As Westons releases its Westons Cider Report 2022, Nigel Huddleston looks at the figures, forecasts and fruit trends shaping the cider category The cider market experienced the start of a “tapered return to normality” in 2021, according to the new edition of the annual Westons Cider Report. The 2022 report also identifies a shift from fruit cider to apple cider and the continued growth of…

Quintessential Brands has launched a Black Lemon Arabian Edition of its Opihr spiced gin. The gin is inspired by black lemons – also known as loomi – widely used in Persian cooking. The fruit in question are actually small limes that are dried in the sun to remove the bitter aftertaste associated with citrus fruit. The gin’s botanical list includes black…

London’s Beavertown brewery has launched a fruit-laden version of its Gamma Ray American pale ale for the summer market. Tropigamma is a 5.4% abv brew with fruit pulp added during fermentation, containing guava, pink papaya, mango, mandarin and peach. The beer is packaged in 33cl cans and has an rrp of £2.50. Beavertown was founded by Logan Plant, son of Led Zeppelin…

Kopparberg is adding a Mixed Fruit Tropical Cider to its collection. The newcomer, designed to tap into the growing drinks trend for tropical flavours, boats the brand’s first ever limited-edition bottle and can design inspired by its “vibrant tropical taste”. The latest variant brings a tropical twist to the producer’s blackberry and raspberry Mixed Fruit, the brand’s second best-selling packaged cider (behind Kopparberg Strawberry &…

Spain’s Ramón Bilbao has released its first official organic wines, a white and a red, with the latter securing a national listing at the Co-op. The Ramón Bilbao Organic red is a Tempranillo Garnacha blend from grapes grown at 600m altitude in Monte Yerga in Rioja Oriental where this higher altitude not only gives a fresher flavour to the wine, but also means easier fungus…

Premium tequila brand, 1800 Tequila, has secured listings with Tesco and Waitrose. With the new listings the Silver variant will now appear in more than 600 stores across the UK with 70cl bottles priced at £30. Made from 100% Weber blue agave, the liquid is double distilled and a special selection of white tequila is blended together for complexity and character. The clean, balanced taste…

East London Liquor Co has announced its entry into the hard seltzer category with the launch of two new drinks. Each seltzer is made with the same 100% wheat vodka that is produced behind the bar in the producer’s distillery in Bow Wharf. The flavours are created using a selection of fruit extracts and essences, sourced from around the world. The canned drinks come in…