Carlsberg and Brooklyn Brewery launch Hk Yau
Carlsberg Hong Kong has collaborated with New York craft brewer, Brooklyn Brewery, to create craft beer HK YAU.
The beers include Hk Yau Times Square (lager), an easy entry to craft; Hk Yau New Kong (wheat beer), made from Chinese wheat and barley malt and lightly aromatized with Chinese ingredients coriander and chénpí; and Hk Yau underground (pale ale), developed to pair with Chinese cuisine.
“The naming of HK YAU comes from the Chinese character yau (友), which means more than just sharing the vibrant spirit of “friendship” – it is about the coming together of creative and like-minded individuals with a shared passion, just like the partnership between Carlsberg and Brooklyn Brewery”, says Carlsberg.
“In a city where opportunity is treasured, HK YAU encourages like-minded people to cultivate craftsmanship and celebrate the true spirit of artisanship by introducing new local influences”.
Hk Yau is initially available on tap but is expected to be made available in bottles in the next phase. It will be sold at six Hong Kong locations to start with, expanding to 60 by the end of 2017.
Coca-Cola Zero Sugar hits the US
Coca-Cola is launching Coca-Cola Zero Sugar in the US: giving Coca-Cola Zero a 'new name, new look and even more delicious taste'.
Stuart Kronauge, business unit president, USA Operations and senior vice president, Marketing, Coca-Cola North America, said: "More than 10 years ago, we launched Coca-Cola Zero with a revolutionary recipe that gave fans real Coca-Cola taste without the sugar and calories.
"The brand grew strongly after its launch and gained millions of loyal fans over time, but we recognized an opportunity to give the brand another boost and to encourage more Coca-Cola fans to try a great-tasting zero-sugar product".
The drink as been designed to taste 'a lot like a Coke', as the company continues to develop no and low calorie options.
Coca-Cola Zero Sugar will hit shelves nationwide in August. It builds on the launch of Coca-Cola Zero Sugar in Great Britain, Mexico and more than 25 other markets around the world.
Coca-Cola launches fruit, seed and flower waters
Coca-Cola is launching Barrilitos Aguas Frescas, a line of flavored, non-carbonated water beverages with a ‘hint of sweetness’, in the US this summer.
Aguas Frescas (‘fresh waters’) are fruit, seed, flower and water-based drink combinations with roots in Mexico and Central America that date back thousands of years.
The Barrilitos brand will launch seven Aguas Frescas flavors throughout the summer: pineapple, strawberry hibiscus, mango lime, pear cucumber, watermelon, horchata and tamarind.
Containing 3-5% juice, most drinks are under 100 calories per 12-oz. serving, and caffeine and gluten free. Drinks are available in two formats, Bag in the Box (BIB) and frozen concentrates, while the brand is looking to expand into RTD options, Coca-Cola Freestyle fountain machines and other channels.
The line is Barrilitos’ first launch since joining Coca-Cola’s portfolio in 2008.
“From a national category point of view, no company has defined authentic Aguas Frescas yet, so we are leading the way,” says Mike Hagen, group director of category strategy and innovation at Coca-Cola.
Melinda Pritchett, senior manager, category strategy and innovation, Coca-Cola North America, added: “We want to evolve our choices for consumers and offer new things that people didn’t even know existed. That’s ultimately what we hope to do... create new beverage consumption opportunities.”
Green Cola
Green Cola, a cola drink sweetened with stevia and caffeinated with green coffee beans, has launched in the UK.
The drink was conceived in Greece in 2013, and is also available in Romania, Germany, Ireland and Hong Kong.
CEO Paul Woodward says: "It took over two years to perfect our cola, with literally thousands of attempts and recipe tinkering. One-by-one, we took out ingredients like aspartame, phosphoric acid and the ordinary caffeine used by mainstream brands, until we were left with a healthier cola that doesn't compromise on taste.
"This is an untapped market set to take off on the back of the sugar tax next year and we see a long-term opportunity to drive sustainable growth."
Green Cola is sold in 330ml cans with an RRP of 70p and 500ml PET bottles with a RRP £1.30.
Organic iced tea sweetened with agave syrup
Product development company Alter Food has launched a series of new products in France including organic flavored sparkling water and organic iced tea low in sugar.
Wat Water, an organic flavored sparkling water that is free from sugar and preservatives, has launched in France this month.
Tensai Tea, an organic iced tea that is low in sugar and sweetened with organic agave syrup, hit shelves last month.
Meanwhile Hugo le Maraicher, a natural fruit and veggie juice, launched exclusively with supermarket giant Carrefour in April; while Organic hero has launched an organic kids’ juice featuring Marvel superheros.
Cactus water and watermelon water
Better-for-you beverage brand Water Works has launched a cactus water and watermelon water in the UK.
Both completely natural with no added sugar, the drinks are positioned as healthier alternatives to sugary soft drinks and sports drinks. Water Works says it has been inspired by the rise in alternative waters with similar function and hydration benefits to coconut water, which accounted for 96% of global volume of alternative waters last year.
Watermelon water is 100% juice, inspired by a cold-pressed watermelon juice that Water Works’ founders tried in Los Angeles, adapted for a longer shelf-life.
The cactus water uses 30% not-from-concentrate prickly pear juice, sourced from Europe which gives drinks a different taste and color profile to those sourced in the US, says Water Works.
The drinks are packaged in 330ml cartons with a suggested retail price of £1.99, with a case of 12 cartons available online for £20.
Bulletproof new flavors
Bulletproof has launched two new flavors for its FATwater brand: mango and blueberry.
Created by Bulletproof coffee creator Dave Asprey, Fatwater contains no sugar, 15 calories, and uses Brain Octane Oil as an energy booster.
