The REAL Co. Small-Batch collection
Alcohol-free drinks specialist The REAL Co. is targeting the upper end of the restaurant sector with its new Small-Batch collection. The range of naturally-fermented drinks is launching with sparkling REAL Brut and the REAL Noir. Both products see high-quality loose leaf teas blended with grape skins and grape seed and gently fermenting over French oak to deliver ‘truly outstanding and comparable alternatives to Champagne and red wine with a complexity and authenticity that appeals to the discerning palate’. The REAL Co. has partnered with recently-launched plant-based restaurant Plates London, where chef Kirk Haworth and head sommelier Alex Price have included both the Brut and Noir within the wine pairing for their 2024 Christmas and New Year tasting menus.
Everflyht Blanc de Noirs
Recently launched single estate East Sussex winery Everflyht has released its first blanc de noirs. Made with Pinot Noir and Meunier from the producer’s Ditchling vineyard, the traditional method wine has been aged on the lees for 33 months. The nose is described as offering strawberry, toasted brioche, pink peppercorn and honeysuckle while the palate gives crisp red apple, spicy rhubarb and ‘warming lemon tart on the finish’. Everflyht says its latest wine is complex enough to pair with game, lobster, crab and even rare lamb.
6Percent
Mid-strength wine brand 6Percent has launched its Red variant into the UK market. Made in Bordeaux with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grapes, the wine has tasting notes of red berries, black cherry and blackcurrant complemented by mocha oak and vanilla notes. 6Percent says the wine aims to provide a perfect option for consumers looking for a lighter drinking option without compromising on taste. The company adds that its products also have the potential to aid restaurants in selling wine at lunch time. 6Percent wine is sold in single 750ml bottles with cork closure and – as the name suggests – is 6% ABV.
Lady A Rosé
Rosé wine brand Lady A has made its Damien Hirst butterfly-designed bottles available to the on trade. Originally created for Soho House, the butterfly design depicts the ‘social butterfly’. Lady A is produced by Chateau la Coste Provence and is described as a pale, thirst quenching Grenache and Cinsault blend that’s crisp, light and ‘far too easy to drink’. Standard 750ml bottles, magnums, jeroboams and methuselah are available from national wholesaler Berkmann Wine Cellars.
MOTH canned cocktails scores Wagamama listing
Canned cocktail brand MOTH’s Espresso Martini, Negroni and Piña Colada drinks are now available across the whole of Wagamama’s UK estate. The deal follows the ‘huge’ success of the MOTH Espresso Martini on Wagamama’s brunch menu. MOTH was launched Rob Wallis and Sam Hunt in 2021. The pair say the vision for the business is ‘enable consumers to access expertly-made cocktails as easily as they might a can of beer or a glass of wine’. The MOTH line-up also includes Aperitivo Spritz, Negroni, Espresso Martini, French 75, Piña Colada, Mojito, Old Fashioned, Cosmopolitan and Paloma.
Papa Salt Coastal Gin
Australia-born drinks brand Papa Salt Coastal Gin has made its UK debut. The creation of of actor Margot Robbie and her husband Tom Ackerley, along with friends Josey McNamara, Regan Riskas and Charlie Maas, the product is being billed as an ‘easy drinking’ that celebrates the subtle taste of native Australian botanicals. It features Australian botanicals including wattleseed, wax flower, and oyster shell. According to its producers it’s as good in a classic dry Martini as it is with tonic. “We are so excited to bring Papa Salt to the UK market,” says co-founder and CEO Maas. “We fell in love with gin in England’s wonderful pubs, clubs and bars, and we hope Papa Salt is a refreshing addition to the wonderful spirits culture of the UK.”
Camden Town Brewery Zing
Camden Town Brewery’s latest seasonal beer is a West Coast Pilsner called Zing. Zing is described as cold and crispy like a regular Pilsner, but with a smack of old and new school citrusy American hops. “Zing is reminiscent of the classic West Coast style IPAs that are synonymous with the early craft beer movement, giving big citrus and piney notes with a fresh, crisp taste,” a Camden Town Brewery spokesperson says. The product is available in 440ml cans and has an ABV of 5.6%. Founded by Jasper Cuppaidge, Camden Town Brewery began brewing under the railway arches in Camden in 2010 and opened a second brewery in Enfield in July 2017.
Glenfiddich 14 Year Old Bourbon Barrel Reserve
Glenfiddich has added its Glenfiddich 14 Year Old Bourbon Barrel Reserve to its Flagship collection in the UK. Popular in the US, the whisky is Glenfiddich’s first to be matured in two types of American oak barrel. This results in a nose that offers vanilla notes with hints of citrus, caramelised brown sugar, cinnamon, baked apple and ripe summer fruits and balanced with the rich oaky aromas and a ‘beautifully rich and sweet’ taste with layers of creamy toffee, woody spices, candied orange peel and fresh toasted oak. The product is described as ‘a superb dram for lovers of both single malt Scotch whisky and premium American whiskeys’.
Portofino Dry Gin La Penisola
Portofino Dry Gin has launched its first limited release, La Penisola, into the UK market. Drawing inspiration from the picturesque landscapes of the Portofino peninsula, the release ‘encapsulates the timeless elegance of the Italian Riviera through its refined flavour profile and distinctive bottle design’. La Penisola differentiates itself from the original Portofino Dry Gin by incorporating ten locally sourced botanicals, most prominently maritime pine needles. Crafted using the traditional London Dry Gin method, it presents delicate balsamic pine notes and juniper, complemented by fresh Mediterranean herbs.
