High Spirits 2020-21

HIGH 2020-21 Edition | gff.co.uk

A supplement to

SPIRITS PREMIUM DRINKS FOR SPECIALITY STORES

Our annual guide to craft and premium drinks includes more than 50 rum, whisky, gin & liqueur brands PLUS: BEERS & CIDERS • WINE • MIXERS & SOFT DRINKS • SELLING TIPS

SINGLE BOTANICAL, SINGULAR WELSH GIN JIN O SAFON O GYMRU

ORGANIC LONDON DRY GIN

Enquiries to: www.jintalog.wales | @jintalog

WELCOME A supplement to

Many consumers have embraced their inner mixologist and started making their own cocktails in the absence of someone to do it for them

EDITORIAL editorial@gff.co.uk Editor: Michael Lane Assistant editor: Tom Dale Contributors: Chris Mercer, Lauren Phillips Art director: Mark Windsor ADVERTISING advertise@gff.co.uk Sales director: Sally Coley Sales manager: Ruth Debnam Sales executives: Becky Stacey, Sam Coleman

By Michael Lane, Editor

IT’S SAFE TO SAY THAT this edition of High Spirits is landing at a very different and difficult time compared to last year’s.

The coronavirus pandemic has affected everyone and everything, and the alcoholic drinks sector is no different – but it has not been a total shutdown. Yes, almost every bar and pub in the country closed for several months and the on-trade has taken a big hit. But everyone has carried on drinking at home and – I don’t mean this flippantly – many people are drinking more.

The opportunity has been there for independent retailers and lots of them have embraced the consumer demand for alcohol and sales have increased through both online and bricksand-mortar channels.

Additionally, many consumers have embraced their inner mixologist and started making their own cocktails in the absence of someone to do it for them. This has generated some good cross-selling potential and new merchandising ideas to plenty of deli and farm shop owners. And, the likelihood is that these new versions of home consumption could become more permanent habits, even after the threat and effects of COVID-19 begin to fade.

Most producers, particularly of spirits, have risen to the challenge as well. While lots of distillers have put their production lines to a different use making hand sanitisers (for both charitable and commercial purposes), NPD hasn’t taken a back seat either.

There’s a wealth of new gin variants, an increase in other spirits like rum (could it finally be having its much-predicted moment?) and quite a bit of growth in new mixers and lowand no-alcohol alternatives out there, too.

However you plan on keeping your customers refreshed, there should be something in this publication that helps the cause.

Hopefully, we’ll all be raising a glass to happier times soon.

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GENERAL ENQUIRIES Tel: +44 (0)1747 825200 Fax: +44 (0)1747 824065 info@gff.co.uk www.gff.co.uk ADDRESS Guild of Fine Food, Guild House, 23b Kingsmead Business Park, Gillingham, Dorset SP8 5FB UK PUBLISHED BY The Guild of Fine Food Ltd © The Guild of Fine Food Ltd 2020.

Reproduction of whole or part of this magazine without the publisher’s prior permission is prohibited. The opinions expressed in articles and advertisements are not necessarily those of the editor or publisher.

PRINTED BY Blackmore, Dorset Cover image: Mae Mu/Unsplash

INSIDE

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25

Market overview

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Spirits

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Wine

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Beers, ciders & mead

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Mixers & alcohol-free

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Snacks

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22 A SUPPLEMENT TO FINE FOOD DIGEST

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Shaken then stirred While COVID-19 and its lockdown has proved challenging – especially as the on-trade disappeared for several months – small-batch distilleries have managed to keep supplying avid consumers via online and independent retail channels.

CHRIS MERCER finds out how the spirits sector is surviving and identifies a few new trends on the way.

Photo by Adam Jaime on Unsplash

BRITAIN’S NEW GENERATION of smallbatch distillers and drinks makers have shown resourcefulness in the face of the coronavirus pandemic, offering hope for the sector and for independent retailers.

