The monthly round-up of what’s new in low/no, beer, cider, wine, spirits, RTDs and mixers.
WINE
Pernod Ricard’s Greasy Fingers wine
£10
USP: Pernod Ricard UK has launched a new wine range, called Greasy Fingers. The wine is intended to “challenge traditional boundaries of wine and food pairings” with two wines specifically designed to cut through greasy food. The first two wines in the range are Greasy Fingers Luscious Red 2022, a “medium-bodied, fruit-forward” blend of Shiraz and Grenache; and Greasy Fingers Big Buttery Chardonnay 2022.
Ridgeview Oak Reserve
£85
USP: English wine producer Ridgeview has released its latest Oak Reserve. The sparkling wine is made from small parcels of Ridgeview’s estate Chardonnay, selected across three vintages and pressed in whole bunches. Predominantly barrel fermented in old and new toasted Burgundy and Loire oak barrels, a small selection of wines also underwent malolactic conversion. Following secondary bottle fermentation, Oak Reserve then spent 60 months on lees before disgorging, with six months on cork. Limited to 650 bottles.
Frescobaldi Tenuta Perano Chianti Classico DOCG 2021
£20
USP: Tenuta Perano Chianti Classico DOCG 2021 is described as ready to be enjoyed, with “ruby-red appearance, pronounced, fruit-rich aromas, and elegant, silk-smooth tannins”. Available in both 75cl and 1.5-litre magnum, the wine is aged for 12 months in oak barriques and steel, and further bottle aged.
Campo Viejo Winemakers’ Blend bag-in-box
£15
USP: Spanish wine brand Campo Viejo has launched its first bag-in-box product as it looks to branch out into more sustainable packaging formats. The wine itself is Campo Viejo’s a red blend which was created to reflect the individual winemaking styles of the brand’s three primary winemakers.
1086 Rosé 2013 by Nyetimber
£175
USP: This is the second release of Nyetimber’s rosé prestige cuvée. The wine is produced “only in the best vintages from Nyetimber’s most expressive parcels in its vineyards across West Sussex and Hampshire”. The wine is made from a blend of 64% Pinot Noir and 36% Chardonnay from five base wines and a red portion of 14%. The base wines are fermented in stainless steel, with old oak barrels used to age the blend’s red portion.
Hattingley Valley’s Still Pinot Noir 2022 and Still Chardonnay 2022
£25 each
USP: Still Pinot Noir 2022 is made with 100% Pinot Noir grapes and is described as having “aromas of red fruit, with the palate revealing candied cherries, cooked fruit and rich dark chocolate”. The Still Chardonnay 2022 is made from 100% Chardonnay grapes “with aromas of lime, blossom, candied pear and tart nectarine on the nose, that are complemented by a natural bright acidity”.
SPIRITS & LIQUEURS
Doladira aperitif
22% abv
£39
USP: Launching in the UK exclusively through Amathus Drinks, Doladira is a rhubarb-infused aperitif which claims to have around 60% less sugar than market leaders in the category.
Old Perth Palo Cortado
55.8% abv
£58
USP: Niel Hendriksz, commercial director, Morrison Scotch Whisky Distillers said: “Our series of Old Perth Limited Edition releases aims to explore the relationship between sherry casks and Scotch whisky. With our previous limited edition highlighting the powerful influence of sweet, syrupy PX sherry, we wanted to contrast this with something completely different: an elegant, dry sherry with pronounced nuttiness that beautifully showcases the delicate interplay between the richness of Scotch whisky and the unique characteristics of Palo Cortado sherry casks.”
Christian Drouin Experimental Foursquare Angels
46.8% abv
£110
USP: The latest calvados in Christian Drouin’s Experimental collection was aged in barrels that had previously contained rums from the Foursquare distillery in Barbados. It is the 8th addition to the collection.
The Whisky Exchange’s Christmas Malt
52.5% abv
£89.95
USP: The release of the annual Christmas whisky has become a tradition at The Whisky Exchange. This limited-edition Speyside single malt was selected to capture “the essence of Christmas”. The 15-year-old malt has been fully matured in sherry casks.
MacBean Invergordon 50 Year Old
42.9% abv
£395
USP: Online Scotch whisky merchant and bottler, TheWhiskyBarrel.com has released its first bottling in its MacBean Scotch whisky series. Selected from a single cask distilled at Invergordon Highland distillery, yielding 128 numbered bottles at natural cask strength, each bottle includes a ‘Launch Pad’ made using ex-Scotch whisky casks.
Never Say Die Rye Whiskey
52.5% abv
£64.95
USP: Bourbon brand Never Say Die has added its first rye whiskey, as the producer also expands beyond the UK into mainland European markets. Never Say Die Rye Whiskey uses “a sweet mash rather than a sour mash like the majority of Kentucky whiskeys” and has a mash bill of 56 % rye, 33 % corn, 11% malted barley.
The Dalmore Vintage 2005 and The Dalmore Vintage 2008
49.3% abv and 45.8% abv, respectively
£TBC
USP: The Dalmore Highland single malt Scotch whisky has launched two limited editions – The Dalmore Vintage 2005 and The Dalmore Vintage 2008 – the latest from the distiller’s Vintage Collection. For the 2023 Vintage Collection, The Dalmore’s “unmistakable chocolate and orange profile is showcased”. The 15-year-old Vintage 2008 is said to offer milk chocolate and mandarin, while the 18 year old, Vintage 2005 “presents dark chocolate and Seville orange”.