The drinks use Bulletproof’s philosophy of choosing good fats over sugar for energy (ketogenic diet).
The existing flavors for FATwater are grapefruit, lemon and pineapple. The drinks are non-GMO and vegan.
New Glaceau smartwater sparkling fruit flavors
Coca-Cola European Partners has launched three new GLACÉAU smartwater sparkling flavoured variants with zero sugar, zero calories, and natural flavors.
The flavors - Berry & Kiwi, Lemon and Green Apple – are being launched in the UK throughout the summer.
The new range is available in a 600ml PET bottle that is ideal for busy on-the-go consumers in need of refreshment. “The vapor distilled lightly sparkling water with a drop of natural fruit flavor will benefit from the brands’ bold, simplistic look appealing to young health-conscious shoppers,” says Coca-Cola.
The launch is supported by an ongoing £5.4 million nationwide smartwater marketing campaign which will include advertising, PR, sampling and in-store POS materials.
Simon Harrison, operational marketing director, GB, Coca-Cola European Partners, said: “smartwater already has a proven track record of disrupting the instant consumption water sector. Its success puts the brand in a good position to unlock opportunities in the sparkling flavored sector.
“The new flavors form part of CCEP’s continued focus on the innovation of low and zero sugar products to meet the demands of health conscious consumers.
"The arrival of these new flavored sparkling variants of smartwater demonstrates how we’re continuing to energize our portfolio of leading brands, offering more choice to consumers and helping to drive sales for our retail customers.”
Frozen cocktails in pouches
Marie Brizard Wine & Spirits has launched two ranges of frozen pouch drinks: one with fruit based wines and one with cocktail mixes.
The fruit based wine range comes in three varieties: Rosé Grapefruit; White Peach; and Elderflower Lime and Mint.
The cocktail range has four mixes: Marie Brizard – Manza Nita (apple); Marie Brizard – Mojito (rum, lime, mint); Sobieski – Cosmopolitan (vodka, lime, triple sec, cranberries); and William Peel – Peel Cola (whisky, cola).
Both ranges have a 5.5% abv and a recommended retail price of €2 - €2.50. They are made to be sold in ambient condition and need to be frozen for a minimum 8 hours.
The drinks are available at leading chains such as supermarket Carrefour but are also being pitched at the European and African market.
The global frozen cocktail market, be it wine or spirit based, is worth around $85m with the potential for an additional $100m growth over the next two years, according to Nielsen.
Marie Brizard Wine & Spirits is also behind the Fruits & Wine brand, which was launched in 2011 and sells 12m bottles a year worldwide.
Nestlé Japan: Nescafe Gold Blended Organic
Nestlé will launch Nescafe Gold Blended Organic this autumn, an instant coffee using 100% organic beans.
The product is certified as organic as according to the Japanese Agricultural Standard (JAS).
Announcing the product, which will be launched on September 1, Nestle Japan points to the growth of the organic market and increased interest in conserving the environment.
Zero alcohol golden ale
St Peter’s Brewery in Suffolk, UK, has launched its alcohol free golden ale, Without Gold.
Following on from the success of alcohol-free Without Original, Without Gold has been created for ale drinkers who like a refreshing, light, golden beer.
Head brewer Steve Groves said: “We expect Without Gold to appeal to a broad range of ale and lager drinkers, and already a major retail chain is interested in stocking it.
“Without Gold is completely different from other alcohol-free beers on the market, most of which are conventional lagers and often thin and watery. Instead, it is made in exactly the same way as a traditional beer, just without the alcohol, and consumers can expect a full-bodied pint, with a good head and delicious taste.”
“We expect the alcohol-free drinks market to grow to 10% of the overall drinks category within the next ten years.”
St Peter's Without Gold is available nationwide in 500ml bottles (RRP £1.49) and on tap.
From cane sugar to natural agave
Little Miracles has released its new look and reformulated drinks in the UK and 20 other countries.
The organic ice tea range has replaced cane sugar with natural agave in all drinks for ‘a perfect amount of sweetness and a cleaner taste’, reducing sugar by 56% across the range.
It also has a new design for its products, which reference Mother Nature and natural ingredients.
Little Miracles drinks are available in convenience stores, gas stations, gyms, cafes, delis, trains, airlines and supermarkets (including Tesco, Asda and Ocado).
VK strawberry and lime
RTD alcoholic beverage VK has launched its Strawberry & Lime drink in PET bottles.
Abigail McCabe, VK brand manager, said: “As more clubs and pubs ban glass in their establishments, our aim is to make it easy for managers and bar staff to serve drinks quickly. And our PET bottles do just that; they remove the time and expense of plastic cups, speed up transactions, and of course make it easy for consumers to carry the bottles around venues – while keeping them safe.
The brand says it is seeing increased demand for fruit-flavored RTDs, with its portfolio including apple & mango and fresh tropical fruits.
“Dual and fruit flavor drinks have become one of the most in-demand in recent years, with drinkers of both RTS and RTDs looking for an alternative to the traditional and singular flavor drinks,” said McCabe.
AB InBev: Lower alcohol beers
Goose Island has launched Goose Midway, a new session IPA, in the UK this month.
With an ABV of 4.1% it its the lowest strength beer the brand has released in the UK to date.
The beer showcases American hops, boasting a 'bright hop aroma with tropical and mandarin notes and medium-to-low bitterness'.
Meanwhile, Belgian abbey beer Leffe has launched Leffe Enkel, a 4.5% ABV beer available to the UK on-trade.
AB InBev says the lower ABV launches respond to increased consumer interest in moderating alcohol consumption.