Learning new skills in lockdown has been a necessity for producers and shop owners alike, from website design and online Zoom tastings to the altogether different task of making hand sanitiser.

Yet, while many have shown a willingness to switch focus and find new ways of working, the immediate economic fallout of the COVID-19 public health emergency still proved severe.

Who could have guessed at the turn of 2020 that food and drink sales in cafés, restaurants and bars would fall by 60% in March versus the same month of 2019?

That’s exactly what the analysis by research consultancy the CGA group showed.

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“Overnight the on-trade became nonexistent,” says James Oag-Cooper, MD of Foxhole Spirits, known for making premium gin by using surplus wine grapes. The company had planned a big on-trade spend this year.

During lockdown, several retailers reported drinks sales normally only seen at Christmas, especially for wine, but there were also reports of consumers trading down to cheaper spirits brands.

In other parts of the ‘craft’ drinks sector, the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) said in April that nearly two thirds of breweries had stopped production.

Amid such ongoing uncertainty, what can we say about the condition of smallbatch spirits and drinks makers? And how should independent retailers think about the situation?

According to some analysts, we should

not underestimate the resilience of the small-batch spirits market after several years of extraordinary growth.

The number of UK distillery businesses rose by 20% last year, hitting 246, according to accountancy group UHY Hacker Young.

There were just 110 back in 2015.

“The trend for authentic, local, artisan food and drink looks to be here to stay, and that will continue to tempt entrepreneurs and investors into the craft spirits industry,” said UHY partner James Simmonds in midMarch this year.

Dawn Davies, head buyer at supplier Speciality Drinks and retailer Whisky Exchange, tells Fine Food Digest that “there will be [financial] casualties this year” but that she is impressed that smaller-scale producers have been willing to invest at a time of crisis. Some larger companies have not been so active, she adds.

A SUPPLEMENT TO FINE FOOD DIGEST

splash

MARKET OVERVIEW Porthilly Spirit Distillery, based at Trefresa farm in Cornwall, is one of this year’s market debutants.

It launched its Cornish Coastal gin, made from 100% British sugar beet and wild local botanicals, as well as a vodka and a golden and dark rum.

After seeing its initial business plan “evaporate”, founder Will Herrmann says the group has been growing sales. “We’re not quite where we wanted to be, but it’s better than we feared.”

Collaboration with local chefs and businesses has helped, Hermann adds, and the group has posted cocktail recipes online.

“We didn’t want the website to be a hard sell.”

We’re not quite where we wanted to be, but it’s better than we feared.

Foxhole’s Oag-Cooper says independent retailers have become even more important, alongside direct-to-consumer online sales.

“We said, ‘Okay, how can we support the independent off-trade as much as possible?’” he says. One answer was: “We made it easier for people to order regularly, rather than place large orders”.

Foxhole has also pressed ahead with a new category-bending “botanical rum”, named Mad City. It combines imported, Fairtrade white rum with 25 botanicals, including coffee, papaya, hibiscus tea and coriander root. “It’s been four years in the making,” Oag-Cooper tells FFD. One of several suggested servings is a Mad City ‘hard seltzer’, a term that may divide opinion but has been garnering interest after proving popular in the US. Chase Distillery recently launched a range of 5% ABV flavoured gin seltzers, which combine its gin with sparkling water

Foxhole Spirits has innovated with Mad City, a “Botanical Rum”, featuring botanicals like coffee, papaya, and hibiscus tea.

from the family farm. It says each 250ml can contains just 89 calories.

Alongside the experimentation, broad trends haven’t vanished in the face of COVID-19.

Gin sales rose by 24% to £2.6bn last year and even the Royal family has joined in, with a new Buckingham Palace brand.

Several sources say sales momentum for gin is slowing, but online orders still outperformed other spirits during lockdown, according to the Wine & Spirit Trade Association.

New rums and artisan whiskies are still considered growth areas, alongside liqueurs.

Tequila has shown “nice increases”, too, according to Dawn Davies at Speciality Drinks.

