What’s hitting the shelves? New year, new product launches
PepsiCo LIFEWTR
PepsiCo has announced that it will launch LIFEWTR, a premium bottled water, in the US in February 2017 (pictured above).
PepsiCo describes the drink as a “purified water, pH balanced with electrolytes added for taste.”
LIFEWTR’s label will serve as a platform for emerging and developing artists, with designs changing several times a year. The first set of artists will be MOMO, Craig & Karl, and Jason Woodside.
Brad Jakeman, president, global beverage group, PepsiCo, said: “LIFEWTR is a huge priority for us and an exciting global big bet, and we’ve worked hard to make a premium bottled water experience that combines the right mix of a clean, pure taste with eye-catching packaging and an authentic connection to the consumer.”
The brand will be expanded to further markets after its US launch, he added.
LIFEWTR will be available in the US in two sizes: 700ml for a suggested retail price of $2.06 and 1L for a suggested retail price of $2.70.
Gigglewater
Sparkling wine brand Gigglewater is launching this month, targeting female drinkers and millennials in the UK, China and Australia.
The brand takes its name from an American term used in the 1920s for an alcoholic beverage, and Gigglewater says this is part of a light-hearted marketing approach for its target market.
The portfolio includes a bottled Prosecco DOC and a Frizzante Secco (Italian dry wine) in bottles and 20cl cans (made from the same Glera grapes but cannot be called Prosecco under Italian labeling laws for cans). There is also a range of 20cl canned flavored sparkling wines.
In the UK, Gigglewater will be available in can and bottle format, with Frizzante Secco retailing at £1.99 per can or £6.99-£7.99 for a 75cl bottle. Gigglewater Prosecco DOC has a RRP of £9.99 for the 75cl bottle.
Gigglewater will be sold via online retailer Cellar Link in the UK, China and Australia.
Grown-up soda launches mixer line
GuS – Grown-up Sodas is introducing a new line of single serve sparkling cocktail mixers this month.
The new non-alcoholic mixer line comes in four flavors: Mojito, Moscow Mule, Sparkling Cosmo and Tonic & Lime. The mixers can be combined with alcohol or enjoyed straight for a non-alcoholic cocktail.
Each flavor contains key lime juice, natural roots and extracts, and cane sugar. The drink contains 55-60 calories per 7oz bottle.
Steve Hersh, co-founder, said, “We felt the time was right to leverage our craft soda knowledge into the mixer category by offering an easy new way to enjoy a premium mixed drink.
“Our new line hits on all the beverage trends: small-batch produced, with premium natural ingredients, lightly sweetened, but most importantly, convenient.”
The mixers will be launched at the Winter Fancy Food Show in San Francisco this month.
They will be available in liquor stores, hotel mini-bars, specialty and natural grocery stores, bars, restaurants, airplanes and home-delivery cocktail kits: retailing at $2.75 – $3.00 per 7oz bottle.
Winter gin
Poetic License Distillery, an independent small batch distillery in the UK, has launched a limited edition ‘Fireside Gin’ for the autumn and winter months.
Fireside Gin has the flavors of mulled winter fruit: clementine, cranberries and the mulling spice blend of cinnamon, clove and nutmeg.
“It’s perfect for the darker nights and is best enjoyed while cosying up around glowing amber warmth of the fireplace, as the name suggests,” says the distillery.
In the summer of 2016 the distillery launched its first seasonal, Picnic Gin, a strawberries and cream flavored gin. In 2017, it will produce a series of limited edition runs called ‘The Rarities’ to experiment with further flavors.
B4: ‘combats the aftereffects caused by consuming alcohol’
Liquid supplement ‘B4’ has been launched by Sunshine Supplements in Florida to ‘help shield your body against the aftereffects caused by consuming alcohol’.
B4 is a non-caffeinated, lightly carbonated beverage that contains vitamins, electrolytes, minerals and antioxidants to ‘help the body fight alcohol’s toxins’.
The drink has been created through two years of trials and taste tests by licensed pharmacist John Mansour and business partner, ABC Fine Wine & Spirits Vice President Dave Larue.
“B4 acts as a natural stimulant that gives users a boost of energy to enjoy their night, while simultaneously replenishing lost nutrients so that they can feel better the next day,” says the duo.
They say that, by giving the body vitamins and nutrients, an excess amount of resources are available to the body as it works to expel alcohol.
B4 is available in select ABC Fine Wine & Spirits stores in Florida: or online across the US. The price in stores is $4.99.
Wine with Latin passion
Biles Hendry, a UK design consultancy, has created a new range of Argentinian wine for wine distributor and producer Bibendum.
Cumuna Wine takes its name from the 15 districts – or ‘communes’ – or Buenos Aires. “The wine seeks to capture the unique spirit and personality of Argentina’s capital city,” says Biles Hendry.
“The design shows a couple dancing, caught in an embrace and capturing Latin passion. The illustration style, and associated hand lettering and filigree, takes its lead from the street posters promoting night clubs and bars seen all over the city.”
The range consists of a Pinot Grigio and a Malbec, and the wines are available in UK supermarkets, retailing at £7.
Sungold ‘Tradie milk’
Australian brand Sungold is giving its 500ml flavored milk range a temporary makeover over the summer months, changing the bottle to a fluro yellow colour.
“We know that key consumers of the product are tradesman and tradeswomen, who famously wear their fluro colours day in day out,” says Sungold.
“To show our support we are changing the bottle to fluro yellow, which will be sure to create some impact on shelf”.
The makeover will help reignite interest in the flavored milk category, adds Sungold.
The bottles are on shelf for four weeks.
Apres-ski themed coffee
Emmi CAFFÈ LATTE has launched its apres-ski themed branding for its 230ml cappuccino and 370ml Mr Big iced coffees.
The new St Moritz cup is designed to transport drinkers to the Swiss Alps over the winter months, featuring cubist inspired renderings of mountain vistas, ‘as well as a good dollop of glitz and glamour to attract the 18-30 year old market’.
The limited edition cups, which hope to drive sales of iced coffee during the winter months, are available until March 2017 in the UK with a RRP of £1.35 (230ml cappuccino) and £2 (Mr Big 370ml).
Coco splash coconut water
London-based Dash Organics has launched ‘Coco Splash’ – a coconut water drink – in the UK.
The Dash Organics brand was introduced last year, and Coco Splash has now been released in the health market.
16.6% ABV cider
Reverend Nat’s Hard Cider has debuted its latest beverage, ‘Wooden Hellfire’, a 16.6% ABV cider produced with fresh apple juice, yeast, and left to age for over a year in Kentucky-sourced used bourbon barrels.
The company - which ‘continues to produce ciders that no one else will make’ - was inspired by the ice cider style. Largely produced in Quebec, this cider style sees apples left on the tree until they freeze, thus cryo-concentrating the natural juice until it reaches a high starting sugar level. This allows for the production of sweet, high alcohol cider without added ingredients.
Wooden Hellfire is instead made by boiling the fresh apple juice for 18 hours to ‘pyro-concentrate’ the apple juice.
