ABSOLUT WORLD

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Brand owner Pernod Ricard

RRP £16.49, €22.90, $22.02

Markets Global travel retail

Contact Louisa O’Reilly, louisa.oreilly@talk.global

Absolut has launched its limited-edition bottle Absolut World (40% abv) exclusively to travellers in celebration of unity around the globe. The new bottle is the first travel retail exclusive from Absolut in three years and features a design by Swedish illustrator Kari Modén to express love, peace and togetherness.

Created by the artist through a retro clip art technique and using strokes of neon pink, green and yellow, contrasted against matte gold, the result is a “playful, decorative and bold” bottle. To mark the launch Absolut will kick off a global movement asking people to share the experiences and places they love as part of an online Travellers’ Exchange. Creating a hub of local insider travel tips, a “global selfie” will be the key to unlocking a world of new and unexpected experiences. To get involved, people will take a picture of themselves and see it become a global selfie – a mosaic of hundreds of faces from around the world.

GOSPEL GREEN CYDER BRUT VINTAGE 2016

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Brand owner Gospel Green Cyder Company

RRP £11.95

Markets UK only

Contact Brock Bergius, cyder@gospelgreen.co.uk

Gospel Green Cyder Brut Vintage 2016 (8.4% abv) was produced using the ‘traditional method’, also referred to as the ‘Champagne method’, which requires four months’ fermentation in vats followed by a minimum of 10 months ageing in the bottle.

The 2016 vintage of Gospel Green blends five varieties of apple, all dessert varieties, as they do not have the tannins of traditional cider apples.

BIG PEAT

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Brand owner Douglas Laing & Co

RRP £49.99, €57.08, $66.75

Markets Global

Contact info@douglaslaing.com

Big Peat (48% abv) is a limited-edition launch from Douglas Laing & Co with only 3,000 bottles produced globally. It is made from a vatting of exclusively Islay malt whiskies, bottled at high alcohol strength without colouring or chill filtration, and distilled, matured, vatted and bottled in Scotland.

Each gift tube contains a number of illustrated decals, inviting the consumer to decorate and personalise their own pack in a “fun factor” that the company believes to be a “first for the industry.”

Tasting notes: To the nose initially dried seaweed then barbecued meats and golden syrup. On the palate smoked barley with damp leather, chimney soot and a hint of lemon rind. The finish is long and moreish with a sea-salt tang, plus streaky bacon and charred oak.

HERNÖ OLD TOM GIN

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Brand owner Hernö Gin

RRP £35, €38, AU$95

Markets Available in more than 20 countries

Contact Love Drinks, info@lovedrinks.co.uk, +44 (0)207 501 9630

Hernö Old Tom gin (43% abv) is made from the same distillate as Hernö gin, but with extra meadowsweet added in the distillation and, after dilution down to 43%, a touch of sugar is added. The sweetening is said to lift the floral notes, release an array of juniper and make the gin smoother. Botanicals include: juniper berries, coriander seeds, meadowsweet, cassia bark, vanilla, lingon berries, fresh lemon peel and black pepper.

Distilled in hand-hammered German copper stills Kierstin and Marit (250 and 1,000 litres), all made by hand and 100% organic. The distillery is in the village of Dala just outside the city of Härnösand in Ångermanland, Sweden, all part of the UNESCO world heritage area called The High Coast.

Tasting notes: Super-smooth texture with a light sweetness and botanical notes. An array of juniper, green and crispy, followed by notes of pine flowers.

THE BOLNEY KEW SPARKLING

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Brand owner Bolney Wine Estate

RRP £32

Markets UK only, exclusive to M&S

Contact +44 (0)1444 881 575, trade@bolneywineestate.com

Bolney Wine Estate and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, have combined to create The Bolney Kew Sparkling (12.5% abv) which “evokes the fragrant sights and sounds of the Sussex countryside with each and every sip”. The relationship between these two English brands is based on a passion for preserving biodiversity.

