What's hitting the shelves? New beverage launches
Madre Mezcal RTD
Madre Mezcal, an artisanal mezcal brand made by hand in the rural hills of Oaxaca, Mexico, launches Desert Water, a line of ready-to-drink canned cocktails.
Created as a high-quality, all-natural RTD for conscious consumers, Desert Water serves as an introduction to new mezcal drinkers that might otherwise be intimidated by the spirit while also appealing to mezcal lovers with a new format.
Each 12oz, 5% ABV can features Madre Espadin mezcal, sparkling water, real fruit, plants, and herbs with no artificial flavors or colors, and includes ingredients known for having functional properties like adaptogenic mushrooms, anti-inflammatory herbs, and anti-fungal cacti.
Madre Desert Water is available in four flavors:
- Original: A straightforward combination of mezcal, sparkling water and a mild citrus twist for a subtly smoky yet refreshing sip.
- Mushroom, Sage and Honey: An unexpected pairing of mezcal with Reishi and Chaga mushrooms complemented by a touch of honey for a balanced drink that’s earthy and herbaceous.
- Grapefruit and Yerba Santa: Marrying grapefruit, wild Yerba Santa from northern Mexico and mezcal for an herbal flavor with notes of pepper, anise, and eucalyptus.
- Prickly Pear and Lemon: A blend of mezcal, prickly pear, and lemon citrus, this unique flavor boasts notes of tart strawberry and an enchanting pink hue.
Not going bananas
innocent drinks is launching a brand-new recipe to add to its existing portfolio of drinks with ‘Revitalise’, a banana-free smoothie that helps restore immunity. The recipe includes a variety of fruits boosted with seeds, botanicals & vitamins, creating the perfect on the go pick me up this summer in the UK.
The new ‘Revitalise’ smoothie is high in vitamins B1, B2 & B6 which contribute to normal energy-yielding metabolism and also vitamin B3 and Vitamin C which can help with the reduction of tiredness and fatigue.
Jad Marie, Smoothie Brand Manager at innocent drinks, comments: “We’re always coming up with new recipes that we hope our drinkers will love. We use bananas in most of our smoothies as they're great for their natural sweetness and creaminess. But we've been making smoothies for long enough to know that not everyone likes bananas, so we’ve created this new recipe that doesn’t contain banana to make sure those people don’t go without. It’s a great easy way for people to get one of their five a day and give their body a boost at the same time."
The new ‘Revitalise’ smoothie will launch in various stores over the coming months at an RRP of £2.39 for a 300ml bottle and £3.99 for a 750ml bottle.
Effortlessly effervescent Bolle
June’s London Festival will herald the arrival of ‘effortlessly effervescent’ Bolle, a revolutionary low & no alcohol, sparkling brewed drink produced with Zero Gradi technology devised by Roberto Vanin, scientist, ardent oenologist, wine-loving Italian and former, leading-light Chief Research & Development officer.
Brewed in Birmingham, Bolle will be available in both 750ml (£9.99) & 350ml (£3.49), standing tall as a new grown-up alternative to timeless sparkling wine, having found a ‘revolutionary’ way to ferment juices without producing either alcohol or unpalatable sweetness.
“From the outset I wanted to create a fermented drink that not only over-indexed both in terms of taste and sparkling wine aspirations, but coupled seamlessly with great food yet minus the alcohol, unwelcome calories and overt sugary sweetness that has historically held this intriguing product category back,” said Vanin.
“To my mind Bolle offers historically inaccessible levels of sophistication, coupled with smooth, well-balanced acidity and a crisp yet refreshing taste. For too long wine unlike small batch beer has been weighed down by suffocating snobbery and elitism, which has historically stifled category experimentation (low calorie, low sulphur, organic..). Bolle we believe offers the depth of character and enlightened flavour notes to spark a wider appreciation of sparkling wine.’
The wine comes in two varieties: Bolle Rosa and Bolle Ora.
Premium cider flavors
Aldi’s älska premium cider range is introducing two new flavors in the UK: Cherry & Raspberry (£1.49, 440ml, 4%) and Watermelon & Berries (£1.49, 440ml, 4%).
“These fruity twists on a classic beverage are the perfect accompaniments for summertime sipping and alfresco parties," says Aldi.
"Available in stores now, the gluten free and vegan-friendly Scandinavian ciders, offer an intensely fruity combination of summer flavours, with the clean, crisp taste of apples.
“Bursting with juicy black cherries, älska Cherry & Raspberry is rich and succulent, twisted with fragrant, ripe raspberries, for a refreshing taste of summer in a can.
“The älska Watermelon & Berries combines a delicious taste of sweet watermelons, with a hint of juicy, slightly tart berries – sure to appeal to palates after something with a little more bite.”
Lemonade variety pack
Fishers Island Lemonade, a US craft lemonade canned cocktail, is launching a variety pack for summer.
The 8-pack includes three flavors: lemonade original 9%, spiked tea 7% and pink flamingo 7%.
“We have received overwhelming love for the expanded flavor line and are excited to now offer our three most popular flavors for fans to purchase together and share with friends,” said Bronya Shillo, who founded the brand in 2014.
“Fishers Island Lemonade was founded with the mission of creating the best tasting, highest quality canned cocktails in the United States. We are excited to share this new variety pack with current fans and new customers looking to enjoy a full-flavor premium canned cocktail experience that fits their active, outdoor, social lifestyle.”
Meanwhile, the company has expanded into Florida and South Carolina: bringing its total distribution to 14 states plus Drizly and DTC only.
Upcycled strawberries
UK online food community Sorted Food has teamed up with Yorkshire’s Sloemotion Distillery to launch their first drink: Strawberry Gin Liqueur with Vanilla & Black Pepper.
Sloemotion used surplus from last year’s strawberry crop to make the beverage, and foraged botanicals from hedgerows on their farm.
“At Sorted Food we’ve spent many years shining a light on how food and drink is produced, as well as helping our community to reduce their food waste,” said Ben Ebbrell, Sorted Food co-founder.
“Discovering the Sloemotion Distillery was a revelation, and after many attempts at my own homemade gin, I am thrilled to be joining forces to create the first drink that our community will be able to enjoy too.
“Not only has it helped save much of last year’s strawberry crop from going to waste, but it’s the perfect drink to enjoy during an awesome summer of celebrations for the UK.”
A limited run of the gin will be available for consumers to buy from Sloemotion Distillery for £22.95 per 500ml bottle.
D'Amazonia tea
A subrange of recyclable cardboard packs has been launched by digestive tea brand D’Amazonia.
The UK ‘functional infusions’ company, headed up by mother and daughter team Marcela and Polyana Tupinamba, is designed to offer an alternative to the ‘traditional purveyors’ of teabag ‘dust’.
D’Amazonia instead uses 100% ‘natural’ ingredients in biodegradable tea pyramids.
“Having realized that traditional gym beverages (coffee + energy drinks) only gave short burst of amplified energy before we hit a brick wall mid-session, we set about creating our own blends of ‘substance over image’ functional teas, which combined fulsome flavor palates with added nutritional benefits,” said Marcela.
The company is observing an increase in their Digestive brew sales, with the advent of warmer weather and longer nights. The tea is made from turmeric, fennel, lemongrass, rosemary, sage, thyme, lemon, pineapple and apple.
Digestive pouches cost £15 (20 pouches) and each bag can be used twice.
