JJ Whitley, BrewDog and Sandford Orchards release new products

JJ Whitley announces two new serves 

Artisanal spirits brand JJ Whitley has announced the launch of two new fruity vodka variants, Rose and Blackcurrant, both 38% ABV.

JJ Whitley's Rose serve fuses vodka with vibrant fruity flavours of strawberries and red berries, best served as an English Rose Spritz, using 40ml Rose Vodka, 20ml Lanique, 25ml lemon juice, and grapefruit soda to top-up, while the new Blackcurrant variant, a wheat-based vodka, offers notes of tart dark fruits with sweet berry flavours, best served alongside lemonade with a lemon wedge garnish or as a Bramble cocktail, with 50ml Blackcurrant Vodka, 30ml lemon juice, and 25ml sugar syrup. 

The new blackcurrant offering is available now from Master of Malt in 70cl bottles at RRP £19.95 while JJ Whitley Rose vodka is available from the liquor library in 70cl bottles at RRP £18.99.

BrewDog teams up with Peter Crouch 

BrewDog has partnered with footballer Peter Crouch to create its latest brew, Laout (5.4% ABV), the first beer to combine lager and stout in one serve, according to the brewery.

The lager-stout hybrid combines the effervescent drinkability of a lager with the smooth decadence of a stout, resulting is a medley of dark malts with notes of coffee and chocolate with a creamy but light body alongside a slight fizz.

BrewDog director of brand and marketing Lauren Carrol said: “Crouchy spoke, we listened. Laout is not your typical combination, but BrewDog is not your typical Brewery. Our experts (aka the Beer Wizard and his colleagues) analysed what Crouchy loves about the Laout and we think they’ve come up with a beer which ticks all those boxes.”

For years, the football star has enthused about his home-made tipple of choice on his ‘That Peter Crouch’ ​podcast, often discussing his passion for creating the very particular new beer blend before BrewDog entered to tackle the challenge of creating Laout, the can for which was designed by podcast winner Simon Painter.

Peter Crouch said: “This started as a little joke on our podcast but it’s become something special. Our dreams have become a reality, thanks to BrewDog. It’s the marriage you didn’t know you needed half lager and half stout. The Laout is born. Be parched no more”

Laout is available now from the BrewDog webshop in 4x330ml and 24x330ml can packs at RRP £5.95 and £16.95 respectively. 

MacNair’s new Jamaican rum duo

MacNair’s Exploration Rum, which is independently owned and managed by spirits firm the GlenAllachie Distillers company, has announced two new Jamaican rums.

The new duo of small-batch rums comprises of Exploration Rum Jamaica Peated and Exploration Rum Jamaica Unpeated, each carefully curated by revered Master Blender Billy Walker, who this year celebrated a half-century spent in the spirits industry.

To create the new serves, Walker brought the premium Jamaican rum to Scotland be fully matured in the cool climate at the GlenAllachie Distillery in Speyside, having purposefully obtained spirit at high, medium and low ester levels in order to achieve a multitude of flavour attributes from the wood.

Following a primary maturation period of 30 months in Rye, Rioja and virgin oak casks at varying ester levels and at 86% ABV, the rum was expertly blended by Walker and reduced to 69% ABV in order to be aged at two different solution characteristics. 

For the Jamaica Unpeated variant, the rum subsequently underwent secondary aging in a similar assortment of casks, whilst the Jamaica Peated expression completed its maturation journey in casks which previously held peated spirits, distilled at The GlenAllachie to add a distinctive twist.

Walker said: “We’ve been delighted at the overwhelmingly positive and inquisitive response to our MacNair’s Exploration Rum offering. We are founded on whisky but exploring a new spirits category has been an extremely enjoyable new challenge, and the results offer something different for rum fans to get their teeth into.

“Bringing these rums straight to the GlenAllachie Distillery to be fully aged under our supervision in the cool Speyside climate has created a totally unique flavour experience. Our aim is to push the boundaries of convention to develop eclectic, innovative rums for the curious and adventurous consumer, and we strongly believe these Jamaican gems encapsulate that.”

MacNair’s Exploration peated and unpeated rums, both 46% ABV, are available now from Master of Malt in 70cl bottles at RRP £49.95 and £44.95 respectively. 

Gosnells announces limited-edition Summer Ale

Gosnells has announced the release of its limited-edition Summer Honey Ale, a 3.8% ABV blonde collaboration between Portobello Brewing and Gosnells Mead of Peckham, launched exclusively in cask format across all 21 of Portobello’s pubs.

Developed by Portobello Brewing’s Farooq Khalid alongside Will Grubelnik and Tom Gosnell of Gosnells, the newly created brew combines Oxfordshire honey with pale and wheat malt using Styrian Goldings and an American hop related to our British Fuggle, offering flowery notes with sweet clover and a woodsy, floral finish.

Gosnells founder Tom Gosnell said: “We all chose to create a cask honey beer as we not only love mead, but we love cask beer as well.

“We have made a few cask braggots in the past - beers usually combining cereals and more than 50% honey.

“These have been serious winter warmers of around 6% ABV, but for this collab, we wanted to make something a little lighter and brighter for the summer, a gently chilled mild blonde.

“Honey has an amazing ability to be both floral and fruity and, when mixed with the right malt and hop bill, you can get the best of both worlds. 

