Read here what makes "Mineral" cool.

Walter Scherb is dressed all in black - as if he has coordinated his outfit with the black and pink Gasteiner can containing the limited edition of raspberry-lemon flavored mineral water that the head of food manufacturer Spitz has placed on the table in front of him.

"Water didn't used to be the coolest category. That has changed," says Walter Scherb.

(Bild: Wenzel Markus)

Gasteiner is the most important beverage brand for the food manufacturer from Attnang-Puchheim, and is now increasingly coming into focus by partnering with music events and even organizing its own concert tour. "Music is my absolute passion," says Scherb, who provided the impetus for this offensive.

The can has many advantages. Because it is made of aluminum, it is infinitely recyclable. Metal also has a big advantage over glass: it is much lighter, it doesn't break and it is still less energy-intensive than a disposable glass bottle.

Walter Scherb, Geschäftsführer Lebensmittelhersteller Spitz

An exuberant atmosphere, special moments - all this is intended to boost consumers' buying mood. Mineral water in a can no longer surprises anyone - especially not since the US brand "Liquid Death" had still and sparkling water filled into cans by the Starzinger Group in Frankenmarkt during the start-up phase, decorated them with skulls and sold them in America.

Plastic and PET were portrayed as bad in the public eye. The can as a container benefited greatly from this.

Walter Scherb

Ice Age water in a can is now also being marketed as "Blue Bomb" by Volker Viechtbauer, a companion of Red Bull founder Didi Mateschitz, and Victor Starzinger.

Natural products with little sugar are becoming more popular
How is it that canned water is booming so much? "In general, we're noticing that cans are growing very strongly as a container - throughout Europe," says Scherb. The infinite recyclability of aluminum helps, as does the trend towards natural products with little sugar.

Up to 600 million cans per year from Attnang-Puchheim
Upscale packaging makes it easier for people who don't want to be seen as boring in an environment where others are drinking alcohol. Spitz can fill up to 600 million cans a year in Attnang-Puchheim: "The lines are currently working at full capacity."