The monthly round-up of what’s new in low/no, beer, cider, wine, spirits, RTDs and mixers.
LOW/NO
Tanqueray Flor de Sevilla 0.0%
£17
USP: Diageo has added an alcohol-free variant to its Tanqueray Flor de Sevilla orange gin.
Lucy Barrett, marketing manager for alcohol free spirits at Diageo GB said: “The original Tanqueray Flor de Sevilla is popular all year round and is associated with a wide range of occasions. The lead serve – Sevilla & Tonic – in particular is known for its light, refreshing taste, making it ideal for summer socialising. The new Tanqueray Flor de Sevilla 0.0% will complement our existing portfolio offering in these moments by providing an alcohol-free choice.”
Big Drop Reef Point
0.5% abv
£25 (12 x 33cl cans)
USP: Big Drop has launched a new lager for the summer. Reef Point is 13 kcal per 33cl can (23 kcal per pint). The brewer said the beer contains the “lowest calories of any beer produced in the UK”.
BEER & CIDER
Brothers Raspberry Ripple
4% abv
£ in line with existing variants
USP: Somerset-based Brothers Drinks Co has added Raspberry Ripple to its cider line-up. “This latest variant is a delicious combination of raspberry flavour with a delicate swirl of vanilla, and is best served chilled over ice. Introducing this classic ice-cream flavour to the cider category will help independents tap into consumer excitement around summer socialising occasions,” the company said. The product is available in 50cl and 33cl glass bottles, and in 6x33cl and 10x33cl multipack can formats.
Badger Outland Milk Stout and Ginger Pale Ale
5.2% and 5% abv, respectively
£3 each (44cl can)
USP: Badger Beers is launching a range of craft beers under new brand, Outland. The range includes Milk Stout and Ginger Pale Ale in 44cl cans. A draught West Coast IPA (5%) is initially available exclusively in Hall & Woodhouse pubs, with cans to follow in the autumn.
Camden Eazy Hazy IPA
5% abv
£6/pack
USP: Originally launched as part of Camden’s small-batch innovation series, Arch 55, Eazy “became an instant favourite at Camden HQ”. Chris Wheeler, innovation brewer at Camden Town Brewery, said: “Brewed with Citra and El Dorado hops, it’s an IPA full of juicy flavours with a golden-hazy finish, making it ideal for the sunny months.”
WINE
Achaval Ferrer Finca trilogy 2019
2019 Achaval Ferrer Finca Mirador – £98
2019 Achaval Ferrer Finca Bella Vista – £98
2019 Achaval Ferrer Finca Altamira – £105
USP: Achaval Ferrer has released a new vintage from its Fincas trilogy. The collection of three single-vineyard Malbecs sourced from old vineyards located in Mendoza, has launched globally this month. The vineyards are Achaval Ferrer Finca Bella Vista, planted in 1910; Achaval Ferrer Finca Mirador, planted in 1921; and Achaval Ferrer Finca Altamira, planted in 1950.
Hattingley Valley 2022 Still rosé and Entice
£19 and £25, respectively
USP: Hampshire winery Hattingley Valley has released two new wines. The 2022 Still Rosé is made from a blend of Pinot Noir Précoce and Pinot Noir grapes which are whole-bunch pressed after a short maceration, then fermented in stainless steel tanks before bottling. Dessert wine Entice is made from 100% Bacchus grapes that have been frozen and pressed, prior to undergoing a cool fermentation process in stainless steel tanks to create a juice with naturally high sugar content, in Hattingley’s take on an ice-wine style of production.
São Luiz Organic Colheita 2021
£12.99
USP: Sogevinus Fine Wines has added São Luiz Organic Colheita 2021 to its portfolio. The wine is a blend of Touriga Nacional (35%), Touriga Franca (35%) and Tinta Roriz (35%).
SPIRITS
Metaxa Grande Fine bottle
40% abv
£60
USP: The newly-released Metaxa Grande Fine bottle has been designed in collaboration with Greek artist Cacao Rocks and is available exclusively at Harvey Nichols. The limited-edition bottle design is said to transport the drinker “to the sun-soaked Grecian isle of Samos”.
Morris Signature and Muscat Barrel whiskies
From 40% abv
From £51
USP: Australia’s Morris whisky launches in the UK market this Spring with its Signature (40%, £51) and Muscat Barrel (46%, £74) whiskies. From Morris of Rutherglen, the whiskies are made using “100% local Australian ingredients” then finished in the company’s own fortified wine barrels.
Edinburgh Gin’s Marmalade Sandwich and Scandi
From 42.6% abv
£40 each
Edinburgh Gin has added two small-batch additions to its Experimental Series. Marmalade Sandwich (42.6% abv) is “a nod to the distiller’s nostalgic memories of marmalade”. The distillation involved an experimentation of botanicals and natural flavours including orange peel, malted barley and butter. Scandi (44.4% abv) aims to transport drinkers to the Nordic countryside, with caraway seeds, dill and lingonberries providing a balanced gin with flavours typically found in Aquavit. “Cutting through the bouquet of botanicals, the gin plays with subtle bitterness through the use of cloves and cubeb pepper,” the company said. “To finish, cooling menthol and warming aniseed to give a rounded end note.”
