Cadbury and Goose Island Creme Egg beer, Didsbury Gin food charity collaboration

Cadbury Creme Egg beer launched by Goose Island

To celebrate the legendary treat’s 50^th​ birthday, Cadbury Creme Egg has teamed up with Goose Island brewery to create Golden Goo-Beer-Lee Creme Stout.

Despite only being available between Boxing Day and Easter, more than 200m Cadbury Creme Eggs are sold in the UK alone every year.

“We’re excited to announce our collaboration with Goose Island and limited-edition Golden Goo-Beer-Lee Creme Stout that is available now for all Cadbury Creme Egg lovers to try,” Cadbury Creme Egg brand manager Raphael Capitani said. 

“We have always celebrated the unique and wonderful ways of enjoying a Cadbury Creme Egg and with this launch we are taking EATertainment to a whole new level.

“We can’t wait for people to try our very first beer and raise a glass to five delicious decades of Cadbury Creme Egg.”

Having sold out of an initial run of 1,000 cans on 3 March almost immediately, a further 500 two-packs will be made available on 8 March.

Developed by Goose Island’s master brewer, the limited-edition stout is brewed with cacao nibs and vanilla beans using a blend of malted barley, oats, wheat and milk sugar designed to mirror the rich and creamy texture of a Cadbury Creme Egg.  

“With the Golden Goo-Beer-Lee Creme Stout we knew that we would be reaching a wide range of people with different levels of experience with craft beer,” Andrew Walton, head brewer at Goose Island, said. “We wanted to make sure that for whoever tried this beer, it would be unique and delicious. 

“The tasty flavours of the stout complement the iconic Cadbury Creme Egg; we wanted to big up the chocolate and creaminess of the beer while keeping it super drinkable.”

Formula-E racing futurists unveil ‘non-alcoholic distilled endorphin spirits’ 

The newly established Endorphin Dealer Institute (Edi), founded by two Formula E racing futurists, claimed to have pioneered a new category of drinks – non-alcoholic distilled endorphin spirits with the launch of Spirited Euphoria.

An alcohol-free distilled endorphin spirit made from real hemp and a complex blend of high-quality, natural, active, and uplifting ingredients, its ‘blend of natural hemp terpenes, pure cannabidiol isolate, natural nootropics and relaxing adaptogens are claimed to combine to help drinkers feel good and unwind after a busy day, without inebriation or a hangover.

“Drinking, its effects, and the ways we socialise have been untouched for thousands of years,” Edi co-founder Jean-Éric Vergne, said “Despite initial industry scepticism, we’ve seen first-hand the disruption of high-performance racing without petrol and see a place for feel-good spirits without alcohol. 

“Our non-alcoholic distilled endorphin-led spirits replace the effects of alcohol and will be a key driving force behind the future of socialising and mindful drinking.”

Fellow co-founder, Alexander Jakobi, added: “In establishing Edi, we’ve been on a quest to reinvent socialising with an entirely new drinking experience – endorphin-led alternatives to alcohol. 

“Put simply, we’re on a mission to find new ways to feel good, without intoxication. Modern drinkers want more choice, sometimes preferring non-alcoholic drinks for certain occasions and at certain times, but not necessarily wanting to forgo that unwinding feeling.”

The beneficial effects of Spirited Euphoria’s “nootranical” blend builds over a period of time to create what its creators call the “Edi Effect” – generally described as an “uplifted and relaxed feeling”.

Tango adds Dark Berry flavour to sugar-free range

Tango is adding a Dark Berry variant to its sugar free range this March.

Over the last year, the value of low-calorie drinks has risen by 7.7% within total soft drinks, with 33% of shoppers trying to reduce the amount of sugar in their diet. 

The latest release follows the successful re-launch of the Tango range in 2019, which is now worth £15.4m in retail sales and bought by 2.5m shoppers. 

“Many catering outlets have shown incredible adaptability and resilience over the past year, and have been able to extend their offering through takeaway or delivery options,” Adam Russell, director of leisure & licensed at Britvic, commented. 

“With the growing demand for no-sugar options, we want to support these outlets with a new tangy and sweet flavour. The flavour joins the hugely successful Tango Sugar Free range – now worth over £15m.”

