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Slideshow
Top 10 new products of the month
1. Heroes
Santa Rita has launched Heroes in the UK in support of Forces charity, Help for Heroes.
The wine will raise funds for members of the armed forces who have been wounded, injured or become sick in Britain’s current conflicts.
All of the grapes used in the wines will be sourced from Santa Rita’s vineyards and from each bottle sold (RRP £9.99) £1 will go to Help for Heroes, helping to fund the charity’s work to provide practical, direct support for Britain’s wounded.
In the US, Santa Rita has partnered with “Cell phones-for-Soldiers” which has allowed US soldiers serving outside of the country to speak free of charge for over 5 million minutes.
Bryn Parry, co-founder and CEO of Help for Heroes commented: “Santa Rita’s pledge to support us through the sale of Heroes wine is fantastic. We aim to provide our wounded heroes with the very best care: for life. We may not be able to prevent them from being wounded, but together, we can help them by providing the very best support needed.”
2. Jim Beam 1795
Beam is launching Jim Beam 1795 at Frankfurt Airport. Available, with help from distributor Maxxium Travel Retail, from June exclusively at the Heinemann Duty Free store in Frankfurt’s T1 B Schengen luxury lounge.
It is a limited edition of only 200 700ml bottles and retails at €139. The liquid has an abv of 47.5%. Jim Beam 1795 is presented in a flask made of high clarity flint glass with a heavy set base. The bottle is sold in a black box with 1795 and the signature of the founder, James B. Beam, printed on it.
Head of purchasing LTC at Gebr. Heinemann, Rüdiger Stelkens said: “We aim to provide our customers with the best range of spirits and most exclusive premium editions. We are delighted to distribute Jim Beam 1795 exclusively and expect this limited edition to be very well received by our customers.”
3. 1846 Bollinger bottle
Bollinger has unveiled a new 75cl bottle based on an old design that mimics more closely the shape of a magnum. Bollinger’s new bottle has been dubbed 1846 after the vintage of the bottle it is based on, which was found in the house’s cellars and will be used across the entire range, starting with the Brut NV Special Cuvée.
4. Connoisseurs Choice
Sharp’s brewery is set to launch the Connoisseurs Choice range of beers, which are said to be the perfect partner to quality food.
The Connoisseurs Choice 2011 range offers drinkers three unique beers, Quadrupel Ale 2011, Single Brew Reserve 2011 and Honey Spice Tripel 2011.
Sharp’s head brewer, Stuart Howe said: “The beers in this range are all distinct. I haven’t gone for a theme because the Connoisseur’s Choice range is designed to show the drinker the breadth of flavours and sensations available from beer.
“They are packed with enticing flavour, a partner to good food and something to savour. The flavours and sensations are intended to impress and astonish but not to alienate. All of the beers are designed to be balanced and complex remaining subtle where necessary.”
5. Bols Natural Yoghurt Liqueur
Maxxium UK is set to launch the first ever natural yoghurt liqueur to the UK market, developed by Lucas Bols.
Bols Natural Yoghurt Liqueur is made with 100% white yoghurt and is the first innovation of its kind.
Available from May to both the on- and off-trade, Bols Natural Yoghurt Liqueur has been designed to be highly versatile and mixable. Bols Natural Yoghurt Liqueur is 15% abv and sold in a specially coated 500ml bottle.
It follows the introduction last year of Bols Foam and meets the increasing demand from both the trade and consumers for products made from fresh and natural ingredients.
Maxxium UK marketing controller for specialities, Johna Penman said: “Lucas Bols is the first and only company in the world to launch a 100% natural yoghurt liqueur. It is an exciting development for the UK, offering a premium and versatile alternative to the on trade, promoting creativity and increasing profit opportunities for licensees.
“The launch provides a fresh and natural alternative to traditional cream liqueurs and its versatility will give a twist to existing cocktails, making great drinks taste better.”
Bols Natural Yoghurt Liqueur has already been successfully launched in a number of markets around the world, including China, Russia, Ireland and Bulgaria. Its RRP is in line with other Bols liqueurs at £10.95 and it has already secured listings in three wholesale accounts, Waverley TBS, Morton’s and Wallaces Express.
6. Mickey Finn Apple Whiskey Liquor
BABCO Europe is launching Mickey Finn Apple Whiskey Liquor, the only Irish-American whiskey blend infused with green apples.
