Top new products: August

La Gitana en rama

Translating as ‘raw’ in Spanish, en rama Sherry is unfiltered, unfined and bottled directly from the barrel. La Gitana En Rama spends eight years ageing under a layer of flor in a solera constructed from old American oak casks from San Luis Winery.

The dry Sherry is drawn directly from separate barrels and is released biannually, according to the natural flor cycle. It is described as having aromas of “green apple skin, camomile and salted almonds, with flavours of fresh apple, brine and olives”.

RRP: £16.50. Contact: Mentzendorff, orders@mentzendorff.co.uk

Socialito Mexican rosé gin

Monkey Brands International, a Dutch-Mexican company owned by entrepreneur Luis Fabricio Camarena Rocha, has launched two gins under the Socialito label.

Created to pay homage to ancient Aztec culture, the gins are made with 13 Mexican botanicals, with the rosé edition also adding strawberry. With its new gins, Monkey Brands hopes to target “millennials and hipsters”.

Both gins have gone on sale in the Mexican market and will be launched in Europe at a later date.

RRP: €24.95. Contact: Luis Fabricio, contacto@friskymonkeyabsinthe.com

Amarula Raspberry Chocolate

Cream liqueur brand Amarula has launched a new expression made with raspberry, chocolate and African baobab. The special variant will have a soft launch this month with Big Five Duty Free before rolling out to other duty-free locations this autumn.

Natasha Maharaj, global marketing spokesperson for Amarula, said the launch is “the latest in our continued journey to explore the unexpected, modern and exotic side of Africa”. Produced using ethically sourced ingredients, the new expression adds a further twist to the original marula-fruit liqueur.

RRP: €19. Contact: Distell, info@distell.co.za

Bloody Drinks bloody classic

London-based drinks brand Bloody Drinks has launched the first in a series of canned Bloody Marys with a classic expression.

Made with premium vodka and cream Sherry for body, the recipe also includes Italian and Spanish tomatoes and fresh lemon juice as well as Worcestershire and soy sauces for a bold umami hit.

It is finished off with peppery pickle juice and hot sauce, made using habanero peppers and bird’s eye chillies. The cocktail has an ABV of 6.3% and is packaged in 250ml cans. Due to launch later this year are the Bloody Samurai and The Virgin.

RRP: £4.99. Contact: Bloody Drinks, hello@bloodydrinks.co.uk

Rioja Vega Venta Jalón 2014

Rioja Vega has released a reserva especial expression, made from a blend of Graciano (75%) and Tempranillo (25%). The Graciano grapes are sourced from the clay loam soils of the Venta Jalón vineyard on the outskirts of the town of Viana, while the Tempranillo hails from the Imaz area, close to Mendavia, and is grown in clay and limestone soils.

Made by winemaker Esperanza Elía, the Rioja was produced in a limited run of 12,000 bottles. The wine undergoes an eight-day fermentation at 29ºC before being aged in French and American oak barrels for two years. It is described as having “balsamic and wood spice notes with a mineral character”.

RRP: £40. Contact: House of Townend, sales@houseoftownend.co.uk

Fentimans tropical soda

Mixer brand Fentimans has developed a flavoured soda water that has been designed to pair with rum. Created by the Fentimans Botanical Collective, a group of top bartenders from leading cocktail bars in Europe, the new Tropical Soda Water is made with pineapple with a subtle note of cardamom.

It is available in 125ml bottles, which will be available to buy from September. The Tropical Soda joins Fentimans’ existing rum mixers, including Curiosity Cola, Ginger Beer and Ginger Ale.

RRP: TBC Contact: Fentimans, sales@fentimans.com

El Gringo Tempranillo 2018

Made by Hammeken Cellars, El Gringo Tempranillo is made from 30-year-old bush vines in Castilla La Mancha. The wine spends four months in French and American oak aged between one and two years before being bottled.

Grown at an altitude of between 500m and 1,000m, the wine is said to have aromas of “black cherries, strawberries and coffee beans”, while on the palate it has flavours of “blackberry, vanilla and milk chocolate”. The El Gringo brand was inspired by the golden years of the Tabernas desert, also known as the ‘Hollywood of Spain’, where some of the most famous Westerns were filmed.

RRP: £9.99. Contact: Hammeken Cellars, +34 965 791 967

Jura Tide 21-year-old

Island distillery Jura has released two 21-year-old expressions. Called Jura Tide and Jura Time, the whiskies are bottled at 46.7% ABV and 47.2% ABV respectively. Jura Tide (pictured) has been matured in ex-Bourbon barrels before being finished in virgin American oak casks. On the nose Jura Tide offers “a lively fusion of lemon cake, ginger and creamy caramel”.

The Scotch is said to have aromas of “lemon cake, ginger and creamy caramel and flavours of macaroon, all-spice, gingerbread, frangipane, marzipan and white chocolate”. Packaged in a wooden and metal presentation box, each whisky is labelled with the year in which it was bottled.

RSP: £150. Contact: Whyte & Mackay, +44 (0)141 248 5771

Dead Man’s Fingers Hemp Rum

Infused with natural hemp and CBD, said to give an aroma with “hints of cola, coffee, hops and pine with a grassy herbal back note”, this rum will be the fourth addition to rum brand Dead Man’s Fingers portfolio, which includes spiced, coconut and coffee creations.

The launch will supported by a £2 million marketing campaign, a high profile launch event as well as out-of-home advertising, digital media, partnerships, events and a nationwide sampling campaign. The rum will be available in 70cl format and bottled at 40% ABV.

RRP: £22. Contact: Halewood Wines & Spirits, +44 (0)151 480 8800

Santa Tresa Frappato

Claiming to be the first ever Frappato spumante, this pale pink fizz is made at winemaker Stefano Girelli’s Santa Tresa, an organic estate in Sicily. Girelli has been growing and championing Frappato for many years, and together with his winemaking team, he decided to create an expression with the grape variety, utilising its naturally high acidity.

The organic sparkler undergoes secondary fermentation in tank at 14ºC, helping to preserve the fresh red fruit flavours of the grape variety. Produced in the Vittoria region, the wine has flavours of “wild strawberry and citrus”.

RRP: £14.99. Contact: North and South Wines, info@northandsouthwines.co.uk