The new flavour will be available in a 500ml bottle and 330ml can from 8 March.

Didsbury Gin revives Manchester Tart flavour

Mancunian drinks maker Didsbury Gin is partnering with EMERGE 3Rs, a charity that aims to fight food waste and poverty in Greater Manchester, to help feed children and their families most in need. 

For every bottle of Didsbury Gin’s revived ‘Manchester Tart’ flavoured gin sold, £5 will be donated to EMERGE 3Rs.

Inspired by the classic dessert, the ‘Manchester Tart’ variant is a blend of raspberry jam, vanilla and subtle hints of coconut.

“For us, bringing back Manchester Tart was a no brainer, it was such a popular flavour when we originally released it back in 2019,” Liam Manton, co-founder of Didsbury Gin, said. “To return it with a purpose, especially that which links to the heritage of the brand, is even more special.

“'Inspired by what Marcus Rashford has achieved recently and having grown up on a council estate in inner city Manchester hearing the news that an estimated two in five children living below the poverty line are not entitled to free school meals made us sit up and listen,” he continued. 

“We have always been very passionate about charity work, especially that which focuses on the Greater Manchester area. Marcus Rashford’s campaign has inspired us all and combining two of the UK’s favourite things – gin and food – to help provide a solution just makes good sense.

“We are really proud to be working with EMERGE 3Rs to help feed children and their families in the region. Together we believe we can make a real difference in the community and there’s no reason we can’t feed 100,000 families in the region.”

Azaline Vermouth launches in the UK

Made from Pinot Noir grapes and enriched with herbs and spices leading along the ancient Silk Road, Azaline Vermouth has launched in the UK. 

Working with drinks entrepreneur Steve Drawbell, the intention behind Azaline was to create the experience of a journey along the Silk Road with its eight botanicals including cardamon, orange peel and saffron from Persia.

“We are seeing an increasing popularity of red vermouth cocktails like the Negroni, and believe that the on-going trend towards lower alcohol drinks will create a significant opportunity for vermouths to reclaim their role as the original aperitif,” founder Steve Drawbell says.

Campervan Brewery to launch collaborative beer with The Queer Brewing Project

Leith-based Campervan brewery has announced its first collaborative beer with The Queer Brewing Project – a 5.5 % ABV dry-hopped pilsner – with a portion of the proceeds to be donated to charity partner LGBT Youth Scotland.

Brewed with Ella and Galaxy hops to layer apricot, peach, and passion fruit flavours, the beer is the first collaboration for the Scottish Brewery and is kicking off a series of that will drop throughout 2021 created in tandem with different breweries across the UK.

Campervan founder Paul Gibson said: “We’ve been waiting for some time to find the right brewery or the right project to team up with, so we were over the moon to kick off our collab series with the opportunity to work with Lily and The Queer Brewing Project.

“Supporting values of diversity and inclusivity is part of our DNA here at Campervan, so it made total sense for us and we’re very proud of the beer”.

Budweiser Budvar launches Budvar Reserve

Budweiser Budvar UK is updating its range with the relaunch of Budvar Reserve, the brewery's premium 7.5% ABV premium Czech Lager, matured for 200 days. 

Budvar Reserve is brewed using the Moravian malts, whole-cone Saaz hops and soft water drawn from an artesian well 300 metres below its brewery, before being matured in Budvar's cellars for 200 days.

With a completely new bottle design and branding, Budvar Reserve will initially launch through selected off-trade and online retailers in March. 

Jitka Vlčková, managing director of Budweiser Budvar UK, said: "We're delighted to be able to offer our unique Budvar Reserve to those discerning UK beer drinkers who enjoy stronger, premium beers on occasion. 

“Budvar Original is the classic Czech lager for many UK beer lovers, and Budvar Reserve is another superb example of our brewers' skill."

Budvar brew master, Adam Brož added: "Budvar Reserve is a special, strong, cellar-aged beer that really showcases the brewing traditions and dedication to taste and quality we've stayed true to at Budweiser Budvar for 125 years.

"No other brewery in the world could make this beer because it requires the very best Czech ingredients, and huge amounts of time and cellaring space - making it expensive to create. But being independent and owned by the Czech people means we can brew our beer in the same way we always have, with the same focus on time and flavour."