Top new products: February

Gordon & Macphail 1948

Gordon & MacPhail has launched its oldest release yet as part of its ‘Private Collection’: Gordon & MacPhail 1948 from Glen Grant Distillery. At 70 years old, it is the oldest expression from the Speyside distillery ever bottled. The rare single malt was matured in Cask 2154, a first-fill Sherry butt filled on 11 June 1948 – six years before barley rationing restrictions were lifted after World War II.

Bottled at 48.6%, the whisky is presented in an engraved crystal decanter. Only 210 decanters are available. It follows the 50-year-old Gordon & MacPhail 1968 from Caol Ila Distillery, the oldest single malt bottled by the Islay distillery.

RRP: £17,500.

Contact: Gordon & MacPhail, MarketingDept@gordonandmacphail.com

Gik LIVE unicorn tears

Just when you thought wine trends couldn’t get any stranger, blue wine pioneer Gik Live has launched an iridescent pink rosé, allegedly made “with unicorn tears”. Called Unicorn Tears, the 12% ABV pastel-pink wine “with a fruity candy aroma” has been designed with Instagram in mind.

The wine gets its vivid pink colour from “organic pigments”, and boasts particles that make it sparkle. The Spanish wine brand took inspiration from Starbucks’ popular unicorn frappuccino. It follows the launch of Gik Blue, the world’s first commercially available blue wine in 2015, which gets its colour from anthocyanins and indigo carmine colourants.

RRP: £10.50.

Contact: Inigo Alday, inigoalday@gik.blue

Balans AQUA SPRITZ

The founders of Swedish cider brand Kopparberg have launched an “alcohol-infused sparkling water” brand in the UK’s retail sector to capitalise on the growth of low-sugar drinks. Balans, which comes in mandarin and lime flavours, is produced in a similar way to cider, fermented from an apple-juice base to break down sugar into alcohol, which provides a “low-calorie alcohol base”.

A mix of apple juice and cane sugar are added after fermentation alongside natural fruit flavourings. The 4% ABV RTD cans will go on sale in Asda for a 12-week trial period from 7 February, and in Tesco from 1 April.

RRP: £1.70 per 250ml can, or £5 for four.

Contact: Kopparberg UK, sales@kopparberg.co.uk

Honore very old tawny port

The Douro’s Quinta do Crasto has unveiled a limited edition release of a tawny Port, comprised of wine that is more than 100 years old, priced at €5,500. Honore Very Old Tawny Port has been released to mark the quinta’s 400th anniversary, with wines selected from a limited number of casks made before 1918.

The casks belonged to the quinta’s founder, Constantino de Almeida, and have been nurtured by three generations. Just 400 bottles have been blended to create this special-edition Honore Port, which comes housed in a hand-blown crystal decanter.

RRP: €5,500.

Contact: Quinta do Crasto, honore@quintadocrasto.pt

Florenzia ROSSO toscana IGT

A blend of Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot, Florenzia is the latest release from Italian wine producer Bottega, made from grapes grown in Tuscany. Grapes are picked by hand, de-stemmed and fermented in steel tanks, with maceration on the skins lasting around 15 days at a temperature of 23˚C-25˚C.

The wine is then aged in French oak barriques for a minimum of 18 months before bottling. The resulting 14% ABV wine offers “powerful notes of red and black berries, spice aromas and a hint of violet on the finish”.

RRP: €30-€35.

Contact: Bottega, pierpaologalet@bottegaspa.com

Somersault Slow Brewed Soda

Boasting striking geometric packaging, created by drinks design specialist Denomination, that gives hipster craft beer brands a run for its money, newcomer Somersault hails from Melbourne. Aiming to turn the adult soft drinks category on its head with a smart, sophisticated range, Somersault’s sodas are slow brewed over several days to naturally build up body and flavour, leading to drinks that are complex and delicate.

The range comprises four flavours: Orange & Mandarin; Limeonade (see what they did there); Lemon Squash; and Cola with Pear & Lime. All four are “organic, low in sugar and 100% natural”.

RRP: AUS$5.

Contact: Neil Barker, neil@somersaultsoda.com.au

Peroni LIBERA 0.0%

Peroni has launched its first alcohol-free beer, Peroni Libera 0.0%. The beer is first brewed with the same Nostrano dell’Isola maize unique to Peroni Nastro Azzurro, while a dedicated yeast strain helps to impart its citrusy aromas and hoppy characteristics. It then undergoes a “special decoction” process, allowing the liquid to retain its flavour while removing its alcohol content.

The trend for low- and no-alcohol alternatives has been growing as alcohol consumption among young people has declined. According to a study by BMC Public Health, the number of young people in the UK choosing not to drink has risen by almost a third.

RRP: £5 for 4x330ml bottles.

Contact: Asahi UK, +44 (0) 1483 718 100

Conker Navy strength gin

Dorset-based spirits producer Conker has teamed up with the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) to release a new navy-strength gin. For every bottle of Conker Navy Strength Gin sold, £5 will be donated to the sea-faring charity. Conker Spirit was founded in 2014 by Rupert Holloway, who ditched his career as a chartered surveyor to set up Dorset’s first gin distillery.

