What’s hitting the shelves? Matcha teas, Aquavit, and sparkling Ocean Spray
Cucumber lime vodka
Svedka Vodka is introducing Svedka Cucumber Lime this month, a crisp, refreshing drink with ‘zesty citrus and cool cucumber’ flavors.
Svedka says it has seen a surge in popularity of crisp cocktails like Moscow Mule and Gin & Tonic. The new drink also hopes to capitalize on trends within Asian and Mexican cuisine.
The product will be available across the US in 50ml, 375ml, 750ml, 1L and 1.75L sizes.
Other flavors from the Constellation Brands vodka include Grapefruit Jalapeño, Strawberry Colada and Orange Cream Pop.
Tesco's non-alcoholic wines
Supermarket Tesco has launched two sparkling wines, claiming that they are 'the nearest in taste to their alcoholic counterparts'.
The wines are made from South African Pinotage Blush and Chenin Blanc grapes, fermented until just before the point that they turn alcoholic.
Alcohol Free Pinotage Blush and Alcohol Free Chenin Blanc Sparkling are on sale in the UK in 760 Tesco stores. They cost £2.75 each, and are stocked in the soft drinks aisle.
Ocean Spray sparkles
Two new varieties from Ocean Spray have launched in the UK this year. Ocean Spray Sparkling Cranberry and Ocean Spray Sparkling Cranberry Raspberry are lightly sparking drinks made with spring water and berry juice.
The drinks contain four calories per 200ml serving, which Ocean Spray hopes will appeal to health-conscious consumers seeking refreshment. The drinks can be consumed by themselves or mixed with others.
The two varieties launched in a 1L format in Tesco last month, and will be available from Sainsbury’s this month as well.
Sports drinks go natural
Texas-based The Pickle Juice Company has launched a natural sports drink with boosted electrolytes.
The drink, 100% Natural Pickle Juice Sport, is a clear beverage without artificial ingredients, and with 10 times more electrolytes than average sports drinks, says the company. It is available in 8oz and 16oz bottles.
The Pickle Juice Company says its products – which include original Pickle Juice Sport and Extra Strength Pickle Juice Shot – have been specifically formulated to help prevent dehydration and muscle cramping.
Matcha, Guayusa and Mate: exotic functional teas
San Francisco beverage company Purity.Organic has launched a new line of super premium teas.
The matcha green tea, guayusa and yerba mate brews are shelf stable RTD beverages, brewed and blended with organic ingredients.
Matcha has been used in Japanese tea ceremonies for centuries; while Guayusa and Mate are well-known in South America.
Purity.Organic’s flavors in the new line include Matcha with Honey, Matcha with Hibiscus Honey and Lime, and Mate with Grapefruit and Ginger.
The varieties contain between 35 and 90 calories per 14 oz bottle. “We’ve brewed the new super premium teas with a range of functional and flavorful attributes for our customers to enjoy,” says the company. “The teas contain antioxidants and amino acids, providing a nourishing choice for healthy beverage seekers.”
Coca-Cola Zero Cherry
Coca-Cola Enterprises (CCE) is launching Coca-Cola Zero Cherry in new pack formats, it announced last week.
The 330ml and 500ml PET bottles hope to ‘attract a new wave of young adults’ who want new, lower calorie, flavoured variants while on-the-go.
Coca-Cola Zero is growing ahead of the wider cola sector, says CCE, while cola cherry flavors are in 22% growth.
The launch is Coca-Cola Enterprises’ largest flavor variant launch to date, and will be supported with CCE’s biggest ever marketing spend.
The 330ml and 500ml packs will be priced at 49p and £1 respectively (70c and $1.40).
Moju launches cold-pressed juices
New UK juice brand Moju (pictured as the main image to this story) says it wants to expand awareness of cold-pressed juice from the ‘super health conscious’ to a much wider audience.
The juices are 100% natural, free from additives or GMOs, and contain at least four portions of fruit and vegetables in each bottle. The recipes focus on including vegetables and lower-sugar fruits.
The three flavors are The Green Juice (which includes kale, spinach, apple, cucumber, celery, lemon and ginger); The Purple Juice (beetroot, apple, carrot, cucumber, lemon); and The Orange Juice (carrots, apple, red pepper, turmeric, ginger, lemon).
Mojo says cold-pressing juices (a method using pressure, not heat, to deactivate bacteria) extracts up to five times more nutrients from the ingredients than traditional methods.
Developing the aquavit category internationally
Arcus, a Norwegian producer and supplier of spirits, has launched an aquavit called Lysholm No52 with master blender Ivan Abrahamsen.
Aquavit is a Scandinavian flavored spirit, which gets its taste from the distillation of herbs and spices. Norwegian aquavit is made from potatoes and matured in oak casks, using caraway or dill as its primary spice. It is often drunk at Christmas or Easter in Scandinavia. The word aquavit comes from Latin, aqua vitae (water of life).
Lysholm No52 contains 11 botanicals, including Norwegian caraway, star anise, coriander, bitter orange peels and ginger. Arcus says it is more spicy and stronger in flavor than other aquavits, and is a good choice for cocktails.
Lysholm No52 is currently available in Norway but the company says it will soon expand to other markets.
Norwegian distillery launches first product
Oslo Håndverksdestilleri has launched Marka, a Nordic digestive bitter blended from 16 botanicals which include dandelion, bog myrtle and angelica root.
The distillery says it is the first to open in Norway since 1927, and Marka is its first product launch.
The spirit has an ABV of 35% and is sold in the UK in 50cl bottles.
Nitro beers
Samuel Adams announced the launch of three nitro beers last week, the result of three years of experimentation from the Samuel Adams Nitro Project.
Nitro While Ale, Nitro IPA, and Nitro Coffee Stout are the first beers from the project, with more promised to follow.
The Boston Beer Company will release the Samuel Adams nitro beers in 4 packs of 15 oz cans next month, while the ales are available across the US on draft.
Sarsaparilla-inspired cider
California’s Sonoma Cider has relaunched The Washboard as a year-round cider, after the success of its limited run in March last year. Released last week, the cider features organic ingredients such as Indian sarsaparilla, apples and vanilla. It is available from stores including Whole Foods, Safeway and Binny’s.
Midnight Grape and Blood Orange from PepsiCo
PepsiCo’s Mtn Dew Kickstart has added four flavors to its range this year. Midnight Grape, Watermelon, Blueberry Pomegranate and Blood Orange join Pineapple Orange Mango, Strawberry Kiwi, Orange Citrus, Fruit Punch, Black Cherry and Limeade.
Interested in beverage innovation?
Meet the masterminds behind some of today’s most exciting innovations in our online summit. Beverage Innovation 2016 will be held on Thursday February 18, with speakers coming from Suja Juice, Chameleon Cold-Brew, Protein2O, Rebbl, and many more. Find out more here.
