What's hitting the shelves? New beverage launches
Bulmers launches hard seltzer
Bulmers Ireland, best known for its namesake cider brand, has launched Seven Summits hard seltzer in Ireland in association with craft brewer Whitewater Brewing Company (pictured above)
Seven Summits draws its inspiration, as well as the pure water for the drink, from the seven summits of the Mourne Mountains: known for its natural beauty and as an adventure destination.
The 4.5% ABV hard seltzer is brewed, rather than blended: and is produced in small batches. It comes in three flavors: wild berry, lemon and mango. It is currently available in O’Briens Off-Licences across Ireland with a selection of independent off licences. A retail and on-trade roll-out, accompanied by a marketing campaign, will follow next year.
Karl Donnelly, Marketing Director, Bulmers Ireland said: “The low carb alcohol segment is evolving fast and it’s exciting for Bulmers Ireland to now have a premium offering within this space. Seven Summits is a naturally crafted hard seltzer offering a distinct and refreshing taste.
“We are excited to launch a product in the fastest growing beverage category globally and one we believe will capture the imagination of Irish consumers in 2021.”
PepsiCo 'Cocoa' Cola
A limited edition Pepsi 'Cocoa' Cola - a blend of cocoa mixed with Pepsi cola - is launching in the US.
“There is nothing more classic than hot cocoa on a winter day, but this year has been anything but typical,” said Todd Kaplan, Vice President of Marketing at Pepsi.
“So why not bring together the delicious taste of a Pepsi with the delicious, wintery taste of chocolate and marshmallow and bring some unexpected joy to our fans this season?"
Biza canned cocktails
US beverage brand Biza has launched premium sparkling cocktails in four flavors: passion fruit peach, coconut pineapple, pomegranate vanilla and mango jalapeño.
The 6% ABV canned RTD cocktails are made with vodka, naturally sugar and yeast free, as opposed to malt like most hard seltzers. The name Biza is inspired by the Spanish island of Ibiza.
Founded by a group of millennial friends, the brand creates curated music playlists that can be found on Spotify by scanning the QR code on every can.
Co-founder Laura Murray said:“We loved the idea of bringing people together through a quality cocktail and music. Aside from our unique flavor profile, the music angle was a key differentiator and a great way for our consumers to interact with our brand. We are thrilled to finally release Biza and hope it brings you the escape you’ve been dreaming of all year!”
Biza cocktails have launched in New Jersey, New York and Florida.
Fever-Tree: Rhubarb and Raspberry
Fever-Tree has added a new flavored tonic water to its range in the UK: Refreshingly Light Sweet Rhubarb & Raspberry Tonic Water.
The drink combines tart ‘Timperley Early’ rhubarb, hand-harvested from a family run Norfolk farm, with juicy raspberries from Scotland’s Strathmore valley. It uses naturally sourced ingredients and is free from artificial sweeteners.
It can create a ‘subtly sweet and sophisticated’ twist on a traditional gin & tonic, pairing with London Dry Gin or a pink gin, or used in a vodka & tonic.
Rose Cottingham, Fever-Tree’s Head of Innovation, said: “Our new Refreshingly Light Sweet Rhubarb & Raspberry Tonic Water is a unique combination of quintessential British flavours. Using ingredients sourced right here in the UK, we’ve created a sweeter flavour profile that will appeal to a broad range of consumers.
“We are seeing more and more consumers willing to experiment with mixing drinks at home, using the spirit of their choice and one of our mixers, and in doing so realise how easy it is to make a delicious simple long mixed drink. Our Rhubarb and Raspberry Tonic is another great flavour combination for consumers to find their perfect paring for and we look forward to hearing how people are mixing theirs.”
PepsiCo Driftwell
PepsiCo’s Driftwell has launched via Amazon and Walmart online this month.
The drink is designed to help people relax, with PepsiCo reporting that stress is one of the main reasons people don’t sleep well with 45% of Americans reporting lying awake at night because of it.
Driftwell is free of carbonation, has subtle hints of blackberry and lavender flavors, and contains no calories or sugar. A 7.5oz mini can contains 200 mg of L-theanine to promote relaxation and 10% of the daily amount of magnesium.
The beverage was created via an internal pitch competition.
Cognitive coffee
Pivot Coldbrew, a RTD cold-brew coffee with nootropics and reishi, an adaptogen, has launched in LA with online retail to follow in January.
Developed by entrepreneur David Stroud, Pivot Coldbrew uses locally-roasted beans and 'cognitive enhancers' designed to minimize jitters and eliminate the caffeine crash.
This includes nootropics cognizin citicoline, alpinia galanga, L-theanine and L-regothioneine; and adaptogen reishi as an immunity booster.
Plant-based coffee creamer concentrate
Plant-based beverage company, JOI, is launching a plant-based coffee creamer concentrate in the US.
The creamer allows consumers to make non-dairy lattes at home, customized to their preferred consistency and taste.
Cashew Hazelnut Oat Creamer Concentrate is made from cashews, gluten-free oats, hazelnuts, organic pea protein and Himalayan Salt.
JOI's range of plant milk concentrates includes almond and cashew bases.
Posh Lime & Soda
British juice drinks brand, Crafted, has launched ‘Posh Lime & Soda’: creating as a premium version of a typical lime and soda.
The drink uses real lime juice (instead of diluted cordial) and has no added sugar or sweeteners, no artificial flavorings, and no added preservatives or colors.
The inspiration behind ‘Posh Lime & Soda’ came from the results of independent consumer research which showed that nearly 60% of lime and soda drinkers would be interested in trying a premium version.
Ugly Drinks holiday flavors
Flavored sparking water brand Ugly Drinks is launching two new limited edition holiday flavors in the US, drawing on childhood holiday classics ‘and happier B.C (before COVID) times’.
Fruit Punch “carries Ugly DNA from all of their fruit flavors & creates an instant party in your mouth -- a nostalgic nod to the childhood favorite, without food coloring and the sugar coma.”
Candy Cane ‘packs some peppermint kick, and is the “it flavor” of the holiday season & fruit cake’s nemesis -- a fizzy Festivus for the rest of us who prefer no sugars, sweeteners or calories in our carbonated beverages.”
The new flavors were ‘crowd-sourced’ via Ugly’s digital followers, and are free from sugars, sweeteners or calories.
