What's hitting the shelves? New products: March
Nescafé goes nitro
Nestlé is launching a coffee drink infused with nitrogen for a smoother taste in the UK.
Nescafé Azera Nitro is available in Americano or Latte flavors – with Americano offering a smooth black coffee and Latte delivering a creamier version.
“Best served chilled, consumers will be enthralled upon opening a can of Nescafé Azera Nitro. The refreshing sound that occurs as the nitrogen is released; infusing through the coffee, is not only satisfying but builds anticipation before your first sip. As you start to drink, the benefits of the nitrogen will truly come to life through a unique, smoother and creamier tasting coffee,” according to Nestlé.
In addition to retail, Nescafé Azera Nitro Americano will be available for the catering and hospitality trades exclusively through Nestlé Professional.
Sparkling soda with cold brew coffee
Artisanal coffee brand Sandows has launched a sparkling RTD soda, which is made using cold brew coffee.
It says the drinks are the first of their kind in the UK, and the line is being rolled out nationwide in April with listings in Selfridges, Sourced Market and Whole Foods along with 150 independents.
The sodas are available in two flavors, Spice and Citrus and are a unique mix of natural flavors, spices and cold brew coffee. They are dairy-free, vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free as well as low in sugar, falling below the sugar tax.
The 250ml stubby can retails for £1.99.
“With the new format, innovative ingredient combinations and accessible price point, Sandows aim to attract new consumers to the premium cold brew coffee market,” says the brand. “The drinks, which have a natural caffeine content from the coffee base, offer an exciting alternative to sugar laden energy and soft drinks, whilst retaining the same level of functionality.”
“Our key learning has been to understand the cold brew occasion and how it differs from the morning flat white as a coffee moment. Cold brew plus milk makes people think breakfast coffee, but cold brew doesn’t need to be a breakfast drink. Our range of cold brew drinks, without milk/mylk, give retailers the opportunity to position cold brew as a great low or no sugar pick-me-up for the afternoon slump.”
Powerade: pineapple and coconut
Coca-Cola South Pacific has launched a new Powerade ION4 flavor, Powerade Pineapple Storm ION4 + Coconut Water in Australia.
The drink offers a ‘refreshing twist’ on hydration, combining the fruity flavor of pineapple and the taste of coconut water.
“Thjs innovation has been introduced to meet contemporary consumer needs in the sports category,” says Coca-Cola. “Primarily aimed at physically active 16-39 year-olds, the new beverage has the same benefits as the POWERADE ION4 range, which helps to replace a range of the electrolytes lost through sweat: sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium, plus the great flavors of pineapple and coconut.”
The beverage will be available across Australia in major and independent retailers in a 600ml serve for a limited time.
Water in juice boxes
Rethink Water is adding three new flavors to its range: with organic fruit punch, organic strawberry lemon and organic orange mango joining the existing flavors (purified water, organic apple water and organic berry water).
Packaged in a traditional juice box with a straw, Rethink Kids Water is designed as an alternative to juice and bottled water. All drinks are zero sugar and zero calorie.
Rethink Brands launched Rethink water in 2016, aiming to help reduce the number of plastic bottles that end up in landfills and oceans each year. Last year it honed in on the ‘underserved market’ for parents who want to give their children a sugar-free drink option with the launch of Rethink Kids Water.
“This year, after demand from customers who want to make smarter and easier choices for their children, Rethink Kids Water is doubling its flavor offerings and increasing its retail footprint,” says co-founder and CEO Matt Swanson.
The new flavors will be on shelves in the US in April in more than 10,000 stores nationwide, including Walmart, Kroger and Target, priced at $2.99 - $3.69 for a pack of eight.
‘Cocktail with no boundaries’
Yummix’s ‘ready-to-go’ cocktails have launched in Texas and South Carolina in the US. Each bottle has two chambers: the top containing gourmet juice and the bottom containing premium vodka or tequila.
