What's hitting the shelves? New beverage launches
Water and wine box
Essentia has launched a Water + Wine box: a side-by-side combo of Essentia Water and House Wine – ‘making staying hydrated while drinking wine easier than ever’.
The box features 2 gallons of alkaline Essentia Water and the equivalent of eight bottles of House Wine (four red and four white).
The instant water and wine station is made for kitchen counters or holiday party tables – ‘simply pop out the retractable spouts and enjoy’.
The Water & Wine box has been launched as a limited edition this month for $45.99 and is available while stocks last.
Rum-based chai tea cream liqueur
Beer, cider and spirits company KBE Drinks has launched 5 Walla: a rum-based chai tea cream liqueur in the UK.
The 17% ABV drink (RRP £21) is made from a unique recipe of five spices: blending cinnamon, clove, cardamon, ginger and vanilla ‘to transport your taste buds to India’. The standout black bottle pays tribute to India’s rich cultural heritage through iconic imagery of a chai walla, inspired by famous artwork found on traditional Indian matchboxes.
The UK Liqueur category has enjoyed double digit growth over the last few years, largely due to the rise in popularity of people making their own cocktails at home. Cream liqueurs in particular have proved popular and now make up a considerable portion of the 44m total liqueur bottles sold each year. They are typically enjoyed by themselves over ice, or as an exciting and versatile addition to cocktails.
Coffee canned cocktails
Atlanta-based Tip Top Proper Cocktails has launched a new, RTD 100ml canned cocktail: the Espresso Martini.
The drink has been made in collaboration with coffee pioneers Counter Culture, and is made using vodka, vanilla and espresso from Counter Culture’s Big Trouble coffee blend.
Individual cans of Espresso Martini are available in retail stores and bars in Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, New Jersey, New York and Texas this month, as well as online for shipping to 41 states.
Organic RTD tea
Saint James Tea has expanded its line of organic, RTD teas with Blood Orange & Hibiscus Organic Black Tea.
The tea is the US company’s first foray outside of its green tea stronghold; while it is also the company’s first zero-calorie beverage.
The Blood Orange & Hibiscus Organic Black Tea joins Saint James Tea’s four existing green tea flavors, Original Green Tea, Passion Fruit & Peach, Blueberry & Raspberry, and Pineapple & Mango.
A family brand, Saint James Tea was created by co-founder of AriZona Iced Tea, John M. Ferolito and named in honor of Father James Haggerty - an inspirational figure in Ferolito’s early career.
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ØKAR Liqueurs launch in the UK
Australian brand ØKAR is bringing ØKAR Island Bitter and ØKAR Coffee Mocha Liqueurs to the UK via a partnership with Ten Locks.
Crafted on the land of the Peramangk people, who are the traditional owners of the Adelaide Hills, the liqueurs encapsulate the unique native botanicals and culture of Australia. B-Corp ØKAR uses native Australian ingredients to create demand for plants that grow in the country’s harsh climates, works with local independent farmers to give back to the community, reduces logistic emissions and has invested in solar energy to offset its carbon footprint.
ØKAR Island Bitter uses some of the rarest and ancient ingredients on earth, all native to the coastal rainforests of Australia, to create a juicy, vibrant and bitter taste. Described as ‘bitter in the back and a party in the front’, it’s an Australian twist on traditional Italian Amari, and presents the opportunity to create next level Negronis at a time when the serve is being embraced by consumers on premise and at home.
ØKAR Mocha ‘oozes Australia’s café culture by blending an eclectic mix of Mexican, Brazilian and Papuan coffees with native Wattleseed, Cacao, Coconut and Davidson Plum’. The liqueur can be used in an Espresso Martini or enjoyed neat over ice.
ØKAR Island Bitter (24% Abv – 700ml) and Coffee Mocha (20% Abv – 700ml) are available to the UK on trade and specialist retailers.
New rum ‘hitchhikes’ to UK shores
Hitchhiker, a small batch botanical rum developed and produced by two hospitality strategists/designers, James Van Tromp & Nathan Aylott, has launched in the UK.
The British brand debuts with three premium rums: each depicting their own unique journey to the British coastline. The individual SKUs are a blend of aged five year old rums sourced from Guyana & Trinidad & Tobago.
The three expressions are:
- Sicilian Pine ( ABV 40%): ‘Paired and gently blended with a meticulous selection of Mediterranean herbs & British coastal botanicals. Beginning with fresh citrus notes, developing distinctive herbaceous undertones and finishing with a flash of saffron and black pepper, the result is a fresh, vibrant and utterly unique botanical rum.’
- Breton Sea Salt ( ABV 40%): ‘Paired and gently blended with a meticulous selection of stone fruits, soft spices & British coastal botanicals. A rich, sumptuous rum that balances stone fruit and soft warming spice, evoking notes of apricot and almonds combined with the floral highs of honeysuckle, all contrasted with the tang and touch of Breton sea salt.’
- Azorean Orange Blossom (ABV 40%): ‘Paired and gently blended with a meticulous selection of Azorean fruits & British coastal botanicals. A soft, easy drinking rum that delivers big toasty chocolate orange notes combined with pineapple and cassia to create a drink that is smooth and decadent.’
The complex flavors within the bottles, which have been created under the guidance and expertise of Circumstance Distillery, have been purposely curated to capture the chain of ports, shores & coastlines that the rum discovers along its route from the Caribbean, with each voyage adding its own specific nautical note, ‘the hitchhiker’ (Sicilian pine, Breton sea salt or Azorean Orange Blossom), before 'beaching' on the British coast.
Co-founder Nathan Aylott said: “Hitchhiker is about bringing quality liquid together with the utterly carefree nature of travel. The destination of the rum’s journey is tied together with the British coastal botanicals we use; a nod to the brand origin, & a celebration of Great British horticulture.”
Swedish coffee launches in UK
Swedish coffee brand Löfbergs is launching in the UK.
As part of its commitment to sustainable coffee, Löfbergs buys coffee directly from the countries where it’s grown, uses only 100% certified sustainable coffee, and uses fossil-free fuel to roast coffee and climate-friendly packaging, amongst other initiatives.
“By bringing the number one Swedish coffee brand to the UK, we are excited to show off a taste of Swedish heritage to the British people,” said Wilson Clarke, Löfbergs UK MD. “Löfbers is a company that cares, not just about people but the planet and, as such, we are on course to be 100% circular by 2030.
“We have been working on perfecting the taste of our products since we began over a hundred years ago, so consumers can expect coffee that does more than just satisfy their caffeine cravings.”
Available from Tesco and Ocado, the range includes Organic Dark Roast, Organic Medium, and Single Origin Brazil in 450g packs of ground coffee, as well as whole bean options.
