What's hitting the shelves? Festive special
The Grinch iced coffee
International Delight, a US creamer and iced coffee brand, has teamed up with Dr. Seuss Enterprises to expand its festive holiday flavors.
This sees the launch of new Peppermint Mocha coffee and creamer offerings inspired by The Grinch.
International Delight Peppermint Mocha Zero Sugar Creamer – a chocolaty, minty flavor - retails at $4.29 per 32oz bottle.
Meanwhile, the new ready-to-drink International Delight Peppermint Mocha Iced Coffee retails at $4.99 per 64oz carton.
Available for free at convenience stores across the US is International Delight Peppermint Mocha on-the-go creamer singles.
Meanwhile, three creamers from last years’ Grinch-inspired collab return to the line-up.
Classic Peppermint Mocha, Gingerbread Cookie Dough and Frosted Sugar Cookie return to shelves at $4.29 per 32oz bottle.
Spiced Orange and Cranberry Gin
UK distillery 6 O'clock Gin is launching The Distillers Archive Series: a collection of small-batch gins.
The inaugural release within The Distillers Archive Series is 6 O'clock Gin Spiced Orange and Cranberry. Crafted with precision, the gin features fresh orange peel and tart cranberries, steeped in 6 O’clock Gin’s iconic Brunel Gin. The result is a ‘vibrant fusion of zesty citrus and warm spices of cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg’.
"We are thrilled to introduce The Distillers Archive Series and the Spiced Orange and Cranberry Gin," said 6 O'clock Gin Marketing Director Tom Fowkes.
"The Distillers Archive Series has been created to invite gin enthusiasts to embark on a journey through the rich history of gin-making. The first gin within the series not only showcases our flavor innovations but also our dedication to traditional craftsmanship.”
The Distillers Archive Series will feature a diverse range of small-batch gins released throughout the next year showcasing seasonal botanicals and traditional production techniques.
6 O’clock Gin’s Spiced Orange and Cranberry (£37) is best served over ice with premium tonic water, a twist of orange and a sprig of rosemary or alternatively, try adding to warm, mulled apple juice for an indulgently rich winter warmer.
Cocktail crackers
New for 2023, MOTH’s canned cocktail crackers (four for £20) are each filled with one of four festive ready-to-serve cocktails: Espresso Martini (14.9% ABV), Piña Colada (10% ABV), Margarita (14.9% ABV) and Negroni 14.9% ABV (plus a joke, of course).
MOTH’s canned cocktail crackers are available online at £20 per set (each set includes 4 crackers).
The cocktail crackers joins MOTH’s range of Margarita, Espresso Martini, Piña Colada and Negroni: which are available from UK supermarkets.
Wine tasting cracker
Vinca’s new Wine Tasting Cracker – designed to ‘bring a taste of the Sicilian sunshine to your Christmas celebration – brings together three of Vinca’s canned wines for a festive table decoration or Secret Santa gift.
Grown in Sicily in family-owned, sustainable vineyards, Vinca’s organic wine is served in ready-to-pour cans, with a pale rosé, white and red in every cracker.
Vinca co-founder, Jack Green, said: “Christmas crackers are so often a cheap-and-cheerful afterthought and destined straight for landfill. We wanted to create a thoughtful, stylish alternative – beautifully presented in fully recyclable packaging and filled with our sustainable, organic, grown-up wines that are better than a bottle and even better for the planet.”
The canned wines are available to buy online from the brand (£15 including postage) with free carbon-offset shipping, or via Planet Organic, Co-op stores in the east of England, Abel & Cole and independent venues.
Holiday kombucha
Health-Ade Kombucha’s seasonal flavor Holiday Cheers is back for the winter season: designed as a ‘delicious blend of festive flavors, perfect for host gifts or mixing into a holiday mocktail’.
This festive probiotic tea is a seasonal brew that blends notes of ginger, vanilla, allspice, and cacao.
Holiday Cheers retails in the US for $49.95 for a 12-pack.
Christmas beer uses regenerative farming and carbon-neutral production
Carlsberg’s KOFF Christmas Beer is now available for the festive season: now combining regenerative farming and carbon-neutral production.
KOFF Christmas Beer is the oldest and most popular Christmas beer in Finland, brewed since 1987 with the same recipe.
This year the malted barley comes from Tomppila farm in Kouvola’s Raussila village, Southern Finland. As in two previous years, the barley has been grown using regenerative farming methods.