The gin has an ABV of 57% and is made with nine botanicals: juniper berries, coriander seed, angelica root, oris root, cassia bark, bitter orange peel, lime peel, elderberries and marsh samphire. This release is the brand’s first since the launch of its Dorset Dry Gin in 2015.

RRP: £42.95.

Contact: Master of Malt, trade@masterofmalt.com

La Gioiosa Colleziona Oro

After the race to launch gargantuan bottles of fizz over Christmas, discount supermarket Aldi has added another low-calorie Prosecco to its portfolio. La Gioiosa Colleziona Oro Prosecco contains 63 calories per glass, and is a “drier style of the Italian sparkling wine”, according to Aldi, which claims it is also the lowest-calorie Prosecco in UK supermarkets.

“Our shoppers are passionate about Prosecco; we have seen sales increase year on year, but the trend for lower-calorie drinks is becoming increasingly popular,” said Julie Ashfield, managing director of buying at Aldi UK.

RRP: £8.99.

Contact: Aldi, +44 (0) 800 042 0800

Belsazar vermouth

Diageo has relaunched Belsazar vermouth, having acquired the brand from drinks incubator Distill Ventures last year. Created by German entrepreneurs Maximilian Wagner and Sebastian Brack, Belsazar is the first vermouth to join the Diageo Reserve portfolio, and is made from grapes selected from the regions of Markgräflerland and Kaiserstuhl in southern Baden.

It is then infused with herbs and finished with a dash of fruit brandy, before being aged for up to three months. There are five Belsazar varieties: white, red, dry, rosé, and a limited-edition Riesling.

RRP: £15.95 (37.5cl), £24.95 (75cl).

Contact: Diageo UK, +44 (0) 20 8978 6000

Bax Botanics alcohol-free spirits

Bax Botanics has launched two alcohol-free spirits made with organic botanicals of herbs, fruits and flowers. The Bax Botanics Verbena is described as an “appetising, bright herbal, distillation” intended to be served as as an apéritif, while the Sea Buckthorn variant is described as an “elegant, bitter fruit distillation”.

Each expression uses multiple organic botanicals and filtered water with no sugar or sweeteners, positioning the brand in the non-alcoholic drinks sector. Each bottle features classic typography and images of microscopic plant structures.

RRP: £17.99 (50cl).

Contact: Bax Botanics Ltd. +44 (0) 1937 206440

Knut Hansen gin

Knut Hansen Dry Gin is a modern “Hanseatic” gin, created, introduced and marketed by two friends from Hamburg. The pair worked with a distillery in Dollerup, close to the Danish border, to create the gin, using botanicals of apples, basil, rose petals and cucumber, all grown in Germany, alongside the traditional juniper.

The gin is produced in small batches of 750 bottles, distilled four times, and housed in a stoneware bottle featuring the face of the eponymous legendary sailor, symbolising the brand’s values: individuality, love of freedom and adventures. The pair are looking for distribution in the UK.

RPP: £35.

Contact: info@4anchors.de, +49 (0) 1725 66913

Lixir tonics

A Newcastle-based bartending duo has launched a tonic brand that seeks to “champion the versatility” of mixers in a variety of spirits. Jordan Palmer and Matt Mahatme created Lixir after spotting a gap in the market for a tonic brand that could “reflect the quality and variety offered up by the spirits category”.

The range includes: Classic Indian; Refreshingly Light; Elderflower & Lemon; Rhubarb & Ginger; and Blood Orange & Cinnamon. Lixir launched six months ago following a crowdfunding campaign that raised more than £16,000, and already has export deals in Belgium, Luxembourg, Denmark, Sweden and Portugal.

RRP: £1.30 per 200ml bottle.

Contact: Lixir, jordan@lixirtonic.co.uk

Villa Lobos Blanco 55% Tequila

Villa Lobos has introduced a “distillation strength” Tequila to its portfolio in response to requests from bartenders. The Tequila is distilled from the same copper pot as the rest of the range, but is rested in steel tanks for six months and bottled at 55% ABV ­– the highest permissible strength allowed by the Tequila Regulatory Council in Mexico.

Oron Lerner, bartender at Imperial Cocktail Bar in Tel Aviv, said: “It’s hard to find high-proof Tequilas, but this makes you want to dive into the vats straight off the distillation. Full of flavour and complexity, this expression is exciting.”

RRP: £38/€44.

Contact: Wine and Spirit, sales@wineandspirit.com

XOP Craigellachie 1995

With Chinese New Year taking place on 5 February, Scotch whisky producer Douglas Laing & Co has released three bottlings honouring the Year of the Pig. They include: an XOP single cask of Sherry-matured Craigellachie 1995 and two Old Particular single casks – a Bunnahabhain 2007 and Glengoyne 2007.

These vintages were selected because 1995 and 2007 were previous Years of the Pig in the Chinese Zodiac calendar. The XOP Craigellachie Single Cask is described as having a “rich mocha, cocoa character with candied peels, allspice and stewed red fruits” – the result of more than two decades resting in an ex-Sherry butt.

RRP: NT$19,999 for the set (Taiwan only).

Contact: Douglas Laing & Co, Paul.Wang@douglaslaing.com