Big Drop releases coffee-flavoured ale
Alcohol-free brewer Big Drop has teamed up with Square Mile Coffee Roasters to launch coffee-flavoured beer Leafkicker.
Big Drop said the 0.5% ABV beer is thought to be the first of a kind in the alcohol-free category being a coffee-infused amber ale.
The brewing team used Square Mile's Red Brick Seasonal Espresso blend, which is known for offering a sweet, slightly fruity, textured and versatile cup. It was added during the hot side of production, while transferring the liquid from the kettle and through the heat exchange to the fermentation tank. This option was chosen to ensure there was minimal risk of over-extraction from the coffee.
Leafkicker is naturally brewed to strength, which allows it to be fully fermented while staying below the 0.5% ABV threshold throughout the whole process. It said the result is a “delicious beer that delivers earthy tones and subtle hints of vanilla alongside mellow Citra hops”.
Big Drop founder and chief executive Rob Fink said: “There’s often more than meets the eye with a collab and this is no exception. For coffee and beer to work well together requires the roaster and brewer to be in sync with all the flavour profiles involved. Leafkicker brings out best of both worlds and is a perfect pairing for this time of year.”
Gluten-free Leafkicker is available in 440ml cans and contains 75 calories per serve.
First still wine release from Liquid Diamond
Premium wine and Prosecco brand Liquid Diamond has released its first still wine – a Sauvignon Blanc.
Liquid Diamond said its new Chilean wine is targeting “a new social media-savvy generation of wine drinkers”. The wine features emoji tasting notes as the company bids to “eliminate pretensions around wine and removing the barriers that may prevent the majority of consumers from purchasing and enjoying premium quality wines”.
The brand said the 12.5% ABV Sauvignon Blanc wine has crisp, bright flavours of lemon, lime and kiwi, all conveyed to consumers on the label with fruity emojis.
Liquid Diamond and Beyond Wines co-founder Alex Green said: “We are excited to extend our Liquid Diamond family of wines with this Sauvignon Blanc, our first non-sparkling wine. Since our launch earlier this year, we have seen Liquid Diamond go from strength to strength, with a growing customer base that recognises and trusts our brand for providing quality wines picked for people like them. Whether they are first time or regular white wine drinkers, these shoppers will have the confidence to try our Sauvignon Blanc, knowing it will meet their high expectations.
“With our emoji labelling and our social media activity, we’re also making wine shopping more fun for consumers, which, ultimately, benefits the industry by bringing more shoppers into the wine aisles.”
Liquid Diamond Sauvignon Blanc has an RRP of £10 for a 75cl bottle.
Blueberry wines from Blue Aurora
Blue Aurora has launched three varieties of blueberry wine, which can be enjoyed on their own or as the base for a cocktail.
Made exclusively in the UK, using blueberries carefully grown at the family-run Lutton Farm in Northamptonshire, the expressions are Dusk, Midnight and Ice Wine.
Dusk (11% ABV) is said to be a medium dry, medium bodied blueberry wine with a crisp, fresh and deliciously fruity zing with the palate being full of dark berries with the crisp acidity balancing the slight residual sweetness. It is suggested to pair with small plates such as serrano ham, olives, stuffed cherry peppers, sundried tomatoes.
The Midnight version is claimed to be a more intense, oak-infused, beautifully rich and full-bodied medium dry blueberry wine. Its tasting notes said it has ripe cherry and plum with a subtle hint of vanilla and thyme on the nose with a full-bodied, ripe rich berries on a bed of vanilla notes and a slight warming spice on the palate with a long smooth finish, with a healthy kick of tannin.
Blue Aurora said Ice Wine is a sweet and intensely fruity blueberry wine that delivers a velvety smooth sensation on the tongue. Dark berries and red fruits with a delicate hint of candied violet and rose petal are said to be noticeable on the nose and it should be paired with canapes such as brie topped with cranberry, stilton and walnut, smoked salmon and beetroot and goats’ cheese blinis.
If you like Pina Coladas…
Soho Street Cocktails has launched RTD cocktail Pina Colada.
The gluten-free and vegan drink is made using premium coconut milk, NFC (not from concentrate) pineapple juice and Caribbean rum.
Soho Street Cocktail founder Paul Scarratt said: “We are incredibly excited for the launch of the Pina Colada. When some people have questioned the timing of the launch, my response is simple – when something tastes this good the time of year simply doesn’t matter.
“We chose the Pina Colada as our latest cocktail release due to the incredible quality of the ingredients we have sourced. The outcome is a cocktail that is so fresh, it’s like a holiday in a glass. That seems like a perfect winter drink to me.”