She also tips Calvados as one to watch.

“Producers have started to get their act together and apple is such a friendly flavour,” she says. That’s a comment that might also intrigue English cider brandy makers. Can anything be the next gin, though?

“I think other categories will grow but not as much as gin,” says James Chase, director at Chase Distillery.

With more people staying home, many distillers, bartenders and retailers have sought to either sell home cocktail-making kits or offer advice on perfect mixing.

“People still want a treat,” says Candice Fonseca, proprietor of Delifonseca foodhall and restaurant in Liverpool, who was considering including cocktails in the retailer’s “date night” packages.

Fonseca believes home entertainment and dinner parties will be a big trend in the next six months. “We are putting on our thinking caps on how we can cater to that,” she adds.

Fonseca says the team has also noticed a trend for “drinks you’d normally only come across on holiday”. Some customers have recreated that vacation vibe through niche tipples like limoncello, pastis and Frangelico, the Italian hazelnut liqueur.

Unsurprisingly, technology has come to the fore this year. Zoom is now a verb, and online tastings have been a central theme.

“Virtual tours have been sell-out [for us],” says James Chase. Tasting kits were sent to participants in advance, and his advice to

Canned ‘hard seltzers’ are a trend that is catching on from the US. Chase Distillery launched three of them this summer.

A SUPPLEMENT TO FINE FOOD DIGEST

Cornwall’s Porthilly Spirit Distillery is one of the newest producers on the scene, launching this year with gin made from sugar beets, as well as vodka and two rums.

A CALL TO ARMS: DISTILLERS SUPPLY HAND SANITISER From giants like Diageo to boutique producers, distillers across the UK have turned their stills to making hand sanitiser during the COVID crisis, addressing shortages.

Examples include Manchester Gin Distillery, which dedicated its 1,000-litre copper still to hand sanitiser in April, principally to help supply NHS staff. “Our distillery can produce large volumes of sanitiser and can do so at cost, keeping prices low,” says co-founder Seb Heeley.

Chase Distillery in Herefordshire produced “HR1” sanitiser on its farm. “We delivered 50,000 units to frontline [health] workers,” director James Chase told FFD in July. Packs of 6x300ml bottles were also available for £30 on the distillery’s website.

Port of Leith Distillery in Scotland produced free sanitiser for key workers and called on fans to buy its spirits to help fund the project.

In Surrey, Silent Pool gin distillery offered free sanitiser with online spirits orders to visitors before lockdown. It was made “using alcohol and the naturally extracted oils from Silent Pool Gin in its usual distilling process”.

anyone doing something similar is to keep it to 30-45 minutes. He adds: “Make it super interactive and get a drink in their hand straight away because it’s meant to be fun.”

There are plenty of opportunities for food and drink pairing, too. At Whisky Exchange, Davies has run online whiskey and chocolate matching, for instance.

That online presence, whether on Zoom or Instagram, adds a personal touch. “It’s so important to have a face to the business,” she says.

Looking ahead at the market, Davies adds: “My feeling is that people will buy less but better quality.”

She also believes that consumers “will go a lot more local and will respect people who are working hard”.

All the distillers FFD has spoken to say they believe provenance and sustainability will be enduring values for consumers and that awareness is growing in drinks.

Collaboration has also proved even more important for everyone in the independent sector. “A lot of people have been helping each other,” says Porthilly’s Herrmann.

Meanwhile, Chase says strong community links are vital for distillers, adding that independent farm shops and delis “have done a great job”, particularly in recent months.

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REINVENTING THE

SPRITZ - 0% ALC -

UK-based WILFRED’S has just launched its British Non-Alcoholic Aperitif to celebrate the best of British Summer, rain or shine.

A delightfully healthy 0% replacement to the usual alcohol spritz, Wilfred’s boasts natural British flavours such as rosemary, rhubarb, clove and bitter orange.

Simply top with tonic over ice for a delectable Spritz.