The Wine Society’s Reserve Cask Selection No 5 Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky 1991
46% abv
£120
USP: The Wine Society has announced the latest release in its Reserve Cask series. This is the fifth release in the range of malts selected from stock built up over the past 30 years. Up to 1992, The Wine Society sent empty sherry casks to distillers across Scotland, including Lagavulin, Tamdhu, Ardbeg, Mortlach, Glenrothes, Bowmore and Glengoyne, to fill with first-fill malt and grain spirit to mature and form the basis of Society whiskies. As sales of these blended whiskies slowed, coinciding with new EU legislation preventing The Wine Society from bottling sherry at its Stevenage headquarters, commissions of first fills were stopped. It is from this first fill stock that the Reserve Cask Selection has been sourced.
Glenmorangie The Nectar
46% abv
£79
USP: Glenmorangie Highland single malt Scotch whisky has reimagined it’s Nectar D’Or expression. The Nectar is aged for 16 years in a combination of bourbon and sweet white wine casks. “A leading light in the distillery’s core range, it unites decadent notes of orange syrup and honeycomb, with nutmeg and baking brioche,” the company said.
Dewar’s 12-Year-Old
40% abv
£31
USP: Bacardi has launched a Dewar’s 12-Year-Old in the UK, described as having “a new look and feel”. “Double-ageing the whisky in hand-selected, first-fill American Oak Bourbon casks for the first time has created a distinctly different experience for drinkers, with a greater breadth and depth of flavour, and a radically richer mouthfeel. The new whisky builds upon the renowned Dewar’s house style of floral, honeyed Highland whisky, with a hint of smoke,” the company said.
Monkey 47 Distiller’s Cut
47% abv
£85 (50cl)
USP: For the 13th year, Distiller’s Cut is the limited-edition bottle of Monkey 47 featuring a 48th botanical, with 2023’s addition being maple syrup.
BEER
Two Tribes Brewery Magic IPA
3.5% abv
£2.40
USP: The new beer from London-based brewery Two Tribes is a tropical IPA with notes of citrus and red berry. It is available directly from the Two Tribes website and can also be purchased for the on-trade.
Old Master Hen
7% abv
£7
USP: After a limited-edition run earlier this year, Greene King’s Old Master Hen ale will be returning to shelves ahead of the festive season. David Spencer, head of marketing for Greene King’s Old Speckled Hen brand, said: “We launched the beer for the first time for Father’s Day this year and it was an incredible hit. We’re excited to be sharing the gift in more retailers ahead of Christmas and filling that premium ale gifting spot.”
Beer 52 X Żubrówka Bison Grass beer
4.2% abv
£TBC
USP: Bison Grass is a wheat beer produced as part of a collaboration between Polish vodka brand Żubrówka and Beer 52, a UK-based beer subscription service. It is said to have a similar taste profile to the original Żubrówka Bison Grass vodka with notes of almond, vanilla, coconut and lavender.
Brewdog Elf beer
4.5% abv
£12 (8 x 33cl)
USP: Brewdog has collaborated with Warner Bros to create a beer inspired by Christmas film Elf in celebration of the movie’s 20th anniversary. The beer, which is a German-style Pilsner, will be available in-store at Tesco, as well as Brewdog bars and on British Airways flights.
Vault City Overnight Oats beer
8.4% abv
£7.95 (44cl)
USP: Inspired by the breakfast dish, Vault City’s latest sour beer has flavours of banana, blackberry, goji berry and oats. It follows Vault City’s previous flavoured beer creations which include Deep Fried Mars Bar and Neapolitan Ice Cream.
Lakeland Nightfall Coffee Stout
4.9% abv
£21.45 (12 x 50cl)
USP: The coffee infused stout is a product of coffee roasters John Farrer & Co and Cheshire-based brewery Beartown. Joseph Manning, Beartown’s managing director, said: ‘’Coffee is the perfect ingredient to add to a stout. It stands out and doesn’t get lost in the beer, especially if you take your time to choose the right coffee.”
RTDs
Black Lines Oatnog
6.3%
£18
USP: Bottled cocktail maker Black Lines has again released its dairy-free take on Eggnog. Oatnog features golden rum, barista oat milk, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla. Each 75cl bottle contains five servings.
Mr Lyan x Whitebox collection
18% – 28.9% abv
£6.50 per can
USP: Launching exclusively in Selfridges from mid-November, RTD cocktail brand Whitebox has collaborated with renowned bartender Ryan ‘Mr Lyan’ Chetiyawardana to create a limited-edition range of three classic serves. The collection is comprised of the Beeswax Old Fashioned, Stonewashed Cosmo and Bulletproof Espresso Martini.
Tayēr + Elementary Xmas Essentials RTDs
£35 (3 x 10cl)
USP: Cocktail bar Tayēr + Elementary has launched the third annual iteration of its Xmas Essentials RTD cocktail gift set. This set features three classic cocktails with a Christmas twist: Mince Pie Negroni, Xmas Pudding Sour and Gingerbread Old Fashioned.
LOW & NO
Kingfisher Zero
>0.5% abv
£19.99 (24 x 33cl)
USP: KBE Drinks has launched a non-alcoholic variant of its Kingfisher beer as brand owners look to tap into the growing low/no market. Speaking of the product launch, Andy Sunnucks, senior brand manager, said: “We want Kingfisher to continue to lead the Indian beer category and have a credible offering to meet the current growth in alcohol free occasions.”
Momo X Orbit Beers Hops Kombucha
0%
£4.50 (33cl)
USP: London-based Kombucha brand Momo has partnered with Orbit Beers to produce a Kombucha made using Hallertau Blanc and Nelson Sauvin hops. Co-founder of Momo, Josh Puddle, said: “We could think of no better partner than Orbit Beers, we’ve admired their traditional method of making European beer with a modern twist down the road in South East London for many years. This traditional approach with a flavour focussed modern spin felt like a natural fit for the way we brew. This is our third limited edition special, and we are so grateful to have partnered with Orbit.”