The Ireland-based company is tapping into the flavoured spirits market, which is garnering a huge following in Europe, with flavoured whiskeys being declared the fastest-growing category in the US by the IWSR Insights Report 2011.
The 35% abv liquor combines a natural apple flavour with an Irish whiskey and a young American grain whiskey. Packaged in 70cl and 50cl bottles, the suggested serve is a short on the rocks or with standard mixers such as lemonade.
The company hopes that the drink will widen the appeal of fruit-infused drinks and replicate the success of the Mickey Finn main brand’s low abv liquor, which has sold over 5 million bottles using real pressed apple juice as the core ingredient.
7. Colonel Fox’s London Dry Gin
Co-founders of CASK Liquid Marketing, Richard Herbert and Stuart Ekins, are set to launch a new range of privately owned spirit brands under the company name of Cremorne 1859. The first of these, “Colonel Fox’s London Dry Gin”, will be available from June, to both the on-trade and selected retail partners.
The brand is collaboration between Herbert and Ekins, Charles Maxwell, owner of Thames Distillers, and the artist Charlotte Cory, who is responsible for the “delightfully quirky” artwork and “anarchic design” of the label.
Made from a classic London Dry recipe, Colonel Fox’s uses six botanicals, including a healthy hit of juniper, with a sweet back note of liquorice. The whole process of maceration, distillation and bottling takes place in London, and the gin is produced in batches of 1,000 bottles.
Ekins said: “We are really passionate about the G&T and believe that Colonel Fox’s London Dry provides the perfect base for England’s favourite tipple. We wanted to create an honest gin with a nod to both past and present fashions, with a hint of playful hedonism. The packaging is deliberately unconventional, and Charlotte’s artwork really brings the brand to life.”
8. Corona Extra 710ml bottles
Corona Extra is now available in 710ml bottles.
The new bottle is available in the off-trade from 1st May 2012 in time for summer.
The launch comes in response to data which indicates that sharing bottles are outperforming general lager sales by 9% in the off-trade, while world beer continues to demonstrate resilient sales despite the challenging market.
Darius Burrows, Corona senior brand manager at Molson Coors said of the new serve: “Corona Extra is all about sociability and getting together with friends and this new serve makes that even easier at home. We’ve launched ahead of the crucial summer period, when we’re confident people will be pouring their friends a Corona Extra as they enjoy barbecues, picnics and al fresco dining in the sun.”
The new 710ml bottles of Corona Extra will be available with an RRP of £2.79 per bottle.
9. Yellow Spot Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey
Pernod Ricard has announced a return to the fold for the Yellow Spot Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey. The re-launch underpins the company’s pledge to introduce new Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey expressions each year, as part of its continued commitment to reinvigorate the category.
Part of the “Spot” range of Single Pot Still Whiskeys, Yellow Spot was originally produced, bottled and sold by Dublin-based wine merchants Mitchell & Son. Established in 1805, Mitchell & Son were ageing whiskeys bought from John Jameson’s Dublin distillery in their own casks up until 1968, when the practice of selling whiskey to bonders in cask ceased. From that date, Green Spot was bottled by Irish Distillers, and is now joined by Yellow Spot 12 Year Old.
Yellow Spot is an expression that has been matured for a full 12-year period, in three oak cask types: American bourbon barrels, Spanish Sherry butts and Spanish Malaga casks. Bottled at 46% abv and set to be produced annually in batches of just 500 cases, the first bottles will be available in key markets from late May 2012.
10. Follador Prosecco gift tube
Follador has created a special gift tube for its Prosecco Superiore DOCG Wines. Designed specifically for travel retail markets, the tube features an artistic impression of two lovers in Venice, enjoying a glass of Prosecco and is available now.
“As far as we are aware, Follador is the only Prosecco brand in travel retail that is being offered in a gift tube,” said Follador marketing director Cristina Follador.
“We have chosen an elegant illustration designed to beautifully express the premium Italian origins of Follador. The reaction to the gift tube has been very positive and we believe it is ideal for the travel retail category.
“The interest in Prosecco continues to grow every year and consumers are increasingly looking for premium varieties within the category. The opportunity to buy Follador in a gift format is, we think, perfect for airports as the interest in wine generally is growing.”