The monthly round-up of what’s new in low/no, beer, cider, wine, spirits, RTDs and mixers.
NO/LOW ALCOHOL
Pentire January Bundle
£65
USP: Botanical non-alcoholic spirits brand Pentire has launched a bundle for those looking to take on Dry January. The pack includes Pentire Adrift (70cl), Pentire Seaward (20cl), Coastal Spritz (50cl) and Pentire Margarita (20cl).
Mash Gang and Northern Monk’s Self-Titled
0.5% abv
USP: Self-Titled, a 0.5% abv American IPA, has rolled out to Morrisons. The collaboration between Mash Gang and Northern Monk is packaged in a 44cl can and will be listed in the craft beer aisle, not the alcohol-free section.
Black Lines Shirley Temple
£12
USP: Black Lines has introduced its first non-alcoholic pre-mixed cocktail, the Black Lines Shirley Temple. The cocktail combines grenadine, ginger ale, raspberry soda, fresh lemon, blood orange and a dash of bitters.
Hayman’s London Light
12.5% abv
£21
USP: Gin distiller Hayman’s has introduced a low alcohol distilled spirit to create “a new way of enjoying a low alcohol G&T”. Distilled to retain the flavour of the botanicals, a London Light and tonic contains less than a third of the alcohol of a regular gin and tonic, the company said.
Ish Spirits low/no range
Prices vary with product
USP: Danish non-alcoholic drinks brand Ish is launching its low/no products in the UK. The range features sparkling wines, spirits and RTDs, including tequila and rum alternatives. Henning Kallesen, Ish international sales director, said the brand is due to release more low/no products in 2023.
M&C’s non-alcoholic CBD spirit
£22.99 (50cl)
USP: The creators of Ceder’s non-alcoholic gin have launched what they claim is the first and only FSA listed non-alcoholic CBD spirit in the UK. Maria Sehlstrom and Craig Hutchison said the new product combines trends towards both alcohol-free and functional drinks.
SPIRITS
Berry Bros & Rudd Winter Collection
USP: The 2022 Winter release comprises Blair Athol 2012 (£60), Dailuaine 2009 (£75), Linkwood 2011 Oloroso Finish (£95), Williamson 2013 Moscatel Barrel (£96), Blair Athol 2008 Tokaji Gonchi Finish (£105), Kornog 2006 (£160), Fiji Rum 2010 (£120), Glen Garioch 1988 (£450) and Chichibu 2014 (£475). Doug McIvor, Reserve Spirits manager, said: “Every quarterly release is centred around celebrating the finest quality spirits and producers from around the world and bringing them together in a collection that covers a breadth of flavour profiles and style, giving our customers the opportunity to try new spirits with confidence.”
Aldi Ballycastle Red Velvet Crema Liqueur
12% abv
£7.49
USP: Aldi its relaunching its Red Velvet Crema Liqueur ahead of Valentine’s Day following its success last year. Offering a more affordable alternative to the Baileys Red Velvet Cupcake liqueur, Aldi noted the drink as one of its most popular spirits to date.
Ellers Farm Distillery Sloe Gin
26% abv
£20
USP: Adding to the distillery’s Y-Gin range, the Sloe Gin pairs spiced flavours of cardamon and ginger with notes of plum and raisin. Ellers Farm suggests pairing the gin with sparkling wine or using it to make a hot toddy.
The GlenAllachie 2012 Vintage Cuvée Wine Cask Finish
48% abv
£53.99
USP: The 9-year-old whisky “marries single malt finished in casks that previously held four types of premium European red wine: Languedoc, Recioto Della Valpolicella and two undisclosed Premier Cru Classés”.
Compass Box Delos
49% abv
£265
USP: Delos is the second release from the whisky maker’s Extinct Blends Quartet series and will be limited to 5,520 bottles. The Extinct Blends Quartet “celebrates discontinued characters and flavours, reappraising four very different expressions of blended Scotch”.
Lochlea Ploughing Edition
46% abv
£50
USP: Ploughing Edition follows on from Lochlea Sowing Edition, which launched in March 2022, Harvest Edition, which launched in September 2022, and Lochlea Fallow Edition, which launched in November 2022. Ploughing Edition is the first peated expression from Lochlea single malt Scotch whisky.