“Partygoers can mix their own fresh cocktail anytime, anywhere simply by twisting off the bottom and pouring the premium spirit into the juice. It’s quick, easy, and delivers a high-end cocktail experience wherever you are,” said founder and CEO Alex Garner.
“We put a lot of thought into both the bottle design and the concept, which is a superior cocktail without preservatives or added sweeteners that weaken the flavor profile. The result is a beverage that tastes like it was just made by a top mixologist, with a bright, fresh flavor that’s both portable and shelf stable.”
YUMIX comes in three flavors: Classic Margarita, crisp Orange Mango, and sweet and sour Sea Breeze with cranberry and grapefruit. Each juice bottle is 8.2 ounces and contains two to eight grams of sugar, with 10 to 35 calories per juice serving. Once mixed with the attached 50 milliliters of vodka or tequila, every YUMIX is 8.3% ABV.
Nescafé relaunches Nescafé Gold
Nestlé is relaunching Nescafé Gold, a soluble coffee which includes micrograins of Arabica coffee ground 10 times finer than ordinary ground coffee to ‘enhance the hidden taste and aroma of the Gold Blend’.
The brand has a new formulation, packaging and communication, and includes a FairTrade organic version.
“Care and attention has been taken at every step of the process – from the selection of the cherry beans, the roasting, the grinding and the preparation – to ensure a premium coffee experience in every cup,” according to the brand.
The new Nescafé Gold has been introduced in the UK and will be rolled-out in Europe and across the world.
Jane Walker
Diageo has released a ‘Jane Walker’ special edition of its Johnnie Walker Black Label brand in the US, coinciding with Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day on March 8.
The Jane Walker edition will feature a female version of the Johnnie Walker ‘Striding Man’ icon.
Diageo says the Scotch whisky brand has always stood for progress, and the Jane Walker edition is a sign of its commitment to gender equality.
Johnnie Walker Black Label The Jane Walker Edition is available in the US for a suggested retail price of $34 for a 750ml bottle (40% ABV).
PG tips: tea for non-dairy milk and 100% biodegradable tea bags
PG tips has launched a tea designed to be drunk with non-dairy milk, called ‘Perfect with Dairy-Free’.
“PG tips 'Perfect with Dairy Free' is true to its word, a specially blended black tea that tastes great with dairy-free alternatives, giving you a great tasting cuppa every time,” according to the Unilever brand.
“Our specially blended tea perfectly complements a variety of dairy free alternatives. Whether you prefer soya, almond or another plant based alternative, you'll now be able enjoy a great tasting cuppa.”
PG tips has also launched tea bags that are 100% biodegradable: removing the plastic polypropylene which is commonly used as a sealant.
The new tea bags instead use a material made from corn starch which is fully biodegradable. PG tips wants to see all of its tea bags move to the new material by the end of the year.
Lipton’s new iced tea
Lipton has launched Lipton Iced Tea with a Splash of Real Juice in the US.
The three flavors – berry, tropical and pear-peach – are made with a blend of iced tea and real fruit juice.
All flavors will be available in 20-ounce single serve bottles for a suggested retail price of $1.49. Berry and Tropical flavors will also be offered in 16.9 ounce 12-multi-packs, for a suggested retail price of $4.99.
Galipette Cidre launches in the Netherlands
Cider Supply Co has signed a distribution agreement with Van Bieren to distribute the Galipette Cidre range, a pure juice French cider, in the Netherlands.
“The cider category has started to gather momentum in the Netherlands over the past few years. As the consumer trends are shifting towards natural and craft, we are confident that the Dutch consumers, both female and male, are ready to discover what the real cider, made of 100% natural pure juice, has to offer,” said Ilkka Soini of Cider Supply Co.
Jeroen Welten of Van Bieren said: “The product is not only clean from added sugar, artificial sweeteners and concentrate, but it also delivers the unmistakable, natural taste of real apple. Demand for natural and organic products by the increasingly conscious and knowledgeable consumers have never been higher, which is exactly why we believe that Galipette range offers a hugely relevant proposition.”