It is then brewed at the carbon-neutral Sinebrychoff brewery.
Hanna Palomäki, Environmental Coordinator at the Sinebrychoff brewery, explains: “One year ago, our parent company Carlsberg Group expanded our sustainability program Together Towards ZERO and Beyond to include regenerative farming, which KOFF Christmas Beer also represents.
The carefully audited KOFF Christmas Beer has been our spearhead as a sustainable beer for a long time. It is probably the most ecological beer in Finland - barley has been grown with regenerative farming methods near our brewery and the beer production itself is carbon-neutral.”
KOFF Christmas beer was first introduced in 1987. It is a golden brown, soft and full-bodied Viennese-style lager. Dark-roasted barley malt and Saaz hops bring Christmas aromas to the beer.
KOFF is a golden brown, soft and full-bodied Viennese-style lager. Dark-roasted barley malt and Saaz hops bring Christmas aromas to the beer.
Bucks Fizz with a modern spin
These Days – a UK brand ‘on a mission to refresh Aperitivo with a range of refreshingly simple spritzes’ – has launched a refreshed Bucks Fizz for the festive season.
The limited-edition is described a modern take on a traditional drink: starting with an orange wine base, organic white wine, orange bitters and freshly squeezed orange juice and topped with soda. The drink can be chilled then served in a flute or wine glass over ice with a slice of orange.
The 7.5% ABV drink can be purchased for £19.
Skrewball peanut butter whiskey brings back LTO Skrewball eggnog
US peanut butter whiskey, Screwball Whiskey, has announced the return of Skrewball Eggnog.
Originally launched in 14 states last year, peanut butter fanatics and eggnog lovers alike can now get their hands on the limited-edition in 44 states nationwide this October.
Made with premium dairy cream, spicy eggnog flavor with notes of cinnamon and vanilla and Skrewball’s signature salty and sweet taste, Skrewball Eggnog is available in a 750 ml bottle. It is ready to pour and best served chilled or over ice.
Launched in limited quantity, Skrewball Eggnog is 29.5 proof (14.75% ABV) at retails at $19.99.
Woodford Reserve: Two-layer Bourbon Spice Cake and Bourbon Caramel Sauce
Woodford Reserve has debuted its annual holiday bourbon bottle along with three new holiday offerings as part of its collaboration with homeware retailer Williams-Sonoma: Two-Layer Bourbon Spice Cake, Bourbon Caramel Sauce, and the 8 Days of Spirit Advent Calendar.
The Two-Layer Bourbon Spice Cake is a homemade vanilla spice cake with layers of decadent caramel filling and warm fall spices, topped with rich cream cheese frosting and crunchy candied pecans.
The Bourbon Caramel Sauce is packed with flavors of vanilla and bourbon smoked sea salt.
The Woodford Reserve 8 Days of Spirit Advent Calendar, featuring eight miniature cocktail mixers and ingredients, is available once again this year, as is Woodford Reserve’s full line of cocktail mixers made in partnership with the homeware brand.
The annual holiday bourbon bottle features a white raised texture to evoke snow, with a smooth glossy gold foil to compliment the rich color of the bourbon.
Peppermint mocha cold brew
STōK Cold Brew Coffee has launched its latest limited-edition flavor: Peppermint Mocha.
While already an annual favorite, social conversations about Peppermint Mocha have increased by nearly 70% over the past year, notes the brand.
The Danone brand is described as ‘not overly sweet and not underwhelming – the perfect coffee-forward cold brew to get you through the winter season’.
VK Chocolate Orange
Pre-mixed cocktail VK has introduced a vodka flavored take on a classic stocking filler: VK Chocolate Orange.
The festive flavor is available in 275ml bottles from HB Clark, as well as in Mixed Packs from Tesco, ASDA, Morrisons, and Nisa, Booker, and select cash and carrys.
The launch is accompanied by a digital campaign aimed at students, targeted influence strategy and student pop-up event.
Daniella Mulvey, Brand Manager at Global Brands Ltd, said: “At VK we’re all about celebrations, bringing people together, and associating the brand with socialising and having a great time.
“We’re thrilled to continually drive engagement with fans and students through our Christmas activations and this VK twist on a classic stocking filler, and look forward to building on our position as the number one trad RTD choice for students as we head into 2024.
"Every VK limited edition festive flavor has sold out ahead of the big date - so VK fans need to be quick off the mark to get their hands on this limited edition flavour!”
