The holidays are coming - and with it a raft of beverage innovation celebrating festive favorite flavors such as cinnamon, nutmeg, cranberry, peppermint and ginger.
Scroll through for some festive inspiration...
Simply Spiked Cranberry
Simply Spiked is launching its first-ever LTO – Cranberry – to help ‘put a juicy spin on holiday gatherings’.
Simply Spiked Cranberry is a premium flavored alcohol beverage with a refreshing taste and 5% real fruit juice, and is one of Molson Coors’ efforts to expand beyond its core beer portfolio.
As part of the launch, the brand is teamed up with reality star Tyler Cameron on a festive promotion in the US and Canada.
Sprite Winter Spiced Cranberry
Sprite is bringing back Sprite Winter Spiced Cranberry.
Set to stand out as a more refreshing choice amid the traditional seasonal specialties such as eggnog, pumpkin spice, and apple cider, Sprite Winter Spiced Cranberry and Sprite Winter Spiced Cranberry Zero Sugar has returned to shelves in the US this month.
Infused with tart cranberry and a blend of spices, this seasonal twist on the classic lemon-lime flavor ‘brings festive flair with every sip’.
Oatnog
UK cocktail company Black Lines is bringing back its festive Oatnog this year: ‘think eggnog, but better’.
With an oat-milk base, the Black Lines Oatnog is a vegan take on its egg-based predecessor. It is ready to serve in two ways: simply pour straight over ice or serve warm with a garnish of ground nutmeg.
The Oatnog is made from Two Drifters Rum, Oatly Barista, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla. Each 750ml bottle contains 5 serves.
A limited run of bottles is available from Whole Foods, Selfridges and directly from Black Lines at £19 per bottle.
This year, £1 from every bottle sold will be donated to Save The Children’s Gaza Crisis emergency fund.
Laird Superfood Peppermint Mocha
Laird Superfood Peppermint Mocha is back for 2024: while the brand has also launched a new single-serve packet for a holiday treat on-the-go.
The US company – founded by surfer Laird Hamilton - provides a range of plant-based products including coffee creamers, drink mixes and blends, snacks and food and variety packs.
Peppermint Mocha is made up of ingredients including coconut milk powder, lion’s mane, maitake, cordyceps and coffee. Each serving contains 130mg caffeine, and is vegan, soy, gluten and dairy free.
Wine Christmas Crackers
Back for 2024 is Vinca Wine’s festive ‘Wine Tasting Cracker’, which packages a trio of 187ml wine cans.
Created via a collaboration with Smurfit Westrock Saxon, the design features litho printed packaging with a blend of pinks, greens, yellows and creams to create a ‘visually descriptive piece of packaging that’s impossible to ignore’. The pack is completed with black ribbon for an extra premium feel.
The festive crackers can be found in John Lewis in the UK.
Riff Distilling
Riff Distilling is re-releasing its Winter Whiskey, a Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey made with malted oats and chocolate malt.
The Newport distillery’s seasonal stunner first debuted in 2020 as an innovative riff on ‘bourbon bearing beloved, nostalgic holiday flavors’.
“Winter Whiskey offers a classic bourbon foundation of clean, sweet corn, enhanced with layers of malty, nutty and dark chocolate flavors,” said Master Distiller Brian Sprance. “Inspired by years of brewing expertise, Winter Whiskey reimagines the essence of a classic oatmeal stout, creating a non-traditional, one-of-a-kind bourbon.”
The unique mashbill is made up of 65% corn, 20% malted oats, 7% pale ale malt, 5% steel cut raw oats and 3% chocolate malt. Winter Whiskey is bottled in bond without chill filtration at 100 proof and aged at least four years.
Winter Whiskey tastes like a conversation between the dry cocoa quality of the chocolate malt, a balanced amount of oak and a unique spicy quality distinct from that of rye. The finish dances away on the oaty spice, with hints of Belgian cocoa.
Jolly Saint Nico
South London’s Orbit Beers has released the annual edition of its Christmas beer, Jolly Saint Nico.
In search of a lighter Christmas beer option, the team at Orbit Beers decided to put a festive spin on their multi-award-winning Köln Lager – Nico - named after musician Christa Päffgen under her singing alias Nico, who hailed from Cologne (the city of Kölsch beer).
Nico offers a delicate balance of malt and hops that is synonymous with the Kölsch style, and a soft bitterness with a crisp, thirst-quenching, dry finish. As a lightly carbonated Kölsch-style beer that is traditionally brewed with ale yeast, the complex, fruity, malty flavours lend themselves well to the addition of well-balanced, festive spices.
Jolly Saint Nico (4.8% ABV) pours pale golden with a fragrant, herbal hop aroma. It has notes of citrus, cloves, and seasonal spices. It’s light on the palate, with a touch of bready maltiness, an assertive hop character, and warming flavors of nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, and allspice.
The soft carbonation and dry, crisp finish make it the perfect beer to pair with Christmas dinner; while the subtle spices also add a festive flavor to accompany cheese boards and mince pies.
The beer is available in 330ml Vichy bottles from Orbit Beers’ online store and various independent online bottle shops such as Ghostwhale, Clapton Craft, and Water Into Beer; as well as on draught in various pubs, bars and restaurants such as Orbit Beers’ Taproom.
Paul John Indian Single Malt releases Christmas edition
Originating from the state of Goa, India, Paul John Indian Single Malt is releasing a Christmas edition in the UK.
The whisky, which according to the brand contains hints of mango, pineapple, vanilla cake and sandalwood, is matured in a Caribbean rum cask, and includes malt matured in Virgin Oak Cask.
The limited edition Christmas whisky is available from Hedonism Wines at an RRP of £60.
Terry’s Chocolate Orange Hot Chocolate returns to Costa
UK chocolate brand Terry’s is collaborating with Costa Coffee for a range of Christmas offerings.
These include Terry’s Chocolate Orange Hot Chocolate and Terry’s Chocolate Orange Muffin. This is the fifth year in a row it has collaborated with the coffee chain. They will be available from Costa until 5 January across the chain’s 2600 sites.
Alongside this collaboration, Terry’s is also partnering with McDonalds to release a Terry’s Chocolate Orange Pie and Terry’s Chocolate Orange McFlurry. The two partnerships combined bring Terry’s to more than 4,000 locations in the UK.
Finally, the brand has a range of new retail releases including Terry’s Chocolate Orange Hot Chocolate Bombe and Terry’s Chocolate Minis Mint Crisp.
Oat and cashew Oatnog
Also celebrating plant-based alternatives to eggnog is Elmhurst’s 1925’s Limited Edition OatNog.
The drink is blended with cozy spices, whole grain oats and cashews to create ‘a beverage so rich and creamy you’ll forget it’s dairy-free’.
The drink is dairy-free, vegan, gluten-free, and non-GMO project verified.
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