GUSTO ORGANIC DRINKS

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Brand owner Gusto Organic

RRP £1.98, €2.26, $2.65

Markets Global

Contact William Fugard, +44(0)203 070 3733, http://www.drinkgusto.com

Gusto Organic Drinks has launched three organic vegan drinks in premium 27.5cl glass at this year’s Natural & Organic Products Europe in London. They follow on from its Organic Real and Naturally Slim Colas. They consist of Organic Cherry Cola, Fiery Ginger with Chipotle and Sicilian Blood Orange.

JÄGERMEISTER

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Brand owner Jägermeister

RRP £16 for the 70cl six limited-edition bottles (same as the normal bottle off-trade) and £9.99 for the Yard of Jäger flag pack

Markets UK only

Contact Jagermeister@focuspr.co.uk

Jägermeister (35% abv) has launched six limited-edition bottles each with flags from famous footballing nations to encourage consumers to get behind their team and celebrate the 2018 summer of sport.

There are 35,000 70cl flag bottles which will be available across the on-trade, including free-trade and managed outlets, and 80,000 bottles will be available across the off-trade, including multiple grocers and convenience stores. This year’s big summer of sport is being hailed a key opportunity to drive incremental sales for both the on and off-trade.

TOMATIN FIVE VIRTUES

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Brand owner Takara Shuzo Corp

RRP £49.99, €56.96

Markets Worldwide, excluding US

Contact tomatin@mcfrank.uk

Tomatin Five Virtues (46% abv) draws its inspiration from the elements – Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water – and comes packaged in cartons adorned with contemporary Scottish art, created by Eva Ullrich.Each of the Five Virtues malts is said to come with its own “distinct complexity and character”.

For example: “Metal: Distinct character expressed by the distillery’s 12 copper stills. Typically soft, sweet and light with flavours of soft, creamy, vanilla laced with sweet treats such as milk chocolate, marshmallows and ice cream. Citrus notes also emerge with equally sweet spices.

“Water: Inspired by the water from the Alt-na-Frith burn, Tomatin’s private water source. Water is mature, expressing fruity flavours with hits of chocolate honeycomb and smooth toffee, which are complemented by rich blood orange marmalade. This warming whisky has a long and oily finish.”

BIJOU CIEL DE LILAC

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Brand owner Crush Wines

RRP £15.00, €15.00, $15.00

Markets Global

Contact Jonathan P. Maxwell, jonathan@bijouwine.com

Ciel de Lilac (12.5% abv) is the latest launch from Crush Wines. It is described as a delicate pale pink with minerality and a subtle palate of rose petals, red fruits and white peaches. Bijou Ciel de Lilac is made in Coteaux d’Aix -en- Provence, which sits alongside the Mediterranean coast. The region is filled with shrubs and herbs such as rosemary, thyme and lavender producing a “pale wine with notable aromatics and character”.

BUNNAHABHAIN

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Brand owner Distell

RRP £95 & £250

Markets Distillery Exclusive

Contact Emma Clark on 01355 260999

Bunnahabhain has unveiled two special-edition malts (59.5% & 58.2% abv) for the annual Islay Feis Ile – Moine Oloroso Finish and Spanish Oak Finish. The Moine Oloroso has been made using peated malted barley to give a smoky flavour and was distilled in 2007. It is a deep rose-gold colour with “hints of driftwood on the palate”. The Spanish Oak Finish began its journey 15 years ago in whisky refill casks before being transferred to Spanish Oak Gran Reserva barrels in 2013. This final stage of maturation has created “an intense aroma of ripe berries and spices”. Bunnahabhain is the most remote and northernmost distillery on Islay and these limited editions have been produced there and matured in the seaside warehouses. They will only be available to guests enjoying the annual Feis Ile on Islay and were the “star sof the show” at Bunnahabhain’s Feis Ile day, when visitors enjoyed boat trips to the distillery to get first-hand experience of the connection between the sea and Bunnahabhain whiskies.

KOLIBRI 

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Brand owner Kolibri Drinks

RRP £6.00-£7.00

Markets UK only

Contact info@kolibridrinks.co.uk

Kolibri has launched its range of alcohol-free drinks that are designed to give consumers control over taste and sugar content. The drink can be tailored to the individual’s taste with a separate patented cap filled with Kolibri Drops, which can be added to increase the flavour complexity and sweetness of the drink. The range is said to offer distinctive botanical notes, “designed exclusively for the prestige hospitality sector to appeal to health-conscious guests”.

