What’s hitting the shelves? New products February 2018

Diageo Australia launches Tanqueray & Tonic​​

Diageo Australia has launched a 5.3% ABV premix gin and tonic, Tanqueray and Tonic.

Diageo says gin is the second fastest growing category within spirits and ‘one of the most vibrant and interesting’.

“With Tanqueray and Tonic, we hope to welcome new drinkers to the gin category and make the premix experience more accessible and enjoyable,” ​says Diageo Australia.

“We know that consumers are looking for everyday premium experiences they can enjoy at home where convenience doesn’t compromise on quality.”​

The drink is available as a 275ml glass bottle 4 pack, retailing at $29.99 AUD. One serve contains 93 calories and 1.1 standard drinks.

Low alcohol berry blend​​

Woodstar, a 1% proof berry blend that uses berries from Brazil and is crafted in the Cognac region of France, has been launched this month at London Fashion week.

The low alcohol and low calorie drink has been created to appeal to adults who want to limit their alcohol consumption but still enjoy socializing with friends.

Although the beverage looks like wine, it is not made from grapes but a blend of Amazonian Acai berry, French blackcurrants, other berries, orange blossom honey, botanicals and cocoa.

The beverage is produced by a fourth generation cognac maker, and is named after the Amethyst Woodstar hummingbird, which lives in the Amazon rainforest where the Acai berries grow.

Simon Baldry, one of the founders, says many consumers find today’s alcohol alternatives too dull or sweet.

“Woodstar is unique because although it’s not completely alcohol-free, at just 1% proof, there’s a real depth and subtlety of flavors to be sipped and savored.​

“Woodstar has character on the nose, lightness in the mouth and a dry finish that suits a sophisticated palate, it actually has more complexity than the average table wine.”​

The beverage is targeting restaurants, high quality specialist retailers and online.

PepsiCo launches bubly​​

PepsiCo has launched new sparkling water bubly in the US, a drink without artificial flavors, sweeteners or calories.

Available in the US as of this month, bubly is available in eight flavors: limebubly, grapefruitbubly, lemonbubly, strawberrybubly, orangebubly, applebubly, mangobubly and cherrybubly.

PepsiCo says the brand will use ‘an upbeat and playful sense of humor to shake up the sparkling water category’

Bubly is available in 12oz cans and 20oz bottles.

The launch follows the introduction of premium bottled water LIFEWTR last year and also helps PepsiCo work towards its target of having two-thirds of its beverage portfolio volume contain less than 100 calories from added sugars per 12oz serve by 2025.

Jon Bon Jovi launches premium rose wine​​

Musician Jon Bon Jovi and French winemaker Gérard Bertrand have partnered to launch a premium rose wine label, Diving into Hampton Water, for the US market.

The brand seeks to offer a wine ‘emblematic of a bon vivant lifestyle’, drawing on the relaxed lifestyles of both the Hamptons and the South of France.

The wine is described as “fresh and lively, with distinctive minerality, featuring grenache, cinsault and mourvèdre grape varieties characteristic of the French Mediterranean region.​”​

Diving into Hampton Water will retail for $25.

Carlsberg beers for gastronomic dining​​

Carlsberg has launched two beers for Michelin-starred dining in Denmark.

The cask-conditioned beers, Jacobsen Chanterelle Lager and Jacobsen Sour Rye, were created in partnership with the Nordic Food Lab at the University of Copenhagen.

Both Jacobsen Chanterelle Lager and Jacobsen Sour Rye have undergone primary fermentation, cellaring in new casks made of various types of wood beneath the Jacobsen Brewhouse, and a final bottle conditioning in 37.5 cl champagne bottles. The result is high-end beers made from natural ingredients with an ABV of 10%.

The beers are available at Michelin-starred restaurant Ti Trin Ned in Fredericia, Denmark.

Organic French juice​​

Organic French brand Vitabio has released two new flavors: apple, blackcurrant and beetroot; and kiwi fruit, spinach, cabbage and kale.

The 100% fruit/vegetable drinks retail for €4.10 and €3.15 respectively, and are sold in a 50cl glass bottle.

The new flavors join three smoothies in the portfolio: pineapple, guava and banana; pear, pineapple and apple; and mango, pineapple and acerola.

San Benedetto​​

AG Barr is bringing premium Italian soft drinks brand San Benedetto to the UK.

San Benedetto contains 12% juice and 86 calories per can, and comes in Limone and Clementina flavors.

AG Barr says shoppers are looking for premium, exciting and indulgent products that taste good, with 15% growth in high fruit adult carbonates.  

Coca-Cola: Maaza Gold​​

Coca-Cola India has launched Maaza Gold, a premium mango drink.

Maaza Gold comes in a one-liter Tetra Pak with metallic laminate to help it stand out on the shelf. It is on sale from retail outlets, select grocery stores and online.

Maaza Gold can be consumed as a juice or mixed with milk for a milkshake or poured on top of ice cream.

The Maaza brand has been available in India since the 1970s.

Thums Up launches in Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and Sri Lanka​​

Coca-Cola India is expanding its cola beverage brand Thums Up to markets in south west Asia, including Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and Sri Lanka.

The drink was launched in 1977 and acquired by Coca-Cola in 1993.

Coca-Cola India says the expansion to new markets is a key milestone in its ambitions to make Thums Up the first home-grown billion dollar beverage brand by 2020.

Coca-Cola India also launched a new line of Thums Up, Thums Up Charged, in India in November.  

Heineken 0.0 launches in Canada​​

Heineken’s alcohol-free lager, Heineken 0.0, has launched in Canada: the first North American country to offer the beverage.

Heineken says it is seeing strong growth in the alcohol-free sector, with consumers seeking to live a balanced healthy lifestyle.

The Canadian roll-out follows the brand’s launch in 16 European markets last year. In Canada it is available at Grocery Nationwide and other select retailers, coming in 330ml cans and bottles, 6 packs of 330ml cans and 6 packs of 330ml bottles.

Juiced​​

Britvic has launched a new Robinsons Fruit Shoot drink called 'Juiced' to drive growth in the children's category. 

Juiced is a 50/50 blend of juice and water using naturally sourced ingredients, and is free from preservatives, added sugar, sweeteners or artificial colors and flavors. 

The new range has three flavors: apple and pear; strawberry and raspberry, and orange and pineapple. The drinks come in multipacks of six transparent 200ml bottles. 

Yakult Light​​

Yakult Danone India, a joint venture between Yakult Honsha and Danone, has released a reduced sugar Yakult Light.

The new formulation contains vitamins D and E, along with Yakult's Lactobacillus casei​ strain Shirota​, but is sweetened with a reduced amount of sugar and steviol glycosides. 

SPAR sugar free cola​​

Convenience store chain SPAR has launched Classic Cola Zero Sugar under its SPAR Brand range in the UK.

SPAR says the launch is 'bang-on-trend' given the upcoming sugar tax, which comes into effect in April.

SPAR has removed 168 tonnes of sugar from its carbonated soft drinks lines since 2016.

Classic Cola Zero Sugar comes in 500ml and 2L formats for 59p and 89p respectively.