What's hitting the shelves? New beverages: May
Social Club Seltzer
Anheuser-Busch has launched a new ‘cocktail inspired’ hard seltzer brand, called Social Club Seltzer, in the US.
Social Club Seltzer comes in three flavors: Old Fashioned, Sidecar and Citrus Gimlet. A 12oz can of the 7% ABV seltzer contains 150 calories.
Positioning itself as a premium option, the seltzer has ‘the flavour of a classic cocktail and the refreshment of a seltzer’.
Anheuser-Busch notes the hard seltzer category has grown more than 300% this year alone. Its research identified a gap for cocktail lovers in the hard seltzer market, with consumer research showing that 83% of cocktail drinkers are interested in a complex and sophisticated beverage.
Biogradable coffee capsules
Premium Swiss brand Mövenpick is launching a new, more sustainable, product in the coffee capsule market this month.
Mövenpick Green Cap packaging is aluminium-free, biodegradable and industrially compostable. The capsules are compatible with Nespresso coffee machines.
All six varieties of the Mövenpick capsule range from JJ Darboven will be converted to Mövenpick Green Cap. In Germany, they will be joined by two new additions: Lungo Gusto Italiano and Espresso Diavolo.
NATRL hard seltzers
NATRL hard seltzers, a new hard seltzer brand in the UK, has been launched by three entrepreneurs.
The hard seltzers use filtered alcohol derived from sugar beet, sparkling water and a hint of natural fruit flavouring made from real fruit. Sold in 250ml cans, each 4% ABV drink contains 75 calories and is free from additives or sweeteners.
NATRL comes in two flavors: Lemon & Lime and Peach & Raspberry.
Matt Richardson, Co-Founder of NATRL said: “We’re all becoming more conscious about our health, whether it’s pushing ourselves towards a new fitness goal or just feeling as fresh as humanly possible. The RTD market is overwhelmed with high sugar, high calorie drinks that leave you feeling sluggish. NATRL aims to fill the gap for those who prioritise well-being, but still want a refreshing, flavourful alcoholic drink.”
Mushroom Ground Coffee
Four Sigmatic is introducing Mushroom Ground Coffee with Probiotics: claiming to be ‘the first truly gut friendly coffee product with functional mushrooms and effective probiotics’.
The new drink offers the same coffee taste and experience but is blended with functional mushrooms, probiotics and prebiotics.
Mushroom Ground Coffee with Probiotics is made with a base of Fair-Trade 100% Organic Arabica Coffee from Guatemala, blended with gut supporting Turkey Tail and Chaga functional mushrooms, along with 1 billion CFU of heat resistant probiotics, and prebiotics from yacon, combined to provide a complete wellness brew. The Bacillus subtilis probiotic strain used in this coffee can endure temperatures as high as boiling water and persist through stomach acid.
“Coffee is consumed by more than 62% of Americans, so we always strive to offer better-for-you options at Four Sigmatic,” says Tero Isokauppila, Founder and CEO of Four Sigmatic. “Our coffee, including our newest Mushroom Ground Coffee with Probiotics, works for the immune and digestive systems rather than against them, with functional mushrooms to offset the potential negative impacts drinking normal coffee has on the body.”
The launch joins range of products available in 55 countries and sold at national retailers in the US such as Whole Foods Market, Sprouts, Amazon and Thrive Market, as well as other stores where natural products are available.
Smirnoff Seltzer
Smirnoff launched its hard seltzer, Smirnoff Seltzer Red, White & Berry, in time for Memorial Day in the US.
The 4.5% ABV seltzer limited edition features the combination of cherry, citrus and blue raspberry, and contains zero sugar and 90 calories. It comes in color changing cans.
The suggested retail price is $12.99 per 12-pack of 12 oz cans.
Sparkling lemonade
IZZE has launched IZZE Sparkling Lemonade, a ‘sparkling new twist on America’s favorite summertime beverage’.