It’s sunshine in a glass.

www.WilfredsDrinks.com www.wilfredsdrinks.com

PARTNERING WITH DISTRIBUTORS NOW Reach the Founder at: chris@wilfredsdrinks.com www.wilfredsdrinks.com

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A SUPPLEMENT TO FINE FOOD DIGEST

Strong stuff

SPIRITS & LIQUEURS

Gin might still be the UK’s number one spirit, but premium rum, vodka, whisky and liqueur brands are making their voices heard, too, as our round-up over the next six pages reveals. Enthusiasts and retailers alike will be pleased to see that NPD across the category continues apace.

By Lauren Phillips Set up by two friends following a backpacking trip around Southeast Asia, Tarsier Spirit produces two gins, a Tarsier Southeast Asian Dry Gin and an Oriental Pink Gin. The former is a citrus-forward spirit with Thai sweet basil, galangal and red & black Kampot pepper (RRP £35 70cl 45% ABV). The latter is flavoured with red dragon fruit, lychee and raspberry (RRP £35 70cl 40% ABV). tarsierspirit.com

South Devon-based Hattiers Rum has been producing rums for Fortnum & Masons, Harvey Nichols and highend indies since 2017.

Its collection includes a 70cl Premium Reserve – a sipping rum described as an “exceptional base to cocktails” (trade £25.90 plus VAT, RRP £42) – and a 70cl blended aged white rum (trade £22 plus VAT, RRP £36). Available via Diverse Fine Food. hattiers.com

A SUPPLEMENT TO FINE FOOD DIGEST

Former England cricket captain Michael Vaughan has created a new gin made with ingredients from countries he visited during his career: English botanicals, Australian ginger, and Indian Darjeeling tea. Declaration Gin is described as “zesty” with “powerful orange and citrus on the nose” and is available to the trade via Hammonds with an RRP of £44.99 for 70cl and £34.99 for 50cl. declarationdrinks.com

British Polo Gin has moved into the rum category with its new Organic Double Spiced Rum. ‘Double spicing’ involves distilling orange, cinnamon, vanilla, and ginger with organic white rum before macerating the spices in the distillate. This produces a “rich and vanilla mouthfeel with citrus and subtle spice”. Available via Cotswold Fayre, RRP £6, 5cl bottle and £39.95, 70cl bottle. britishpologin.co.uk Bristolian company 6 O’clock Gin has expanded its RTD cocktail range with the release of two new flavours and a lighter alternative to its classic London Dry gin & tonic (7% ABV). The new flavours are an Exotic Orange Gin & Tonic (7% ABV) and a warming Damson & Ginger (5% ABV). The launch marks the brand’s 10th anniversary.

6oclockgin.com

As the hard seltzer craze picks up speed in the UK, Long Shot Hard Seltzers has joined the furore with its three debut flavours: Grapefruit, Strawberry & Rhubarb, and Raspberry & Blackcurrant. RRP £2.75, 250ml can (4% ABV). longshotdrinks.com Norfolk-based Black Shuck’s new rum collection consists of Spiced White and Honey Liqueur varieties. The honey rum liqueur (24% ABV) is the latest addition and is made by infusing Norfolk honey with white rum. blackshuckltd.co.uk

Primo Negroni is the first cocktail in the ready-to-serve collection from Primo Aperitivo. Available in 50cl bottles, it is a blend of dry gin and vermouth (RRP £29). primoaperitivo.com The owners at Harrismith Rum have created a new rum punch mix named after their restaurant on the Caribbean island, Cutters of Barbados.

Available separately or as a gift set with Harrismith Rum, trade price £23.90 per case of six (RRP £29.88). cutters.bb / harrismithrum.bb Massingberd-Mundy Distillery in the Lincolnshire Wolds has created its second craft gin. Marie Jeanne’s Pink Gin is a French-style gin named after a historical figure from the South Ormsby Estate. southormsbyestate.co.uk

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SPIRITS & LIQUEURS Mama Brown Rum Punch sits under the portfolio of Jamaican fine food brand, Marshall & Brown. The punch blends Jamaican Rum and tropical juices to create a premium readyto-drink cocktail. marshallandbrown.co.uk

Elderflower liqueur St Maur (pronounced ‘san moor’) launched to market in June. Produced by the Earl & Countess of Yarmouth, it is made with wild elder blossoms and fruit from the pair’s kitchen garden.

