Brands across alcohol, soft drinks and emerging functional segments are intensifying innovation as consumers look for more distinctive flavour profiles and healthier formulations.
The new product development (NPD) spans premium spirits collaborations, clean‑label soft drink lines, fruit‑forward sparkling waters and wellness‑led beverages – all designed to stand out in competitive categories.
Producers are also responding to sustained interest in reduced‑sugar formats, natural ingredients and functional benefits. Whether through botanicals, fruit infusions or alternative bases, many launches highlight transparency and taste as key purchase drivers.
Alongside this, the energy and RTD segments are seeing continued momentum, supported by shopper demand for convenience, lighter profiles and flavour diversity. Brands are using packaging formats, channel‑specific innovation and pricing strategies to strengthen presence and drive trial.
Cross‑brand collaborations and the elevation of traditional or heritage ingredients further illustrate how producers are working to capture consumer attention while maintaining premium cues and category relevance.
Read on to see the latest beverage NPD…
Premium Blend Tumisco
Premium Blend has launched Tumisco, a wine‑based alternative designed to mimic the flavour and functionality of Peru’s Quebranta pisco for beer‑ and wine‑licensed venues.
The 24% ABV product aims to give operators access to pisco‑style serves without the regulatory or cost challenges tied to distilled spirits.
Tumisco is positioned for high‑volume cocktail programmes, with a dry, aromatic profile developed to replicate traditional Quebranta pisco. Available in 1l and 50ml PET bottles, the line focuses on bar efficiency, durability and merchandising flexibility across both on‑ and off‑premise channels.
Premium Blend says the launch enables restaurants, bars, retailers and cruise operators to offer pisco sours, chilcanos, El Capitán, pisco punch and other Latin American‑inspired serves under beer‑ and wine‑only licences.
Tumisco extends Premium Blend’s wider strategy to deliver globally recognised spirit styles in compliant wine‑based formats. Specifications include 24% ABV and PET packaging in two sizes.
Lyme Bay Sparkling Mead
Lyme Bay has expanded its mead portfolio with two new low‑alcohol sparkling variants as the UK producer continues to build momentum behind the resurgent mead category.
The Raspberry Lemonade Sparkling Mead and Strawberry & Elderflower Sparkling Mead both come in 330ml cans at 3.5% ABV and are positioned for lighter, flavour‑forward drinking occasions.
The launches respond to rising demand for natural, sessionable alcoholic drinks, with Lyme Bay aiming to widen mead’s appeal among younger and more casual drinkers.
Each variant is produced using the company’s Traditional Mead base, which is made from honey and water fermented with yeast, before being layered with fruit and botanical flavours. Raspberry Lemonade offers a balance of sweet‑tart raspberry and citrus, while Strawberry & Elderflower combines strawberry juice with elderflower for a floral, refreshing profile.
Produced at the company’s Axminster, Devon, winery and meadery, the sparkling line extends one of the UK’s broadest mead ranges, which spans traditional styles through to flavoured meads and a mead liqueur.
Cawston Sparkling
Cawston Press is moving into the flavoured sparkling water category with a new slimline can range launching in February.
The Squeezed Lime and Pressed Watermelon variants will debut in the UK through Ocado, Amazon, wholesalers and the brand’s direct-to-consumer (DTC) channel in four‑packs of 330ml cans priced at £5.25.
The line aims to offer a more premium alternative to standard sparkling water, targeting health‑conscious shoppers seeking clean‑label formulations with strong flavour cues.
Both drinks are made with real pressed fruit and contain no added sugar, sweeteners or concentrates, maintaining the brand’s established commitment to simple ingredient decks.
Squeezed Lime provides a zesty, citrus profile, while Pressed Watermelon combines pressed watermelon juice with a squeeze of lemon for a lighter, fruit‑forward option. Cawston Press said the range responds to growing demand for healthier soft drinks and increased consumer scrutiny over sweeteners and artificial ingredients.
