Sparkling tequila
Azulana - an RTD sparkling tequila beverage - has launched in California this month.
Pure Azul Beverage Company says the drink represents the birth of a new sub-category of spirits, believing it to be the first and only sparkling RTD beverage on the market made from 100% blue agave tequila.
Azulana is produced in Guadalajara, Mexico. A 12oz can at 4.3% ABV contains 145 calories and retails at $13.99 per 4 pack.
Tequila sales in the US saw an 8.5% rise in 2017 over the previous year, while canned wine now represents a near $50m business.
"Passionate tequila enthusiasts are incredibly selective about the tequila they choose to consume," said Henry Morita, CEO and co-founder, Azulana. "At the same time, we live in an age of convenience and are constantly looking for ways to simplify the things we enjoy.
"Azulana sits at the perfect intersection between these two idealogies - providing consumers with an authentic, artisanal 100% blue agave tequila cocktail that can be conveniently enjoyed without any mixing or shaking."
Azulana plans to expand to additional US markets in 2019 and 2020.
Downton Abbey spirits
Harrogate Tipple, an independent UK craft distillery, is producing a licensed spirits range inspired by TV show Downton Abbey.
The official Downton Abbey gin and whisky range will be produced in limited batches for sale in the UK and North America, ahead of the forthcoming motion picture premiere in September.
The distillery is located in North Yorkshire, which is home to the fictional Downton Abbey Estate, between the towns of Ripon, York and Harrogate.
Harrogate Tipple obtains many of its botanicals from the gardens and Victorian hothouse of the 750-year old Ripley Castle Estate where the craft spirits distillery is based, and says the new spirits range will ‘evoke the flavours and style of the show’s post-Edwardian era’.
The products use Harrogate Spring Water and Yorkshire botanicals.
Game of Thrones whiskies
Johnnie Walker is introducing two Game of Thrones whiskies in collaboration with HBO.
Johnnie Walker A Song of Ice and Johnnie Walker A Song of Fire (SRP $36/each) are inspired by House Stark and House Targaryen respectively.
“Together, the two new whiskies celebrate the dynamic relationship between the Houses, represented by their house sigils – the Direwolf and the Dragon – which fiercely adorn each bottle,” says the Diageo Scotch Whisky brand.
“As a nod to the complicated interactions between the two great Houses in the show’s storyline, Johnnie Walker’s iconic Striding Man uncharacteristically faces backwards on the A Song of Fire bottle, revealing a face-off with the Striding Man on the A Song of Ice bottle when paired side-by-side.”
The new whiskies will be available across the US and global markets from October.
Nestlé vegan lattes
Nestlé has launched Nescafé Gold lattes: which use plant-based ingredients and are certified by the vegan society.
The premium range - which Nestlé says is the first ever non-dairy soluble coffee latte - use almond, oat and coconut blended with 100% Arabica coffee beans to create ‘smooth and creamy coffees’.
The initial launch is in the UK and Ireland, with a rollout across several markets in Asia, Europe, Latin America and Oceania to follow.
Low alcohol sparkling wine
A 5.4% ABV sparkling wine, Floreat, has launched in the UK as a ‘modern take on tonic wine that addresses a global shift towards more mindful living’.
The wine has been crafted by qualified medical herbalist and former Diageo executive Anne-Marie Hurst in partnership with chemist Fred Hollamby-Jones and sommelier Andrew Mclean.
The five botanicals in Floreat have been selected for their therapeutic advantages and flavour properties, resulting in a ‘crisp and zesty liquid with benefits that range from antioxidants to a digestive tonic’.
The wine is designed to sit alongside the Champagne category with something ‘appropriately disruptive’. The name Floreat comes from the Latin term for ‘let flourish’, while the label avoids more traditional Champagne codes of heavy house marks and ornate graphics, using instead a die cut leaf shape finished with a filigree effect. The identity and brand design was created by London brand agency Lewis Moberly.
