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Why bubble cocktails could take off around the world soon

12 May 2023 By Jessica Mason

Following the rise in bubble tea, the next trend for boba-based products could be bubble cocktails led by one expanding Taiwanese boba firm.

BAL, a new brand under the Taiwan-based boba dessert company Blackball, is now upping its reach to work with alcoholic drinks companies as a priotity.

Blackball, which is a leader in desserts and bubble tea across Asia, has evolved from a street side store 20 years ago to now offer its products to over 13,000 supermarkets and retail stores throughout Taiwan as well as being available in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, China, Australia, Vietnam, Cambodia and the US. The company also now boasts over 50 Blackball outlets worldwide and its potential and thirst to work with big alcoholic drinks companies is growing.

Speaking at the TFWA Asia Pacific Exhibition & Conference this year, compant owner Mr. Tang said: “For BAL, we want to cooperate with brands in spirits, beer and cocktails to present the drink in a new way. Our customers count us as both business partners and individual consumers. We can do wholesale to retail stores, bars and restaurants, we can make original equipment manufacterer (OEM) products for brand owners, and we can distribute directly to end users via both online and offline platforms.”

Tang explained: “BAL’s boba has three lines: fruit, liquor and cocktail. BAL is pioneering a simple and easy consumption method as well as a more diverse taste experience in the blended beverage market.”

Boba, or bubble drinks, made with tapioca pearls have grown in popularity across the world over the past few years, in a recent deep dive by analysts at Budgetbranders into the margins for the category, it revealed that the trend looked like an attractive option due to its low cost raw materials and the opportunity to create many drinks in bulk with a broad variety of flavours.

The popular alcoholic variants of the bubble cocktails were being served by Blackball at the show at Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands hosted by the TFWA each evening after the event in the TFWA Lounge and were being put into the hands of buyers, distributors and alcohol brand owners all week as an example of the opportunities available across the category.

Blackball has also revealed that it can work woth wine as a base for its cocktails as well as showcase how effective popular cocktails, like an Aperol Spritz or a Mojitos serve can be in bars, while also drawing attention to its Smart Cocktail Maker for pre-mixed recipes.

Tang added: “In 2023, BAL is breaking new ground globally by injecting classic spirits and delicious cocktails into its popping boba, allowing the heavenly nectar to burst with a sexy and enticing taste in one’s mouth, revealing a vibrant array of colours.”

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