The company said the sparkling water launch offers retailers a premium proposition that stands out on shelf and taps into wider trends around natural flavours, minimal processing and elevated soft drink experiences.
Delta THC seltzer
Delta Beverages is positioning its THC-infused seltzer as a clean-label option for consumers seeking wellness-focused cannabis drinks.
Marketed with the tagline of “none of the B.S.”, Delta contains zero sugar, zero synthetic ingredients and is formulated with six all-natural ingredients, targeting health-conscious drinkers who are looking to replace alcohol or traditional THC formats with lighter, functional alternatives.
The brand offers three different intensity tiers, designed to help consumers select their preferred level of THC experience while keeping format and flavour consistent.
Each variant is presented as a way to “get closer to the cannabis” without artificial additives, with flavour profiles developed to support easy, sessionable consumption and everyday unwinding occasions. The positioning taps into wider trends around clean-label RTDs, better-for-you formulations and the normalisation of cannabis beverages within wellness-led lifestyles.
Vimto Energy
UK soft drinks maker, Nichols is expanding its presence in its home energy drinks market with the launch of Vimto Energy Tropical Cooler Zero, a new flavoured variant positioned for the fast‑growing flavoured energy segment.
The drink has rolled out exclusively into Spar in 500ml cans, available in both plain and price‑marked formats, ahead of wider distribution across grocery, wholesale and convenience from 19 February.
The zero‑sugar Tropical Cooler flavour joins the existing Vimto Energy Original and Original Zero lines, retaining the brand’s formulation of natural caffeine, real fruit juice and added vitamins B6 and B12.
Nichols said the Vimto Energy portfolio, introduced in July 2023, has delivered strong commercial momentum. The company is targeting the convenience and wholesale channels in particular, pointing to the continued growth of flavoured energy and the role of price‑marked packs in impulse occasions.
Citing data showing that flavoured variants now account for one in five energy drinks sold, Nichols said Tropical Cooler Zero is positioned to capture rising consumer demand for lighter, fruit‑forward formats within a mainstream brand.
Two in a Bush RTDs
South Africa’s Two in a Bush is entering the ready‑to‑drink market with a new range built around rooibos, aiming to tap growing global interest in functional, clean‑label beverages.
The naturally caffeine‑free ingredient is positioned as a point of differentiation in a category increasingly shaped by low‑sugar formulations, antioxidant claims and everyday wellness positioning.
The launch introduces three flavours – Citrus, Peach and Raspberry – each developed to offer broad taste appeal while retaining the brand’s focus on simple, better‑for‑you formulations.
The range is produced using organic rooibos and contains no artificial additives, aligning with rising consumer expectations around transparency and natural ingredients.
The portfolio builds on the brand’s wider positioning around South African heritage and clean‑label production, backed by a strong certification framework across its facility and raw materials.
The company says the new RTDs offer retailers and distributors a health‑led alternative within the growing premium soft drinks segment, with further information and press materials available on request.
Absolut Tabasco
Absolut is expanding its flavour portfolio through a global collaboration with Tabasco, unveiling a new spicy vodka developed with the McIlhenny Company.
Absolut Tabasco will roll out in February across more than 50 markets including the US and the UK, priced at £23/70cl bottle. The product is positioned to tap rising consumer interest in heat-driven flavours within spirits and cocktails.
The vodka is infused with a natural essence derived from the fermented and aged red pepper mash used to make Tabasco sauce, delivering a smooth spirit with a warming finish.
Absolut said the launch brings together two established flavour-led brands with long-standing heritage and global recognition. The product is expected to support growth within the emerging spicy vodka segment, which is forecast to rise 27% by 2029, according to Datassentials. The brand sees broad application potential in serves such as Bloody Marys and spiced lemonades.
The collaboration builds on Absolut’s strategy of partnering with household names and follows previous tie-ins such as its 2023 Heinz tomato vodka pasta sauce initiative.
Both Absolut and Tabasco highlight shared values around authenticity and quality, positioning the new release as an extension of their respective flavour credentials.
