What's hitting the shelves? New beverage launches
Ready to serve margarita
Tequila brand Olmeca Altos has launched Olmeca Altos Ready To Serve Strawberry Margarita in the US.
“Following last year's launch of the Altos Ready To Serve Classic Lime Margarita, the new Altos Ready To Serve Strawberry Margarita uses premium ingredients with rich flavors – made with award-winning Altos Plata Tequila, natural strawberry flavor and agave syrup - resulting in a fresh, sophisticated taste with a subtle sweetness and perfectly balanced finish,” says the brand.
“Here's to bar-quality margaritas at home in three simple steps: unscrew the 750mL glass bottle, pour over ice, and sip!”
Altos’ Ready-to-Serve Margaritas are best enjoyed over ice and should be refrigerated after being opened. The drinks are available nationwide at wine and spirit shops and online at a SRP: $19.99 / 750mL | 15% ABV.
Coldpress launches extra large shot sizes
Coldpress is launching a juice shot: eying up the category as the fastest growing segment within premium tier juices.
The shot comes in two versions: apple ginger (with 17% ginger) and orange apple passionfruit turmeric (10% turmeric), packaged in hexagonal bottles.
The drink has been designed to offer a cheaper alternative to other juice shots: launching its 150ml hexagonal bottles in the £1.50 - £2: the same price point as incumbent 60ml-100ml offerings, says the brand.
Buchanan's Pineapple
Buchanan's Blended Scotch Whisky is introducing Buchanan’s Pineapple: a blend of Scotch Whisky from House of Buchanan’s and natural flavors.
Buchanan's Pineapple ‘features notes of light caramel and vanilla, the luscious taste of juicy pineapple, and a bright, zesty citrus finish; and the new blend is bursting with pineapple flavor that is beautifully balanced with the traditional smoothness of whisky from the House of Buchanan’s’.
It can be served over ice or mixed with seltzer water and a squeeze of lime.
"For years, Buchanan's has been welcomed into the culture and celebrations of the Hispanic American community, often mixed with pineapple juice, resulting in one of our most popular serves, the Buchanita, which helped inspire us to create this new blended whisky flavor,” says Joyce He, Director of Buchanan's Whisky.
"With Buchanan’s Pineapple, we are combining one of the most beloved flavors in Hispanic culture with the same distinct smoothness from the House of Buchanan’s people have enjoyed for more than 130 years."
Buchanan's Pineapple (750ml; 35% ABV) is a permanent addition to the Diageo North America brand’s portfolio and will be available for purchase online and in retail stores in the US wherever fine spirits are sold with a suggested retail price of $29.99.
Oat milk
Creamer brand natural bliss is entering the oat milk category with two products – original and unsweetened – new oat milks made from a blend of oats and fava bean protein.
The drink contains 5g of protein per serving (two times the amount of the leading oat milk brand, according to natural bliss) and less sugar than dairy milk.
“As interest in plant-based beverages continues to rise, we’re thrilled to expand our natural bliss portfolio beyond the creamer aisle to introduce our first-ever ready-to-drink Oat Milk,” said Daniel Jhung, President of Beverage at Nestlé USA.
“We know our consumers seek products that are both delicious and nutritious, and this offering delivers with a first-to-market blend of oat and fava bean protein that has more protein than the leading oat milk brand, less sugar than dairy milk, and can be enjoyed in several ways, at any time of day.”
Blood Orange cider
Swedish cider brand Rekorderlig has launched its latest flavor, Blood Orange, in the US.
The blood orange flavor first launched internationally, becoming a top seller in major markets within the first 18 months of launch.
“The tropical blood orange cider is refreshingly citrusy with the fresh, juicy taste of Blood Oranges. This new addition has a bright, vibrant color and sharp, sweet flavor, best served over ice with an orange garnish,” says the brand.
Rekorderlig Ciders are made with Swedish spring water, gluten-free, and suitable for vegan drinkers.
Blood Orange is available now at select retailers and on-premise locations across the US. The new flavor is available in 4 packs of 11.2oz cans.
Roar Organic
Roar Organic, a line of organic beverages with a blend of vitamins, antioxidants and electrolytes, has unveiled the latest additions to its portfolio.
Strawberry Lemonade, the latest flavor of their functional hydration and wellness beverages, brings a ‘refreshingly sweet and mildly tart addition’ to the core Complete Hydration beverage line.
“The new Strawberry Lemonade flavor is packed with electrolytes, vitamins and antioxidants for the “whole package.” This smooth, multi-functional flavor makes it easy for consumers to live a healthy, effortless lifestyle, with each bottle providing 100% daily value of vitamins C, B5, B6 and B12 and as an excellent source of antioxidants from vitamins A, C and E, with only 20 calories and 2g of sugar per bottle. “
The brand is also extending its mission of delivering immunity-boosting hydration for consumers on-the-go with Roar Plus, a naturally flavored vitamin and electrolyte drink mix available on QVC and online.
