What's hitting the shelves? New beverages: April
Wildflower gin
The Cotswolds Distillery has launched its small-batch Wildflower Gin Collection in the UK this month. The collection’s first expression, No.1 Wildflower Gin, is a blend of cornflowers, locally grown lavender and orange, layered over the distillery’s classic London Dry gin.
Inspired by the wildflowers growing in the ‘glorious grasslands’ of the Cotswolds, a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the Wildflower Gin Collection has been created by marrying premium botanicals with the gin distilling and blending skills of the Cotswolds Distillery team.
The 41.7% ABV gin is made by distilling a London Dry base which contains juniper, coriander and angelica root in the distillery’s 500L Holstein still, Lorelei, using only the ‘hearts’, the purest part of the spirit run. The spirit is then blended with essences of orange, lavender, cornflowers and rhubarb root before adding a touch of sugar and filtered water to bring the final bottling strength down to 41.7% ABV. The result is a “fragrant gin bursting with natural flavour and delicate floral aromas of summer meadows.”
Vizzy Hard Seltzer hits shelves
Molson Coors is introducing its Vizzy Hard Seltzer nationwide in the US this month. The new hard seltzer features antioxidant vitamin C and is available in four flavor combinations: Pineapple Mango, Black Cherry Lime, Blueberry Pomegranate and Strawberry Kiwi. Vizzy is gluten free and contains 100 calories, 1 gram of sugar and 5% alcohol by volume per can.
Elizabeth Hitch, Director of Hard Seltzers and Molson Coors, said: “Vizzy is made with the acerola cherry, an antioxidant vitamin C rich superfruit. In fact, acerola cherries contain roughly 30 times more vitamin C per cup than oranges.
“The hard seltzer category is becoming more crowded with many brands following the same playbook. We created Vizzy to have all of the things the other hard seltzers have, but with a meaningful addition that drinkers actually care about.”
BrewDog Lockdown
Scottish craft brewer BrewDog has launched its ‘first shower beer’, Lock Down, a German-style pilsner.
“The refreshing pilsner is a classic beer with a guava and grapefruit twist, delivering drinkers a fresh, fruit hit, a guaranteed thirst quencher - to be enjoyed in a whole new way, at home,” says the company.
“Lock Down is designed to be clean and refreshing. Just like your shower. Lock Down. Stay Home.”
Drinkable yogurt
German dairy Berchtesgadener Land is launching a new variety of low-fat yogurt drink: peach-passionfruit.
The new SKU replaces the multifruit variety and will join the other flavors in the line: strawberry; raspberry-lemon and blackcurrant.
The main ingredient is a low-fat drinking yogurt that is refined with buttermilk.
The drink is mildly acidified with lactic acid bacteria Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidus.
The soluble fiber oligofructose also makes the drink gut-friendly, according to the dairy.
Green tea mixers
Two Keys, a premium range of sparkling mixers offering an alternative to tonic and soda, has launched in the UK. The four-strong range, available in 200ml recycled glass bottles and coming in at less than 40 calories per serve, consists of Green Tea, Black Tea, Pink Grapefruit, and Lemon.
Two Keys' drinks are available to purchase online from 31Dover and Amazon Prime.
In early 2019, founders James Simpson and Jack Herlihy set themselves the task of creating a range of completely new mixers that would challenge common perceptions about the way people consume spirits. "Inspired by their travels around the world to source the very best ingredients, each variant has been carefully chosen for the way it complements traditional spirits, allowing consumers to experiment with new flavours to find their ultimate spirit and mixer combination," says the brand.
"Two Keys sources its raw ingredients from artisan producers across the world: Ceylon, Assam and Lapsang Souchong teas are grown in Sri Lanka, India and China retrospectively; Kukicha, Gyokuro and Tencha green teas – some of the most sought-after teas, are all harvested in Japan. Meanwhile, all citrus fruits in the Lemon and Pink Grapefruit mixers are carefully sourced from the best selection of Southern Spanish farms with the pink grapefruits coming from the Andalusia region and lemons from Murcia."
The mixers are designed to enhance (rather than mask) the individual flavors of spirits such as tequila, gin and whisky.
Starlino
Fine wine and spirits company Biggar and Leith has launched The Hotel Starlino range of Vermouths and Aperitivos.
Starlino Vermouths hail from the Vergnano family’s Torino Distillati, in Piedmonte, North-Eastern Italy. Beppe Ronco, Master Distiller and Winemaker at Torino Distillati said, “Torino is the birth-place of Vermouth and here at Torino Distillati we’ve been making them for around 100 years. We are seeing a huge resurgence of interest in Vermouths and Aperitivos and wanted to create something new, fresh and delicious to bring this forgotten but wonderful category back to life. Vermouths are showing signs of being the next big thing.”
The packaging for the Hotel Starlino Vermouths and Aperitivos is inspired by and celebrates Italy’s turn of the twentieth century design and architecture. This design style, known in Italy as Stile Liberty, is famous in Torino.
There are three drinks in The Hotel Starlino range – Rosé, Arancione and Rosso. They are made using traditional methods and is bottled at 17% alcohol by volume.
Starlino Aperitivos and Vermouth are distributed in the UK and internationally at an average shelf price of £23 for a 75cl bottle or $25 dollars for a 75cl bottle.
Life Juice
French drinks maker Life Juice has developed a new line of pomegranate drinks to 'gently support' the body.
The new beverages are available in two varieties: pomegranate, purple carrot juice and turmeric, as well as pomegranate beetroot ginger.
The juices contain active compounds including antioxidant polyphenols (more than 2g per liter), organic acids, potassium, vitamins (Vitamin C and Vitamin B) and folic acid.
The new variety will be available in two pack formats: 75cl bottles and a six pack of individual bottles (6 × 120ml).
Life Juice is available at supermarket Monoprix throughout France and at Carrefour Market, Carrefour City, Leclerc, Auchan Hypermarché (in Ile-de-France) and at Géant Casino (in the south).
Wine spritzers
A new canned wine variety, MOVO Wine Spritzers, hits shelves in the US this month.
MOVO has a 5.5% ABV and contains 100 calories per 8.4oz can. It is available in three flavors and is made from four ingredients: wine, sparkling water, fruit juice and natural flavors.
Describing the product as a 'modern take on vino', the three flavors are:
- Peach White Blend: White wine blend with a touch of white grape sweetness countered by a hit of green apple-like acidity
- Raspberry Rosé: Rosé blend that’s dry and fruit forward, with a berry-like tartness accented by a hint of sweetness
- Blood Orange Sangria: Ruby cabernet featuring fruit forward and oaky highlights, balanced with a subtle sweetness
Tenzing plant-based energy
Tenzing has brought forward the launch of its 'most powerful plant-based energy drink' to meet the needs of 'people concentrating on keeping active' during lockdown in the UK.
Tenzing Blackberry & Açaí includes anti-oxidising berries and plant-based Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs). The company noted that 'most' BCAAs are derived from animal sources. The company has developed a way of sourcing BCAAs from corn using fermentation and prebiotics.
The bigger 330ml can also contains 30% more caffeine than their previous two blends.
"This new super-charged blend unlocks the power of plants to energise a workout, hydrate the body, support muscle growth and reduce post workout muscle burn,” says founder Huib van Bockel.
"We found a way to source BCAA from corn and are excited to launch the world’s first naturally energising drink with plant-based BCAAs.”