Available in Original Lemonade and Blackberry Lemonade flavors, IZZE Sparking Lemonade is made with 70% fruit juice and a splash of sparkling water with no added sugar and comes in two formats, 8.4 oz cans and 12 oz. glass bottles.
The drinks can be found on Amazon, Target, and Walmart at a suggested retail price of $0.99 for a 8.4oz single serve can; $3.69 for a 4 pack of cans; and $4.99 for a 4 pack of 12oz bottles.
Vittel Pamplemousse
Bottled water brand Vittel has launched Vittel UP Pamplemousse – a grapefruit flavored variety – in France.
The water – which mixes Vittel’s natural mineral water with a touch of fruit and a pinch of certified organic cane sugar – follows on from the launch of UP peach and UP lemon lime in 2019.
UP Pamplemousse comes in 1L and 4x50cl bottles, which are made from 50% rPET.
Vittel is also releasing UP peach in a 33cl children’s format.
Kopparberg hard seltzers
Kopparberg is launching a trio of hard seltzers in the UK: mixed berries; black cherry and passionfruit.
The 5% ABV hard seltzers are vegan friendly, gluten-free and contain 93 calories per 300ml can.
Kopparberg Hard Seltzers are available in Morrisons and Tesco with a recommended price of £2.20 per 330ml can. They join Kopparberg’s ‘aqua spritz’ brand Balans, which was launched in 2019.
Cold brew tea
A new premium socially responsible beverage brand, Promise Beverages, has launched in the US with a line of craft small batch Cold Brew Tea.
Made with high-quality, organic ingredients, Promise Cold Brew Teas bring together ‘delicious flavors, an innovative brewing process and more sustainable packaging, all with the goal of helping to solve the water crisis in Sub-Saharan Africa where the brand sources its tea leaves.’
Promise Cold Brew Teas are handcrafted in small batches, following a cold, slow brewing process in which the tea is steeped in cold water over time. The end result is a smooth, delicate flavor accentuating the notes from the tea leaves. Promise Cold Brew Teas are non-GMO, contain no artificial ingredients and are sweetened naturally using the best-tasting part of the stevia leaf.
Promise Cold Brew Tea is available in two flavors, Unsweet African Hibiscus, a tart and fruity tea with notes of citrus and pomegranate, and Slightly Sweet Island Mango, a rich black tea paired with notes of sweet mango. Each flavor contains five calories or less.
The teas are packaged in paperboard gallon boxes which are fully recyclable. The one gallon box has a smaller carbon footprint than traditional glass bottles.
Promise has partnered with The Water Project, a charity that provides access to clean, safe and reliable water and sanitation solutions across Sub-Saharan Africa. Promise donates a portion of net sales to help provide water for people in these communities, many of which are located in the same regions that grow and harvest tea leaves used to make the Cold Brew Tea.
White Claw Hard Seltzer launches in the UK
White Claw Hard Seltzer is launching in the UK, with more global launches expected to follow.
White Claw is largely credited with spearheading the booming hard seltzer phenomenon in the US, and currently enjoys an almost 60% market share in the country.
Launched in the US in 2016 by Mark Anthony Brands, White Claw Hard Seltzer is made from sparkling water, a triple distilled spirit and hint of natural fruit flavour. It has 95 calories per 330ml can and will enter the UK with three flavours: raspberry, black cherry and natural lime. It has an ABV of 4.5% and is naturally flavoured with no artificial sweeteners.
It will be distributed in the UK by Mark Anthony Brands and launches nationwide in Tesco, Morrison’s and Sainsbury’s on June 1.
Davin Nugent, CEO of Mark Anthony Brands International says, “We are delighted to launch White Claw Hard Seltzer in the UK, the brand’s first market outside of North America.
"Making the decision to come here was an easy one, as consumers familiar with the brand in America have made sure to have their voices heard on our social media channels; demanding we bring White Claw to these shores.
"UK retailers have also been hugely supportive of our plans as we seek to lead the development of an entirely new category in alcohol beverage, just as we have done in the US.”