Roar Plus marks the brand’s introduction to the hydration powders space as it looks to provide consumers with immunity-boosting benefits on-the-go. Similar to the line of Complete Hydration beverages, Roar Plus is packed with a blend of antioxidants, vitamins and electrolytes, and is also boosted with 1,000 mg of vitamin c, as well as added zinc, elderberry and green tea polyphenols, with only 2g of sugar and 20 calories per single-serve stick.
Functional soda range
Fibe, a functional soda range, has launched in the UK.
Boasting a completely natural ingredient list, the trio of 250ml can each contain 5g of prebiotic fiber as well as the added benefits of Calcium and Vitamin C, for gut and immune health.
Pitched as the perfect ‘new age soda’ without compromise on taste, they contain 30 calories a can, are low in sugar and come in three classic soda flavours; Zesty Orange, Fruit Punch and Lush Lemonade.
After acknowledging the ‘fiber gap’, the drinks were designed primarily to support digestive health with the addition of plant based prebiotic fibre, proven to increase microbial diversity in the gut. FIBE prides itself on its nostalgic taste credentials - playing into conventional soda flavours like orange, lemonade, fruit punch, with the aim of offering everyday soda drinkers an accessible ‘gateway drink’ that looks and tastes like soda, but actually benefits the body.
The brand is the brainchild of Fix8 Kombucha Founder Freya Twigden, following her experience in soft drinks and the rapidly growing gut health category.
“The aim is to create an accessible range that gives us the opportunity to bring classic soda drinkers into the functional category as well as appeal to lapsed soda drinkers, looking for a healthier option, but where drinks like CBD, adaptogens or kombucha might be too much of a stretch for taste or price. There is no Ginseng or Hibiscus here!” said Twigden.
“We believe by combining two trends, gut health and functional beverages, Fibe offers retailers a clear opportunity to add incremental sales and is set to further disrupt the category.”
Rolling out from February in Planet Organic stores nationwide, the range will also be available to independents via wholesaler JD’s Food (RRP: £1.50 per 250ml can / £5 for x4 can multipack). Made in the UK, the FIBE range is HFSS compliant, ambient and has an 18 month shelf life.
Botanical vodka
Bareksten Botanical Vodka is launching in the on and off trade in the UK.
Distilled using the pure water from the Norwegian Fjords and potato based, using 100% of the potato, the resulting vodka has a smooth mouthfeel and purity in taste.
Bareksten Botanical Vodka is best enjoyed with soda water or in a Martini to savour the pure, clean, and creamy tasting notes. It is available as of this month in 70cl bottles with an RRP of £32.
Nespresso Professional and Starbucks
Nespresso Professional announces the launch of Starbucks by Nespresso coffee capsules for Nespresso Professional machines.
Workers in offices and guests staying in luxury hotels around in the US will be able to enjoy the expanded range – Starbucks House Blend (Lungo size), Starbucks Blonde Espresso Roast and Starbucks Espresso Roast (both Espresso size) – which are roasted to signature Starbucks taste specifications and cover the entire Starbucks roast spectrum (blonde, medium, and dark roast).
“At Nespresso we’re constantly innovating to enrich and grow our Nespresso Professional value proposition and existing coffee portfolio. Launching this new Starbucks range will bring the combined coffee expertise and great tasting blends of Nespresso and Starbucks to new and existing customers,” said Stefano Goglio, Head of Nespresso Professional.
“Beyond our companies’ shared drive to create high quality coffee and consistently unique coffee experiences, Nespresso and Starbucks share a similar focus on ethical coffee sourcing. The high-quality, authentic Starbucks coffees can now be enjoyed from the offices to luxury hotels and we are excited for customers, employees, and guests to experience them."
Rockstar Energy launches new flavors
Rockstar Energy is expanding its range in the UK with the launch of two refreshing, zero sugar flavours, Rockstar Refresh Strawberry & Lime and Watermelon & Kiwi.
Rockstar Refresh Strawberry & Lime and Watermelon & Kiwi provide ‘delicious refreshing flavours with a crisp finish, high in vitamin C (80mg per serve, equalling 100% RI), zero sugar and only 21 calories per can’. The drinks contain 31mg of caffeine per 100ml and 155mg caffeine per can.
Adam Russell, Director of Foodservice & Licensed at Britvic, said: “Rockstar Refresh is an invigorating new energy drink with refreshing flavours that defies energy drink taste expectations.
"The new range has performed well in consumer testing, with 56% saying it improved their perception of the brand. The bold pack designs are sure to stand out in chillers, helping to continue driving demand for Rockstar across a range of foodservice outlets.”