Bimber Distillery’s The Spirit of the Underground release No 4
Various abvs
£125 per bottle
USP: London-based Bimber’s latest collection, in conjunction with TFL, is Release No 4. The line-up includes four new stations:
Covent Garden – fully matured in oloroso sherry cask, 59.2% abv, 321 bottles
Green Park – fully matured in moscatel sherry cask, 59.4% abv, 285 bottles
Leicester Square – fully matured in virgin American oak, 60.3% abv, 271 bottles
Piccadilly Circus – fully matured in Pedro Ximenez sherry cask, 62.1%, 314 bottles
Nikka 2022 Discovery Series single malts
£245 each
USP: Japanese whisky brand Nikka has released two new expressions in the UK, exclusively distributed by Speciality Brands. ‘Aromatic Yeast’ is the 2022 Discovery release of single malts from Yoichi (48% abv) and Miyagikyo (47% abv).
L’Or De Jean Martell 1715 – Assemblage du Lapin
41% abv
€9,000
USP: Pernod Ricard has released a new blend for its Martell Cognac brand to celebrate the Chinese New Year – Year of the Rabbit. L’Or De Jean Martell 1715 – Assemblage du Lapin is a “complex blend of 1,400 eaux-de-vie” featuring “rare vintage eaux-de-vie which come from past Years of the Rabbit”. The cognac is presented in a crystal decanter and a crystal stopper shaped in the form of a rabbit.
WINE
7 Degrees Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc
£12
USP: Launched by Ehrmanns Wines with the independent sector in mind, the New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc has notes of citrus, lemongrass, and passionfruit. Ehrmanns said it is aiming to encourage consumers to experiment with how they serve Sauvignon.
Hattingley Valley King’s Cuvée 2015 and King’s Rosé 2015
£85 and £95
USP: Hampshire-based winery Hattingley Valley will be launching two new English sparkling wines in February. The King’s Cuvée is a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, while the King’s Rosé features Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. Both have been aged for seven months in oak barrels.
Yalumba GEN organic wines
£13.99 per bottle
USP: Australian winery Yalumba has added a range of organic wines to its portfolio. Yalumba GEN includes 2022 Shiraz, 2022 Chardonnay and 2022 Viognier.
The Mooring
£10
USP Beyond Wines has launched South African wine brand The Mooring in the UK. Grapes for the wine are sourced from vineyards along the Cape of Storms (Cape of Good Hope). The Sauvignon Blanc and Syrah Grenache have launched into Adnams.
Champagne Ayala Brut Majeur
£37
USP: Champagne Ayala has changed the blend of its Brut Majeur. The new cuvée is made predominantly from Chardonnay, is multi-vintage and multi-cru, aiming to “embody what expertise and excellence can achieve when producing Chardonnay in Champagne”. The proportion of Chardonnay has risen from 45% to 55%, while the number of cru is “more than 70”. The new blend also contains “more than 40%” reserve wines. Brut Majeur, Rosé Majeur and Brut Nature are all packaged in a new signature bottle shape.
BEER
Salcombe Brewery Co. Saison ale
5.5% abv
£25 (12 x 330ml)
USP: Described as a “spiced farmhouse ale”, Saison is the final edition to the brewery’s small batch range. Using the producer’s farmhouse yeast strain, the beer is brewed with peppercorns, coriander seed and orange peel, resulting in both floral and spicy notes.
Sandford Orchards Devon Rosé Cider
4% abv
£2.80 (500ml)
USP: Sandford Orchards’ new blush cider combines English apples and the skins of Pinot Noir red wine grapes to give the drink a pink hue. Barny Butterfield, chief cidermaker, hopes the launch will “entice more people to become fans” of the cider catergory.
RTDs
Lockdown Liquor & Co x Mezcal Union Mezcal Copita
18% abv
£25
USP: The brand’s first Mezcal cocktail, the Mezcal Copita, created in partnership with Mezcal Union, combines pineapple and grapefruit bitters with Campari and notes of smoke. Co-founder of Lockdown Liquor & Co, Jack Durling, said: “Two decades ago, mezcal was almost non-existent in the spirits industry. Today, it has established itself as the latest big spirit category to be discovered that shows no signs of slowing down.”