Fettercairn Warehouse 14
51.2% abv
£70
USP: Fettercairn Distillery has announced the fifth and final instalment of its Warehouse Collection. Warehouse 14 was made using a selection of first-fill and second-fill ex-Bourbon barrels. This release was initially created as an experiment in Warehouse 14 by master whisky maker Gregg Glass and the distillery team. The recipe was finished in a mix of three different beer barrels – stout, dark ale and pale ale – “each offering different flavour characteristics that enhance Fettercairn’s tropical house style”.
Warner’s X Four Pillars
From 40%
From £36
USP: After exchanging the ingredients from Warner’s Rhubarb Gin in the UK and Four Pillars Bloody Shiraz in Australia, Warner’s took their Harrington Dry Gin and distilled it with Australian Shiraz grape juice, used in Four Pillars Bloody Shiraz to create a Harrington Shiraz Gin at 40% abv. Four Pillars took the rhubarb juice used for Warner’s Rhubarb Gin and blended it with apples from the Yarra Valley to create a Green Apple & Rhubarb Gin at 41.8% abv. The latter will be available from August.
Bacardi Caribbean Spiced
40% abv
£24
USP: Bacardi Caribbean Spiced is the brand’s “first premium spiced aged product, that blends spices with coconut, pineapple, and coconut blossom”. It is available on Mixlab and Ocado as well as retailers including Tesco and Waitrose, nationwide.
The GlenDronach Cask Strength Batch 12
58.2% abv
£75
USP: This twelfth batch of The GlenDronach Cask Strength is a “richly sherried Highland single malt, matured slowly in fine Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso sherry casks from Andalucía in Spain”.
Cygnet Welsh Dry Gin and Cygnet 22 Gin
40% abv and 44% abv, respectively
£35 and £47.50, respectively
USP: Classical singer Katherine Jenkins has launched two gins. Jenkins acquired “little known Welsh spirit” Cygnet Gin and then repackaged and refined a version of the Welsh Dry Gin, which features botanticals such as almond, chamomile flower and pink grapefruit peel. Cygnet 22, which is Jenkins’ own expression, features 22 botanicals, incuding manuka honey. Cygnet 22 is packaged in a lightweight bottle.
East London Liquor Co’s Cask One
63% abv
£1200
USP: East London Liquor Co is releasing the first cask of whisky the company ever filled to Harvey Nichols as a one-off exclusive. Consumers will be able to buy a bottle for £1200, or 5cl for £95 across Harvey Nichols’ bars. The cask was filled “more than seven years ago”.
Plymouth Gin’s Ocean Edition bottle
£26
USP: Pernod Ricard’s Plymouth Gin has launched an ‘Ocean Edition’ bottle, created in partnership with ocean charity, the Ocean Conservation Trust (OCT). For every one of the limited-edition bottles sold, Plymouth Gin will donate £1 to the OCT. The blue-tinted Ocean Edition bottle, with a design inspired by the waves of the sea, will be available to purchase from Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Waitrose, Morrisons and Amazon.
Sapling Spirits Raspberry & Hibiscus Vodka
40% abv
£36
USP: Sapling Spirits has launched its new wonky fruit range with a Raspberry & Hibiscus Vodka. The range uses imperfect ‘wonky’ fruit, that would otherwise be going to waste, to create infused vodka.
Villon liqueur
40% abv
£40
USP: Sovereign Brands has launched Villon, a blend of spirits distilled from French wheat and natural flavours, in the UK. The liqueur is named after François Villon, “a medieval poet who lived on the margins of Parisienne society in the 1400s”.
RTDS & MIXERS
Pergola Drinks Sunset and Poolside
18.4% and 19.2% abv, respectively
£28 each (50cl)
USP: New company Pergola Drinks was created by husband and wife Rahul and Sheetal Murthy. “The company is a cocktail creator, wholesaler and retailer, with a focus on the premium end of the market,” the pair said. The first cocktails are Sunset – a twist on a Tequila Sunrise and Poolside – a twist on a Margarita made blue with the addition of blue curacao.
Jack Daniel’s and Coca-Cola
5% abv
£2.30
USP: Jack Daniel’s and Coca-Cola have officially announced the launch of Jack Daniel’s and Coca-Cola ready-to-drink (RTD) in the UK. Made with Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey and Coca-Cola, Jack Daniel’s & Coca-Cola RTD is inspired by the classic bar cocktail.
VK Blue Multipack
4% abv
£11 (10 x 27.5cl)
USP: Charlie Leaver, head of brand at Global Brands: “We’re thrilled to deliver a new pack combining the success of the biggest mixed pack in the total off trade, our VK Mixed Pack, with our leading flavour Blue – a sure-fire success for our customers, especially as consumers look to larger pack formats to deliver value.”
Absolut Cocktails
5% abv
£2.50 per can
USP: Absolut is launching a new ready-to-drink ‘Absolut Cocktails’ range offering a take on three popular cocktails: Passionfruit Martini, Espresso Martini and Strawberry Spritz. The Absolut Cocktails range will also be supported by sampling activity across key cities and festivals this summer.