RRP £37.50, 70cl bottle and RRP £16.75, 20cl bottle. drinkstmaur.com

Wiltshire-based Downton Distillery produces Explorer’s Gin, a contemporary London Dry based on Sir Walter Raleigh’s expedition to the New World in 1584.

It is described as a juniper-forward gin with bold citrus and spice notes from the pink and Sichuan pepper. The gin retails at £40 (44% ABV) with an on-trade cost of £26.50 and off-trade £29.50. downtondistillery.com

Welsh Sisters Gin produces two London Dry gins inspired by women in Welsh culture. The Captain’s Wife (who sailed to Chile in the 19th Century) is distilled with Yerbe Mate tea, pomegranate and fig.

Morwyn (named after a Welsh sea goddess) features a blend of grapefruit, sage and gorse flower. Both are available in 50cl hip flaskshaped bottles (trade £25; RRP £37.50). welshsisters.co.uk

McQueen Gin started the year by releasing its take on Rhubarb & Ginger Gin. It has an RRP of £27 and is the first of the McQueen range to be available in a 70cl bottle. mcqueengin.co.uk Highfern, based in Grantown-on-Spey, has launched a Cairngorms Edition of its Angels’ Nectar Single Malt Scotch Whisky.

Released in partnership with the Cairngorms Trust, the 11-year-old single cask has been bottled at 46% and at natural colour. RRP £68. highfern.com / angelsnectar.co.uk Following the success of its London Dry, Scottish gin brand Ben Lomond has created two flavoured gin varieties: Raspberry & Elderflower and Blackberry & Gooseberry. Both come in 50cl sizes and have an RRP of £23.50. benlomondgin.com

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Gooseberry is the latest flavour in The Orchard Gin Co’s selection of gin liqueurs made with old-English fruit. The new 31.2% gin is described as slightly sharper than traditional, syrupy liqueurs. Available in three sizes 100ml (trade £6; RRP £7.50), 250ml (trade £14 up to 12 bottles; £12.50 13+ bottles; RRP £18), 500ml (trade £24 up to 6 bottles, £22 7+ bottles; RRP £29.95). orchardginco.co.uk Cait Sith (pronounced ‘caught shee’) is a new Old Tom-style gin from Wild Thyme Spirits. Based on the distillery’s Colonsay Gin, the small batch gin takes inspiration from the Isle of Colonsay where the spirits are produced.

Described as sweeter than a London Dry, Cait Sith is bottled at 40% and has hints of orange, pink grapefruit, and vanilla. wildthymespirits.com

Butlers Cross is a small distillery in the Chiltern Hills run by David and Catherine Massey. The pair launched the business in September last year and currently offer two gins – a premium London Dry and a Raspberry gin. The gins are available in two sizes which retail at £18 for 35cl and £35 for 70cl. butlerscross.com Filey Bay STR Finish is the fourth whisky in the range from Spirit of Yorkshire Distillery.

Distilled in 2016, the ‘field to bottle’ single malt has been matured in bourbon casks and finished in STR (shaved, toasted and re-charred) red barriques from Rioja vineyards in Spain. It follows the Filey Bay First and Second Releases in 2019 and Filey Bay Moscatel earlier this year.