“For this brew we chose a light floral spring golden honey from Oxfordshire. It's got a lovely, round sweet clover flavour and big grassy notes complimented by a delicate smell of freshly picked flowers and a hedgerow herbal backbone.”

Luscombe launches new Strawberry Bubbly 

Devon based artisan soft drinks producer and Royal Warrant holder, Luscombe, has launched its Strawberry Bubbly variant.

The new serve joins the brands award-winning portfolio of soft drinks including Damascene Rose Bubbly and Wild Elderflower Bubbly, all of which are made from Dartmoor spring water and organic ingredients. 

Luscombe owner and founder Gabriel David said: “Our new Strawberry Bubbly is the epitome of an English summer. A lightly sparkling bubbly, it balances the finest organic strawberries with organic Sicilian lemons, Madagascan vanilla and soft Dartmoor spring water and, like all the drinks in our range, contains no artificial additives, sweeteners or concentrates.

"It delivers a burst of fresh strawberries with each sip and is exquisite served chilled on its own or mixed with a premium spirit and citrus garnish. It’s the perfect summer drink.”

Luscombe Strawberry Bubbly is available now direct from the company's webshop at RRP £21.30 for 12x270ml bottles. 

Ingredients​:​

• 50ml Salcombe Gin ‘Start Point’
• Fresh Lime Juice
• Luscombe Strawberry Bubbly
• Topped with Devon Tonic Water

Method:​

• Place a glass on the bar ready and fill with ice
• Build the cocktail in the glass, starting with the gin and Strawberry Bubbly, topping up with Devon Tonic Water
• Garnish with a strawberry on the side of the glass

Sandford Orchards goes Wilde 

Sandford Orchards has released the latest addition to its flavoured cider range, Wilde Cherry Cider (4% ABV), made from English apples and cherries.

Offering notes of Bakewell tart, the tangy new serve from the Crediton, Devon, based orchard will be available from mid-July in 500ml bottles at RRP £2.70 direct from Sandford’s webshop.

Sandford Orchards chief cidermaker Barny Butterfield said: “We wanted to expand our range of fruit flavoured ciders and we were looking for an English fruit to complement our English cider apples.

“I was reading up about the history of cider and came across a mention of Mazzard cherries being added to cider in the sixteenth century.

“Inspired by this, we created our own version and it seems those old cider makers knew what they were doing.

“We are delighted with our Wilde Cherry cider, our new interpretation of their old idea.”

Maison Mirabeau launches first certified organic and vegan serve 

Maison Mirabeau has announced the launch of its first certified organic and vegan Côtes de Provence rosé, Nude Pink, bottled in 100% recycled wild flint glass, stoppered with local cork, and finished with a paper collar instead of a tin capsule.

Nude Pink (12.5% ABV), produced using organically grown grapes from several vineyards in the Côtes de Provence appellation, features a classic Provence blend of Grenache, Cinsault and Syrah, with a dash of Rolle.

Maison Mirabeau co-founder Stephen Cronk said: “Since we acquired our first vineyard, we have experienced the consequences of human carelessness and climate change playing out on our doorstep.

“It reinforced how important it is to support change and inspired us to explore some of Provence’s best organic and sustainably farmed vineyards, as well as alternative packaging solutions. Our pale Nude Pink Rosé is the result.”

A soft pale rosé with peach flavours, Nude Pink offers aromas of recurrent, strawberries and yellow cherries.

Maison Mirabeau co-founder Jeany Cronk said: “As a lifestyle brand, we always aim to deliver the whole package, from liquid to label.

“We know many of our customers proactively choose responsibly made products, but we also understand encouraging that choice goes beyond simply stating ‘organic’ on the bottle.

“With Nude Pink, we’ve taken a holistic approach by which the bottle speaks of what consumers can expect to find inside.”

Mirabeau Nude Rosé is available now direct from the brands webshop in 75cl bottles at RRP £22.

Innis and Gunn releases limited-edition whisky beer

Innis & Gunn is celebrating quality Scottish produce with Kriek, a 5.1% ABV limited-edition single malt whisky cask matured beer, brewed with ripe Scottish cherries, grown just minutes away from its award-winning Perth brewery.

A modern twist on the classic Belgian Kriek, the new serve has been brewed similarly to Innis & Gunn's award-winning lager with ale malt, crystal malt, naked golden oats and Super Styrian hops, with tartness in the beer introduced through kettle souring, cask matured with the addition of fresh and puréed cherries in second-fill malt whisky casks.

Offering layers cherry sweetness and hints of oak, Kriek offers notes of vanilla, spice and wood, in a hazy magenta colour.

Innis & Gunn founder and master brewer Dougal Gunn Sharp said: “The idea for ‘Kriek’ was love at first bite after tasting some incredible, local Scottish cherries. The fruit truly stands out in this vibrant limited-edition beer.

“At Innis & Gunn, we are constantly innovating and striving to create premium beers that people will really enjoy. ‘Kriek’ is an example of what can be achieved with great local produce and talented brewers.”

Kriek, of which there are just 5,000 bottles, is available to purchase from the Innis & Gunn online shop now in 330ml bottles with a specially designed gift carton at RRP £5.

If you have any new products 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 ​Erorppn.jryyre@jeoz.pbz​​​​​​.​