What's hitting the shelves? New beverage launches
Canned cocktails
After a local launch in April, Nashville canned cocktail brand Country Luau is now available across 38 states via e-commerce.
It offers four cocktails: Strawberry Daq Shack (rum); Yuzu Ranch Water (tequila); Mango Mosa (vodka) and Pineapple Jalapen-y’all (vodka).
Founder and CEO Adam Kost is an industry veteran who has worked with companies including AB InBev’s ZX Ventures, Pernod Ricard, Heineken USA and Waterloo Sparkling Water.
“Country Luau sets itself apart with high-quality spirits, flavors designed by a 20-year beverage industry veteran, and a wholehearted commitment to supporting up-and-coming musicians through grants to individuals and non-profits,” says the brand.
Kocktail
UK cocktail creators Kocktail have launched their first canned RTD drinks.
The company was launched a letterbox subscription club less than two years ago, and it is now bringing its RTD cocktail cans to all Planet Organic stores across London and online. It is debuting two flavors: espresso martini and cherry cola old fashioned.
“With an RRP of £4.50 per can, they are a convenient way to enjoy Kocktail’s world class cocktails,” says the brand.
Malfy Gin & Tonica
Pernod Ricard has launched Malfy Gin & Tonica, a brand new range of ‘refreshingly tasty and elevated RTD Gin & Tonics’ in a premium glass format.
Malfy Con Limone Gin & Tonica (7% ABV) offers Malfy Con Limone’s ‘delightfully zesty lemon taste with a hint of sweet limoncello and natural mint flavours, followed by the gin’s keynote of juniper and the bittersweet flavour of tonic water’. Meanwhile, Malfy Gin Rosa Gin & Tonica combines Malfy Gin Rosa’s ‘deliciously fruity grapefruit taste with a hint of natural rosemary flavour, followed by the gin’s keynote of juniper and bittersweet flavour of tonic water’.
“Malfy Super-Premium Gins truly encapsulate the spirit of the Amalfi Coast and the RTD range will allow more consumers to sample a taste of ’La Dolce Vita’, with a new convenient format that is ready to be served, savoured and enjoyed with good company.
”The easy and convenient format delivers the high-quality drinking experience our consumers are looking for and provides a stylish solution for restaurants, bars and hotels, as well as hosting at home.”
Following a successful pilot test in Australia and New Zealand, Malfy Gin & Tonica now launches in Austria before rolling out in other key markets from spring next year.
Wild Bill's
Wild Bill’s, a veteran-owned and operated US premium non-alcoholic craft beverage company, has launched a limited edition line of summer soda flavors.
The new flavors include:
- Rocket Pop: ‘With flavors of cherry, lime, and raspberry, this ice cream truck classic is the fizzy liquid version of a signature All-American treat.’
- Cola + Diet Cola: ‘Inspired by olde fashioned, traditional recipes, these two new flavors are made using infusions of the finest ingredients including sweet cinnamon, vanilla and nutmeg.’
- Mojito Soda: ‘A refreshing mix of lime and mint, this Virgin Mojito Recipe is all of the flavors of the cocktail classic sans alcohol’.
The company has also expanded its retail footprint to more than 250 retailers nationwide.
Fountain Hard Seltzer
Fountain Hard Seltzer is introducing two new flavors for spring and summer in the UK.
Watermelon and Raspberry are both vegan, low calorie, and come in boxes of 6 and 12. They join existing flavors Passionfruit and Mango.
“The two new products - Watermelon Fountain Hard Seltzer (5% ABV) and Raspberry Fountain Hard Seltzer (5% ABV), are bold and punchy, making the perfect refreshing drink for the warmer months ahead,” says the brand.
“Unlike most hard seltzer brands, Fountain is brewed using clean fermented alcohol, with no wines or spirits added – this process takes place in their Liverpool brewery and ensures a flavor-first experience. The drink is vegan with no added sugar, using only premium natural fruit, with sparkling water.”
Wild Idol
Wild Idol - a new, super premium alcohol-free sparkling alternative - has launched in the UK.
Led by a team of industry heavyweights, including CEO Paul Beavis, former MD of Lanson Champagne, Wild Idol has been two years in development in order to find the most skilled producers, grapes and technology to create ‘an authentic, non-alcoholic sparkling wine experience’.
“Handcrafted by English winemakers using a superior blend of grapes and traditional winemaking techniques, Wild Idol is one of the only truly zero-alcohol products in the sector,” says the brand. “Unlike most non-alcoholic options, Wild Idol is not de-alcoholised, having never contained alcohol or gone through a fermentation process, so there is nothing to remove using artificial processes.”
Vegan, gluten-free and low calorie, the range currently includes a white and a rosé option, featuring the grape varietals Müller-Thurgau, Dornfelder and Merlot: chosen for their clean, naturally fruit-forward and aromatic character.
The brand has secured premium retail partners including Harrods, Selfridges and Daylesford, and is distributed by major UK wholesalers Bibendum, Liberty Wines, Enotria, and Matthew Clark. It has also attracted high-profile listings across Michelin-starred restaurants, hotels, private members clubs and bars, including Jason Atherton’s restaurant portfolio, Tom Kerridge’s The Hand & Flowers, The Ivy Collection, Rosewood London, The Dorchester, Gleneagles and Fallow.
The future of Wild Idol includes international expansion plans, starting with a launch in the Middle East no-alcohol sector later this summer in partnership with Maritime and Mercantile International (MMI), a leading beverage distributor in the Middle East, followed by further expansion into the US market set for the end of year.
Wild Idol has an RRP of £35 in the UK.
New packaging for Vimto
Nicols is introducing a new bottle design across its Vimto squash range.
“The new distinctive bottle features a contemporary design with fruit peel texture – delivering further stand out on-shelf and bringing to life the uniquely distinct Vimto flavor,” says the company.
“The texture of the new bottles serves to highlight the ‘healthy hydration’ messaging the brand is passionate about by mirroring the real fruit contained within every Vimto squash bottle.”
The newly-designed bottles are made from 51% rPET: with goals to reach 100% rPET by 2025.
