GSN Brews News: August 17th 2021 Edition

Atomic Brands will launch the latest extension to Monaco Cocktails later this month. The new cocktail—a Mai Tai—comes in at 9% abv and is made with light and dark rum, plus orange curaçao. It will be part of Monaco’s Craft Cocktail line, alongside the company’s Kentucky and Moscow Mules. Monaco’s Mai Tai will hit store shelves nationwide on August 30, retailing for around $2.50 or $3 per 12-ounce can. 

Boston Beer is partnering with PepsiCo to launch Hard Mtn Dew, a new flavored malt beverage. Boston Beer will develop and produce new the soda brand offshoot and PepsiCo has set up a new entity to sell, deliver, and merchandise the product, which is expected to hit shelves early next year. The move follows Boston Beer’s recently announced alliance with Beam Suntory, which will expand Boston Beer’s Truly Hard Seltzer into bottled spirits, and Beam Suntory’s Sauza Tequila brand into additional RTD formats.

Kombrewcha Hard Kombucha and Los Angeles-based Golden Road Brewing have collaborated on a new product, Passion Fruit Hard Kombucha. The gluten-free, organic beverage is brewed to 6% abv through natural fermentation. Passion Fruit Hard Kombucha is now available in 12-ounce can 6-packs at select retailers throughout California.

Heineken has announced Comb & Hive, a new mead, set to hit shelves in test markets for Labor Day. The 6.9% abv lightly sparkling wine is made from wildflower honey and sugar, with added orange blossom. The drink will be available individually and in 4-packs of 12-ounce cans, with each can containing 150 calories and two grams of sugar. Heineken will test the new brand in Denver, Colorado and Nashville, Tennessee.

Heaven Hill has announced Hpnotiq Freeze Pops, a new RTD extension for the French liqueur. The pops come in at 6% abv and are rolling out now in Georgia, South Carolina, Texas, and Florida. Hpnotiq Freeze Pops come in boxes of ten for a suggested price of $20.

Cutwater Spirits has debuted two new regionally inspired canned cocktails. First up is Orange Smash, a blend of Cutwater’s vodka and orange soda. It’s at 7% abv and is available in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Maryland, Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Delaware, and Washington D.C. The second new release is called Huckleberry Spritz and is aimed at the western U.S. The cocktail is also at 7% abv and is available in Washington, Idaho, Montana, and Colorado. Additionally, Huckleberry Spritz can be shipped to Wyoming, Oregon, and Utah.

Baltimore, Maryland’s Sagamore Spirit has entered the canned cocktail market with three new rye-based drinks. Sagamore’s Black-Eyed Rye comes in at 9% abv and is made with blackberry and lime juices and added ginger flavor. The distillery’s Honey Paloma is also at 9% abv and blends rye with grapefruit and lime juices, agave, and honey. Sagamore has also released Lemon Tea Fizz, an 8% abv cocktail that pairs whiskey with green tea, yuzu, and Meyer lemon juice. All three RTDs are made with four-year-old rye whiskey and retail for around $16 a 4-pack of 12-ounce cans. Sagamore Spirit’s canned cocktails are now available in Maryland, Washington D.C., and New Jersey with a national rollout planned for 2022.

California-based Stone Brewing has added a new hazy IPA to its portfolio of craft beers. Stone Hazy IPA comes in at 6.7% abv and is made primarily with El Dorado and Azacca hops with some additional Sabro hops adding more tropical flavors, according to the brewery. The beer was first brewed at Stone’s Liberty Station taproom in San Diego before it entered the brewery’s core portfolio. Stone Hazy IPA is now available across the U.S. in 6-packs of 12-ounce cans and on draft.

Information courtesy of Shanken News Daily

GSN Brews News: July 20th 2021 Edition

Monaco Cocktails has added Tequila Sun Crush, the newest spirits-based RTD in the company’s portfolio. Like the other Monaco Cocktails, the newest addition is canned at 9% abv and is made with two shots of Tequila, orange liqueur, and orange flavoring. Tequila Sun Crush is now available across the U.S. in 12-ounce cans retail priced between $2.50 and $3. The new release joins Citrus Rush, Tequila Lime Crush, Blue Crush, Cranberry, and Mango Peach, among many other flavors, in the Monaco Cocktails portfolio.

California-based Twisted Roots hard cider is relaunching with new packaging. Formerly presented in capped 750-ml. bottles, the European-style cider, made with a blend of five apple varieties, will now be sold in four-packs of 16-ounce cans. Its new logo displays a red, cross-sectioned apple on the tall black cans. Each can is at 6% abv and has 100 calories. Located in Carmel Valley, Twisted Roots is best known for Old Vine Zinfandel and Petite Sirah wines.