CHAMPAGNE CASTELNAU HORS CATÉGORIE CCF 2067

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Brand owner Champagne Castelnau

RRP £100, €92, $125

Markets UK, France, US

Contact Pascal Prudhomme, +33 (0)3 26 79 11 37 commercial@champagne-castelnau.fr

Champagne Castelnau Hors Catégorie CCF 2067 is the second cuvée to be released as part of the premium collection named Hors Catégorie, meaning ‘beyond categorisation’ after the toughest mountain passes of the Tour de France, for which Castelnau is the official champagne.

CCF 2067 is named after Col de la Croix de Fer at 2,067m.

Hors Catégorie cuvées are the most premium champagnes made by Castelnau, and each cuvée release is a limited edition of 3,600 bottles.

Champagne Castelnau Hors Catégorie CCF 2067 is a predominantly Pinot Meunier blend, which is relatively unusual for a prestige Champagne, challenging conventional wisdom that prestige champagnes should be Chardonnay or Pinot Noir dominant. Champagne Castelnau is located in the heart of Reims. Its growers own almost 900ha of vineyards across some of the “best terroirs of Champagne” in 141 different crus.

RIOJA CRIANZA MARQUÉS DE CÁCERES

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Brand owner Marqués de Cáceres

RRP £11.99

Markets UK only

Contact +44 (0)151 480 8800

Rioja Crianza Marqués de Cáceres (13.5%) is vegan and the harvesting of parcels is 100% manual. The grapes are de-stemmed and crushed, and alcoholic fermentation occurs during controlled temperatures from 10°C-28°C. Once the fermentation process has been finalised, the wine is transferred into oak barrels for ageing, with racking every six months. Marqués de Cáceres Crianza spends 12 months in French and American oak barrels, and ages in bottle for 12 months prior to release.

Tasting notes: “The Rioja Crianza from Marqués de Cáceres is true to its style, with a black cherry colour and ruby red highlights. On the nose there are balsamic notes, hints of red berry fruits, toasted bread and cocoa. Served at 16°C, there is also a touch of spice in the mouth, with notes of vanilla and succulent fruits.”

BUSHMILLS IRISH WHISKEY 16 & 21 YEAR OLD SINGLE MALTS

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Brand owner Proximo

RRP Bushmills 16 Year Old £75.00, €85.63, $100.45, Bushmills 21 Year Old £145.00, €165.51, $194.20

Markets Global

Contact bushmills@smartscommunicate.com

Bushmills Irish Whiskey has launched two rare, small-batch single malt whiskeys (40% abv). Bushmills 16 Year Old has been aged for at least 16 years in a combination of bourbon casks and oloroso sherry butts, before being vatted and married for nine months in large old port pipes.

The Bushmills 21 Year Old is matured in American oak bourbon and old Oloroso sherry casks for at least 19 years. It spends two further years marrying in Madeira wine casks.

KONGSGAARD GIN

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Brand owner Søren & Bettina Kongsgaard, Nordic by Nature

RRP £42.95, €49, HK$450.62

Markets Scandinavia, UK, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Switzerland, Hong Kong

Contact World Wide Direct contact: we@kongsgaardgin.com UK contact: Direct & Original Brands UK distributors: Enotria & Coe, Speciality Drinks, Bibendum.

Inspired by the forests of Denmark, Kongsgaard gin (44% abv) has been built around The Tree. Botanicals go from root to fruit. Seed & Root: corriander, galngal, licorice, chufa, ginger. Bark & Branch: charred oak, resin, cinnamon. Flower & Fruit: juniper, apple, lemon.

The gin is distilled in an open flame charentais, situated in the heart of old town Cognac.

Tasting notes: “On the nose you get, crisp apple and light juniper with a tint of spice and citrus.

“Once diluted with a drop of water, the liquid clouds as the essential oils opens up, intensifying both earthier and piney notes. First mouthful, starts up extremely smooth, followed by warm spiced apple pie – with a slightly floral freshness from ginger and galangal, seamlessly balanced on a silky palate of incredible depth.”