Fanta No Sugar
Coca-Cola Australia has launched No Sugar varieties for its Fanta and Sprite brands, following in the footsteps of Coke No Sugar.
Fanta No Sugar is a new launch, while Sprite No Sugar is a rebrand for Sprite Zero.
Coca-Cola started work on Fanta No Sugar in January 2018, searching for the most popular Fanta No Sugar from around the world (the US variety was found to be the most successful and best tasting).
Sprite Zero, meanwhile, has changed its name to Sprite No Sugar. Sprite Zero is already the third best selling flavor for Coca-Cola Australia, after Coca-Cola No Sugar and Diet Coke.
However: "There was some confusion with the Zero range about how much sugar these drinks contained. So we moved from Zero to No Sugar to be absolutely clear with consumers that these products do not contain any sugar,” says Coca-Cola.
Coca-Cola Australia says it is continuing to work on No Sugar varieties and reducing sugar in the original versions.
Dasani in cans
Coca-Cola's Dasani water brand launches in aluminum cans in the Northeastern US this fall, with the cans and new aluminum bottles expanding to other regions next year.
Dasani will also Coca-Cola's first US product to be available in the HybridBottle, which is made with a mix of up to 50% plant-based renewable and recycled PET material (PlantBottle and recycled PET plastic).
Coca-Cola has pledged to increase the amount of recycled material it uses in its packaging to an average of 50% by 2030, and to make all packaging recyclable by 2025.
Juste Pressé
Cold-pressed juice brand Juste Pressé has launched its 'Green juice - cucumber, apple, ginger' in France.
The drink contains more than 27% vegetables, with 'the gourmand taste of apple enhanced by the freshness of cucumber and the green boost of spinach and celery'.
The juices are cold-pressed to preserve natural nutritional properties from vitamins and antioxidants.
They are free from added sugar, preservatives, or artificial colors and flavors.
Juste Pressé Concumbre Pomme Gingembre is launched this month in 500ml packs for €3.95. It joins the brand's two other fruit and vegetable juice mixes (beetroot, apple and celery; and kale, apple and lettuce) on shelves; alongside its other fruit juices.
7-Select Replenish
7-Eleven stores have introduced a new isotonic sports drink, 7-Select Replenish, in the US.
The drink is free from artificial sweeteners or high-fructose corn syrup, and comes in for flavors: lemonade, orange mango, cucumber mint and guava splash.
It is sweetened with stevia and sugar, and the electrolyte hydration beverage also contains 100% of daily values of vitamins A, E, Niacin (B3), B5 and Pantothenic Acid (B6) per 12-ounce serving.
7-Select Replenish has 15g of sugar and 60 calories per serving (or 150 calories per 28-ounce bottle).
Isotonic drinks may help to replace electrolytes and minerals such as sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium lost during exercise or strenuous activity.
The drinks have a suggested retail price of $1.99, with a limited buy-one-get-one-free offer.
High protein milk shake
Organic Valley, the US’ largest cooperative of organic farmers, has launched a new reduced-sugar version of its Fuel high-protein milk shake.
The new launch has 50% less sugar than previously, along with 20g of organic protein.
The MSRP for a single-serve, 11-ounce carton is $2.99, with four and twelve-packs also available for $10.99 and $29.99.
Fuel comes in three flavors: chocolate, vanilla and new to the product line is coffee: which contains the equivalent caffeine to an 8-ounce cup of coffee.
Starbucks by Nespresso
Nestlé has launched 'Starbucks by Nespresso', a line of eight blends that use Starbucks coffee with Nespresso machines, in the UK and Ireland.
It is the first time Nestle has made available the Nespresso capsule technology outside of its Nespresso business.
The Starbucks by Nespresso line consists of: Blonde Espresso Roast, Colombia (single origin), House Blend, Pike Place, Sumatra (single origin), Caffe Verona, Espresso Roast, and Decaf Espresso Roast.
The 100% premium grade Arabica coffee is purchased from ethical sources and verified accordingly, and uses Nespresso's recyclable aluminium capsules.