Fort Collins, Colorado-based New Belgium Brewing is partnering with Ojai, California-based kombucha producer Flying Embers on a new release. The two beverage makers collaborated on Oh, Hi!, a limited-edition session sour beer made by blending Flying Embers’ Original Essence Kombucha with sour beer produced by New Belgium and then finished with pixie tangerines and sage. Both companies support wildfire relief efforts and will together donate $10,000 to the Embers foundation to benefit the California Fire Foundation and other organizations. Oh, Hi! is at 6.5% abv and will be available in select premium retailers in California and Colorado.

Vermont-based Stowe Cider is expanding its non-alcoholic options with Fresh Squeeze. It’s an off-shoot of Fresh Press, Stowe’s apple cider and sparkling water RTD. Rather than apple cider, Fresh Squeeze is made with lemonade and sparkling water and is also at 0% abv. Available now in Stowe’s taproom and from its website, Fresh Squeeze will be available in Vermont retailers in the coming weeks, priced at $9 a 4-pack of 12-ounce cans.

Pacific City, Oregon-based Pelican Brewing is releasing Head Out Hefeweizen to celebrate a summer spent outdoors exploring nature. The 4.8% abv wheat ale is made with white wheat malt and contains aromas of melon and flowers. As part of the beer’s outdoorsy message, Pelican is sponsoring a number of events for Trailkeepers of Oregon this summer to support the maintenance of coastal trails, including two of the organization’s new Volunteer Vacations in August. Head Out Hefe is available now in 6-packs of 12-ounce bottles and select Pelican variety 12-packs.

Atlanta, Georgia’s Sweetwater Brewing Company has launched 420 Imperial IPA, the first line extension for the brewery’s flagship label. The 9.1% abv ale is brewed with nine varieties of hops during the wet and dry hopping phases of production, and is available in 6- and 12-packs of 12-ounce cans and 19.2-ounce cans as well as on draft across Sweetwater’s distribution footprint. The brewery has also launched a new limited-edition beer: 710 Hazy Double IPA. The 7.5% abv ale is part of the Dank Tank series of brews.

Information courtesy of Shanken News Daily

GSN Brews News: June 29th 2021 Edition

Monaco Cocktails has secured distribution for its spirits-based RTDs in grocery stores in multiple states across the U.S. The company is kicking off this new placement with its variety 6-pack featuring Citrus Rush, Tequila Lime Crush, and Blue Crush, with all three at 9% abv. The 6-pack is now available in Chicago-area Mariano’s, Jewel-Osco, Tony’s Finer Foods, and Binny’s; Michigan’s Kroger stores; Roundy’s in Wisconsin; Albertsons in Southern California; and Winco Foods located in Arizona, California, Indiana, and Nevada. 

Smirnoff is introducing a line of Pink Lemonade variants across its vodka, flavored malt beverage and hard seltzer ranges. To introduce the Pink Lemonade lineup, Smirnoff is airing several new TV spots, which debuted earlier this month. The brand’s Pink Lemonade vodka retails at $12 a 750-ml., while the Smirnoff Ice Pink Lemonade FMB launched this month at $9 a 6-pack. Also forthcoming is Smirnoff Seltzer Pink Lemonade, which will hit shelves later this summer.

St. Mary’s, Pennsylvania-based Straub Brewery has introduced Sabrina’s Signature Series—Wild Berry Sangria Spritzer, a new RTD named for the Straub family matriarch. The 5% abv spritz starts with a red blend base and adds apple, raspberry, and elderberry juices, plus sparkling water. Sabrina’s Signature Series joins Straub American Lager, American Light Lager, American Amber Lager, Hop Blaster IPA, and seasonal releases in the Straub portfolio.

Proximo Spirits has expanded the 1800 Ultimate Margarita family with black cherry, the brand’s latest fruit-flavored RTD cocktail. The new release comes in at 9.5% abv and is flavored with cherries, plums, and other orchard fruit, plus orange, vanilla, and lime. It joins 1800’s original Margarita, pineapple, peach, watermelon, jalapeño lime, and raspberry in the Ultimate Margarita family.

Drifter Craft Cocktails has launched with a new portfolio of spirits-based RTDs. The new line comes in three flavors: Spicy Margarita, Passion Fruit Caipirinha, and Moscow Mule (all 7% abv). The Caipirinha is made with Avuá cachaça, the Brazilian sugarcane spirit, as the base of the cocktail. The Margarita is made with Paladar Blanco Tequila from Jalisco, Mexico and the Mule is made with Griffo Pot Distilled Vodka from California. Drifter Craft Cocktails are available now through select retailers, the on-premise, and online for a suggested $20 a 4-pack.

Yakima, Washington’s Bale Breaker Brewing Company has announced Moxee Made IPA, the fourth release in the brewery’s IPA Rotator series. The 6.2% abv ale is made with Mosaic, Citra, Ekuanot, and Pahto hops plus homegrown Pils, Pale, Munich, and Dextrine malt. The beer is now available in Bale Breaker’s taproom on draft and to-go in 6-packs of 12-ounce bottles. Moxee Made will receive wider distribution in Washington State, Oregon, and Idaho through the beginning of July.

Information courtesy of Shanken News Daily