Bank holidays are big business for the drinks industry – and when there’s a celebration thrown in, such as the Coronation of King Charles III, that business gets even bigger.
Take the Queen’s Jubilee weekend in 2022, for example. Consumers spent an extra £104 million on beers, wines and spirits – making it one of the biggest occasions outside of Christmas (NielsenIQ).
The Coronation takes place on May 6, with a Bank Holiday scheduled for May 8 and the inbox at Drinks Retailing is already brimming with Coronation-related drinks launches.
Here’s a look at what you can expect.
WINE
Moët & Chandon Coronation Cuvée 2023 Magnum
£96
The Moët & Chandon Impérial Coronation Cuvée 2023 magnum features the official emblem of the Coronation of His Majesty The King and Her Majesty The Queen Consort, along with the message: “The House of Moët & Chandon are proud to present this special cuvée to celebrate the Coronation of His Majesty The King.” The magnum will be available from May 1.
Chapel Down Coronation Edition 2016
£65
Chapel Down chief executive Andrew Carter said: “Whilst this is a moment for great celebration, it is also a moment of reflection and of giving back to those that protect our great nation. For that reason, we are proud to be donating the profits from the sale of this wine to the Royal British Legion, a charity that supports members of the Armed Forces community and their families. We are also running a number of wider fundraising initiatives to support the Royal British Legion.” The release is limited to 2,000 bottles.
Nyetimber King’s Coronation Limited-Edition Classic Cuvee Multi-Vintage
£39.50
English Sparkling Wine producer Nyetimber has launched a limited-edition bottle to mark the Coronation of King Charles III. The bottle is inspired by royal garments and uniforms and the movement of sparkling wine in a glass when raising a toast. The Coronation bottle contains Nyetimber’s flagship wine, Classic Cuvee Multi-Vintage: a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier.
Taylor’s Very Very Old Tawny Port Coronation Edition
£425
David Guimaraens, Taylor’s head winemaker, said: “The component wines for this limited-edition blend were drawn from among our finest and oldest cask aged Ports and were carefully selected for their balance and complexity. Decades of ageing in oak casks have given them a majestic power and depth while retaining a remarkable freshness and vitality.”
The Taylor’s Very Very Old Tawny Port Coronation Edition is limited to 1,500 bottles.
Berry Bros & Rudd Coronation Case
£260
The limited-edition case contains six wines including a Riesling, two Bordeaux selections and Pol Roger Champagne. Barbara Drew MW said the case was “curated in line with the historic 1953 menu. Each wine has been selected to represent a celebratory moment and, together, make a wine selection for a very special occasion”.
BEER & CIDER
Sandford Orchards’ Limited Edition Coronation Devon Red Cider
4.5% abv
£2.30
Barny Butterfield, chief cidermaker at Sandford Orchards said: “Most of us are too young to remember the last coronation so we are eagerly anticipating some fantastic celebrations across the country. We wanted to mark the occasion with the launch of our Coronation Limited Edition Devon Red Cider, which is created from British apples grown and pressed in Devon, using traditional methods, at the oldest working cider mill in the UK. No coronation parties will be complete without it. Why would you toast the new King’s health with French champagne when you can raise a glass of 100% British cider?”
Greene King Coronation Ale
4% abv
£12 (6x33cl)
Available now until May 14, Coronation Ale is “a refreshing 4% hoppy serve, with drinkers able to enjoy notes of citrus and tropical fruit from four fragrant hops upon tasting”.
MIXERS & RTDs
Luscombe Limited Edition Rose & Cherry Bubbly
£26.50 (12x27cl)
Gabriel David, owner and founder of Luscombe, said: “Inspired by the rose featured in the Coronation emblem, our limited edition Rose & Cherry Bubbly has been crafted with Royal celebrations in mind. A gently sparkling bubbly, it balances the sweet-tartness of cherries beautifully with the floral notes of the rose, and is naturally sweetened with muscat grape juice and finished with Sicilian lemons and soft Dartmoor spring water. Like all the drinks in our range it contains no artificial additives, sweeteners or concentrates.”
Paradise Bay Cocktail Co’s CiiiR Royale
4% abv
£3.50
Continental Wine & Food has released a Coronation edition of its ready-to-drink premixed cocktail brand, Paradise Bay Cocktail Co. “Inspired by the Kir Royale with juicy blackcurrant flavours, the CiiiR Royale has a regal purple colourway with an eye-catching design adorned with celebratory imagery including bunting and crown,” the company said. “This limited style embraces the national sentiment and positions the brand at the centre of celebrations, creating opportunities for inventive merchandising in store and drive impulse purchases. The 70cl bottle format makes this cocktail ideal for sharing at Coronation themed garden parties, BBQs and events over the Bank Holiday weekend.”
SPIRITS & LIQUEURS
Silent Pool Coronation Gin
43% abv
£45
“Boasting a brand-new recipe, lovingly crafted specifically to celebrate the historical occasion, Silent Pool’s Coronation Gin has been created using infusions of King Charles’ favourite Surrey botanicals, plants and flowers,” the company said. Silent Pool mentions bergamot orange, rose petals, lavender, dried plum, raspberry leaves, Earl Grey tea and hawthorn berries.
Pimm’s No 1 limited edition bottles
25% abv
£22 (1-litre)
Diageo will roll out a limited-edition design of its Pimm’s No 1 bottle to celebrate The Coronation of The King and The Queen Consort. The Coronation Edition bottle will be rolled out across the off-trade from April and will temporarily replace the standard design in 70cl and 1-litre, while stocks last.
The Coronation Gin
40% abv
£35
Created in collaboration with Gin In A Tin and as part of Historic Royal Palaces’ brand licensing programme with its agent The Point 1888, The Coronation Gin design is inspired by the Crown Jewels. The London Dry gin is presented in a lightweight letterbox-friendly tin, and it is available in John Lewis stores and online.
Shakespeare Distillery’s King’s Coronation Gin
40% abv
£34 (50cl)
Stratford-upon-Avon distillery, Shakespeare, has launched a new dry gin which has taken inspiration from “the gin and Dubonnet beloved by the late Queen and Queen Mother”. The team combined flavours of orange and currants with cinnamon, ginger, allspice, rosemary, coriander, and angelica to create the King’s Coronation Gin.
Pusser’s Rum Coronation Reserve
54.5% abv
£49
In recognition of King Charles III’s connection to the Royal Navy, Pusser’s has launched a limited-edition Naval rum. The Coronation Reserve is a blend of aged rum from Guyana and Trinidad, bottled at 54.5% abv (Navy Proof). This is the same strength as the rum that was served on July 31, 1970 when the Admiralty discontinued its daily issue of rum.
Bladnoch The King’s Cask
47.7% abv
£180
The Bladnoch Distillery Centre was opened by His Majesty King Charles on September 11, 2019. The King’s Cask whisky is limited to 289 bottles, from a single Tokaji wine cask.
The Sipping Society Coronation Box
£35
Sipsmith’s Sipping Society Coronation Box contains two gins: Coronation Gin and Hot Honey Gin. The Coronation Gin features rosehip and cardamom macerated overnight with chamomile and orange peel before the liquid rests in Laphroaig whisky casks. The Hot Honey Gin incorporates honey “harvested from the eco-friendly Room2 Hotel located nearby the London-based distillery”.
Cotswolds Coronation Cask Single Malt Whisky
55.6% abv
£125
Made with 100% locally grown barley from the Cotswolds, this limited-edition single malt whisky was matured in a single Bourbon cask. Each bottle is numbered, and presented in a display carton. The release is limited to 175 bottles.
