What's hitting the shelves? New beverage launches
CBD sparkling water
CBD sparkling water brand Day One is launching two new fruit flavors: strawberry and mango.
The sparkling waters – which join existing flavors grapefruit, lemon and lime – contain 20mg of CBD.
Strawberry CBD Sparkling Water invites consumers to ‘discover a strawberry sensation with a hint of kiwi that will bring tranquility to your taste buds…Real strawberry juice and 20mg of high quality CBD come together to create a delightful, zero-calorie Sparkling CBD Water.’
Meanwhile, Mango CBD Sparkling Water invites consumers to ‘savor the vibrant taste of real mango juice, enhanced by subtle notes of tangerine. This harmonious blend of flavors comes together with 20mg of CBD and zero calories, offering a calming and refreshing experience.’
Absolut limited-edition bottle
Absolut Vodka and British designer and artist Dr Samuel Ross have launched a limited-edition bottle for the Chinese market.
“The collaboration project, Absolut x SR_A, is deeply rooted in the concept of the mixing of people and culture,” says Absolut. “Dr Ross is a growing name in China’s creative and fashion scene, following the opening of his A-COLD-WALL menswear stores in Beijing and Shanghai in 2022.
“The project with the South-London-born designer reinforces Absolut’s Born to Mix platform that champions the notion that by mixing people and culture, we create better together.
“For the limited edition, (there are 1,350 bottles available) Dr Ross adopts Absolut's ideas of Born to Mix and cultural integration to create a fusion of his signature avant-garde vision and Chinese culture on Absolut's iconic apothecary-shaped bottle. Embossed with a heatmap design of China’s largest cities, the dots and silhouettes in Chinese red – the colour that symbolises life, vitality and light in China – represent the coming together of people and ideas that lead to bursts of energy, creativity and diversity.”
The 1L limited-edition bottles are available now through the brand's WeChat mini-program, ABSOLUT LAB.
Blue Moon introduces non-alcoholic version of Belgian White
Blue Moon Brewing Co. is planning to introduce a non-alcoholic version of its flagship beer later this year.
Blue Moon Non-Alcoholic Belgian White, a Belgian-style Wheat Brew, will launch in six packs of 12-ounce cans in time for Dry January and is described by Molson Coors as the first non-alcoholic wheat brew from a major brewer in the market.
At under 0.5% alcohol by volume with 80 calories, Blue Moon Non-Alcoholic Belgian White is light and refreshing, and brewed with the same Valencia orange peel as its namesake craft beer. It will be available nationally.
The non-alc segment has taken off in recent years, growing more than 27% in the last year, according to Circana data.
Pact Coffee launches new pack design in recyclable packaging
Pact Coffee is rolling out new packaging that funds the collection of ocean-bound bottles from Asian rivers.
The roaster’s new single-material bags are 100% recyclable and made from 70% recycled materials, which are plastics commonly disposed of in recycling bins.
For every 1,000,000 bags created, the equivalent of 53,000 600ml plastic bottles will be collected from rivers in the Philippines and Indonesia by the ethical recycling program Plastic Bank.
Paul Turton, Pact Coffee’s CEO, said: “If climate change continues at its current trajectory, it’s estimated that we’ll see a significant impact on 75% of Arabica supply, which has already fallen short of demand for the past two years.
“Plastic pollution significantly reduces ecosystems’ ability to adapt to climate change, so reducing our usage, promoting a circular economy and funding schemes like this bag saves is exactly what we need to do to protect the future of coffee and the planet.
"There was the option to instead choose ‘compostable’ packaging, and we understand that this is the preference for well-meaning customers.
"However, around 90% of people don’t have the means to compost at home, and the growing data shows that lots of this packaging is ending up in landfill or blocking the food recycling process.”
Orange wine
French start-up Canetta is adding an orange wine to its range.
Orange wine is made from white grapes left on the skins for longer to increase complexity of taste and depth of color.
Canetta’s orange wine release is a Cartoixa de Marina, ‘macerated for five days to achieve an alluring dark-honey color and a sophisticated flavor with notes of red berries, garrigue and pink pepper.’
The wine is packaged in Ardagh Metal Packaging’s 187ml wine can: with the quarter-bottle size inviting newcomes to try orange wine for the first time.
The wine can is the fastest growing wine packaging format with unit growth of 14.9% in 2022, according to GlobalData.
Chilli whisky
Maverick whisky club The Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) has released Exp.01, a limited edition new chilli-infused drink resulting from an experience that saw 100 fresh red Scotch Bonnet chillies matured in a cask of Scotch whisky for 17 years.
For the experiment, The Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) added around 100 sliced chillies to a cask of 10-year-old single malt (in doing so, stripping it of its title as a Scotch whisky). The curious concoction was then left to mature for a further 17 years before being bottled as the spicy spirit it is today.
“At 55.6% abv and bottled in 10cl hot-sauce sized miniatures, Exp.01 packs a peppery punch with hints of ‘sweet paprika’, explains the organization. “The Society is encouraging adventurous flavour explorers to continue the experiment at home, by adding the spicy spirit to summer cocktails, cooking with it like a hot sauce or marinade, or sipping it neat.”
The SMWS, which is based in Edinburgh but has members all over the world, created the experimental spirit as part of its 40th-anniversary year celebrations, during which it is staging various events and releasing special editions, all inspired by the maverick attitude of its founder Pip Hills.
James Freeman, the Society’s Executive Chef, has created special recipes that showcase the spirit’s culinary potential, including mussels with tomato, anchovies and Exp.01, a teriyaki salmon dish and an incredible chocolate and Exp.01 tart. Meanwhile, SMWS ambassador Logan Shaw recommends mixing the spirit with tonic water, ice, lime and sea salt to create a fiery highball cocktail.
Founded in Edinburgh in 1983 by maverick whisky-lover Pip Hills, the SMWS is now the world’s largest whisky club, with close to 40,000 members across the globe.
Exp.01 is available while stocks last as part of a new society membership offer.