All Soho Street Cocktails are available in a 1.5-litre pouch and are between 9.5% ABV and 12% ABV and have an RRP of £20.79.
Lighter spirit launch from Zubrowka
Vodka brand Żubrówka has launched a lighter spirit with its Rosé expression which is infused with natural berries.
Żubrówka Rosé is said to be a “light and refreshing berry-infused drink” with ingredients sourced from the primeval Białowieża forest in Poland, which is bottled at 32% ABV and has an RRP of £20.
Rebecca Heathcote, marketing director at Roust UK, which owns the brand, said: “We are hugely excited to launch Żubrówka Rosé. When it comes to drinks and cocktails, there is growing consumer demand for new tastes and flavour profiles, backed up by products with a real story and rich heritage. The Żubrówka brand has a 500-year history of craftsmanship, with its taste profile steeped in the natural ingredients found in the legendary Białowieża forest in Poland. Our latest innovation, Żubrówka Rosé brings a more natural, berry infused, lower ABV drink option to consumers that perfectly fits the aperitif moment.”
Żubrówka Rosé joins the brand’s portfolio, which includes Żubrówka Bison Grass vodka and Żubrówka Biała.
Bourgoin Cognac flavours available to UK on-trade
Three types of Bourgoin Cognac have been launched into the on-trade after distributor Ten Locks landed an exclusive deal.
The brand is said to be a “modern, small batch cognac aimed at contemporary drinkers looking for a new take on this French spirit”.
The three expressions are VSOP 2015, XO Double Lies 2010 and XO Microbarrique 1998. The handcrafted products are available now to high-end bars and clubs, restaurants, and hospitality venues, positioned as a super premium, contemporary cognac.
Bourgoin Cognac VSOP 2015 (43% ABV) is an approachable, entry level cognac, full of character, bringing a modern flavour profile with hints of vanilla, tonka bean and citrus. It can be enjoyed neat, on the rocks and forms a powerful base for cocktails.
Bourgoin Cognac XO Double Lies 2010 (45% ABV) uses twice the amount of yeast to ferment resulting in double the amount of fruity flavour. As XO, this is claimed to be light and bright for a 10-year-old and uses French Limousin oak to produce a perfect aperitif or digestif.
Bourgoin XO Microbarrique 1998 (43% ABV) is Bourgoin’s first cognac with an extra finishing in a 10-litre oak barrel, with a crocodile charred-style to create a round, sweet and subtle cognac with delicious notes of mango, banana, candied strawberries, Bourbon vanilla and roasted pineapple.
Ten Locks head of commercial Becky Davies said: “Bourgoin Cognac is a highly esteemed brand. The Bourgoin Cognacs will appeal to those looking for aspirational drinks with contemporary flavour profiles, on-trend products that deliver on taste, drinking experience and prestige, and fit the trend for premiumisation.
“Dark spirits are growing in the UK, especially among younger drinkers who may have come into the category through dark rums and whiskies and are now they’re exploring cognac. They are prepared to pay a premium for something they know will exceed expectations. Cognac is evolving, much like craft beer, natural wine and other spirits have done in recent years.”
All three products come in a 70cl bottle, priced between £46 and £66 RRP.
Duo of alcohol-free spirits from New London Light
New London Light is launching two alcohol-free spirits to the market in the form of Midnight Sun and Aegean Sky that have been crafted by Salcombe Distilling Co.
“The non-alcoholic space is a fast-growing and exciting playground that has provided us with an opportunity to get creative and explore some innovative techniques and processes,” said Salcombe co-founder and director Howard Davis. “Midnight Sun and Aegean Sky are fantastic examples of our uncompromising approach to creating bold flavour combinations. It is a challenge to provide something alternative to alcohol that doesn’t compromise on taste.”
Midnight Sun takes inspiration from the rugged Nordic coastline and is claimed to be a “layered and elegant non-alcoholic aperitif combining wild coastal berries, fresh kelp and pine from the majestic landscapes of the Nordic region”.
It is crafted using seven botanicals to create the core flavour distillate including elderberries, seaberries, kelp and samphire and further natural flavours including lingonberries and pine.
Aegean Sky is said to “capture the essence of the vibrant Mediterranean coast” and uses six botanicals to create the core flavour distillate including kumquat, bergamot, olive and rosemary, blended further natural flavours such as blood orange and rosehip.
For every 70cl bottle of New London Light sold in the UK, Salcombe donates 1% of the retail price (RRP £27.50) to the Marine Conservation Society’s seagrass regeneration project to protect and regenerate seagrass.
If you have any new products that are being released to the on-trade, email the details with high resolution images before Thursday at midday for potential inclusion on Friday’s article to gary.lloyd@wrbm.com.
