Casa Komos Beverage Group (CKPG) has partnered with Molson Coors Beverage Company to distribute Superbird, a Tequila-based canned cocktail. Initially, the partnership will bring Superbird to 10 new markets through spring. The RTD, a 5.9% abv canned Paloma cocktail, is made with 100% blue agave Tequila, grapefruit juice, agave nectar, and sparkling water. This move marks an expansion by Molson Coors into the world of premium, spirits-based RTDs.
Dewar’s 8 year old Portuguese Smooth has been finished in ruby port casks for four months. Single malt Scotch makers have employed port casks for years, prizing them for the fruity, intense flavors they impart—think Balvenie 21 year old Portwood, Dalmore Port Wood Reserve, and Glenmorangie 14 year old Quinta Ruban, No. 9 in Whisky Advocate’s 2019 Top 20. But for blends, the fortified wine casks are largely new terrain. So when Dewar’s master blender Stephanie Macleod was given the opportunity to use port casks for a new expression, she jumped at the chance.
William Grant & Sons has released Hendrick’s Gin Lunar, the second spirit in the brand’s Cabinet of Curiosity series. The 43.4% abv gin’s recipe was created by master distiller Lesley Grace and has the cucumber and rose Hendrick’s is known for plus citrus, baking spice, and floral notes. The release is rolling out now across the U.S. and will be available for a limited time for around $40 a 750-ml. In a nod to the first full moon of the year, Hendrick’s is also selling a ‘moonbathing’ kit—moongoogles, a moon blanket, and moonscreen lotion—to celebrate the release.
Beam Suntory’s Bowmore Islay Scotch whisky has launched a new 30-year-old expression, set to be released annually. The whisky is bottled at cask strength—45.3% abv—and matured in Sherry and Bourbon casks in the distillery’s No. 1 vaults. The release will be drawn from only two casks each year and will be an extremely limited offering. Roughly 2,600 bottles of the first iteration are available globally with a U.S. suggested retail price of $2,500.
Sheffield, Massachusetts-based Berkshire Mountain Distillers is launching a series of new whiskies as part of its Craft Brewers Whiskey Project. The whiskies were made in partnership with various brewers in the Northeast and are the result of a five-year collaboration entailing the distillation of more than 10 beers, though each final release is the result of a single source beer. The first three expressions, due out in February, were created using Massachusetts Bay Brewing’s UFO White Ale, Spencer Brewery’s Trappist Ale, and Big Elm Brewing’s 413 Farmhouse Ale and are all at 43% abv. Forthcoming entries in the series will highlight Samuel Adams, Jack’s Abby, and Brewery Ommegang, among others. The series will be available for purchase at Berkshire Mountain’s taproom and in select stores and restaurants.
Winebow is adding LiV craft vodka cocktails to its portfolio across 15 wholesale markets. LiV includes Southampton Lemonade, Watermelon Crush, Last Summer Lime Fizz, and Long Island Cold Brew Tea, and retails at $12 a 4-pack of 12-ounce cans. Each can has 100 calories, is 5% abv, and is sugar- and gluten-free. LiV is part of the Long Island Spirits portfolio, which also includes LiV vodka, Rough Rider and Pine Barrens whiskies, Deepwells gin, and Sorbetta liqueurs.
Hennessy has released a new limited edition cocktail kit, featuring the brand’s XO Cognac. The Hennessy XO 49 Commemorative Cocktail Set contains a bottle of XO, a recipe for the 49th cocktail, an ice mold, and a pair of glasses etched with the 49th, referring to election of the first Black and South Asian American Madam Vice President of the U.S., Kamala Harris. The cocktail features the Cognac, as well as hibiscus and pomegranate teas, and orange. The kit is currently available through Cocktail Courier for $260. In addition, Hennessy is donating to the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, above the brand’s previous $10 million scholarship commitment.
Courtesy of Shanken News Daily
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