RRP £60, 70cl. spiritofyorkshire.com

Dorset and Hampshire wasabi-grower The Wasabi Company has produced a vodka made from the fiery Japanese horseradish. The small batch vodka is made with real wasabi to deliver a spirit that has a pungent heat and brassica flavours of mustard and radish. Ideal with sushi and sashimi and available in 50cl bottles with a trade price of £18 (RRP £29). thewasabicompany.co.uk

A SUPPLEMENT TO FINE FOOD DIGEST

Taste Orkney’s traditions and folklore with Orkney Spirits Limited’s multi award winning hand-crafted range Both our seven times distilled spirit and our home grown and locally picked botanicals form the unique taste of our spirits

Visit:www.orkneygincompany.com to make a purchase or find out more

HANDCRAFTED CONVENIENCE

WHEREVER THE SPIRIT TAKES YOU...

ARTISAN GIN, PATIENTLY DISTILLED

www.6oclockgin.com

A SUPPLEMENT TO FINE FOOD DIGEST

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Unputdownable.

LUXURIOUSLY SMOOTH DEVON POTATO VODKA At Devon Cove we create exceptional vodka using King Edward potatoes, lovingly grown on our family farm overlooking Hope Cove in Devon.

Our copper pot, single distilled vodka is handcrafted in an artisan distillery, made only from the ďŹ nest ingredients, to ensure its smooth, luxurious taste.

Please adore Conker responsibly.

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All enquiries trade@conkerspirit.co.uk www.conkerspirit.co.uk

www.devoncove.co.uk 07779 008842

A SUPPLEMENT TO FINE FOOD DIGEST

SPIRITS & LIQUEURS

Sibling Distillery is run, unsurprisingly, by four siblings (two brothers and two sisters). The distillery is one of the few in the UK to make its own base spirit. Its latest launch is a Negroni Gin, inspired by the Italian cocktail, and made with fresh citrus peels and Negroni-inspired herbs. Available in 35cl bottles (trade £13, RRP £25) and 70cl bottles (trade £22.50, RRP £40). siblingdistillery.com Cheshire-based Three Wrens Gin has launched two innovative gin flavours. The first is an apple crumble gin (40% ABV). It replicates the British dessert with ingredients of toasted oats, cinnamon, and nutmeg, and picked up a Gold at the 2020 World Gin Awards. The second is a raspberry gin distilled with beetroot and black pepper and finished in ex-balsamic casks from Modena (41.3% ABV). threewrensgin.com

Tom Savano is a brand of premium prebatched internationally inspired cocktails, blended and bottled in Devon by founder James Kerslake. The five-strong range includes: English Garden Lychee Martini, Caribbean Dawn Mai Tai, Single-Estate Reposado Margarita, Kentucky Winter Old Fashioned, and Devon Coastal Negroni. All come in 20cl (trade £83.38 per case of 12; RRP £12) and 50cl bottles (trade £94.25 per case of 6; RRP £27). tomsavano.com Honey Spirits, in the Peak District, has launched two new gins. Apoteca Sherry Cask gin is a variation of its signature Apoteca London Dry made with sea buckthorn and bee bread (pollen and honey). Heather Mead Cask gin has been produced in partnership with its sister company Derbyshire Meadery. Both new gins are available in 50cl bottles with an RRP between £40 and £45. honeyspirits.co.uk

Devon Cove Produce has launched Cove Vodka, Devon’s first potato vodka (RRP £39.50, 70cl). It’s produced using King Edward potatoes grown on founder Leanne Carr’s family farm. The business has also launched Cove Damson Liqueur, which infuses Westcountry damsons in the signature potato vodka (RRP £33, 50cl). The producer suggests serving the liqueur with Champagne for a Devon Kir Royale. devoncove.co.uk

Speight Gin’s Signature Gin is the base spirit for flavoured varieties in its collection, including Bilberry, Rhubarb and its newest flavours, Pear and Huckleberry (a blend of bilberry and blueberry). sp8gin.com BeauFort 57 is a 57% ABV oak & hickory smoked sipping gin from BeauFort London.

The company teamed up with Langley Distillery to create the gin which has an RRP of £39.95 per 50cl bottle. beaufortspirit.com Haven Distillery has launched its Sly Gin collection of Classic London Dry, Lemon Verbena and Pink Grapefruit in new retro bottles.

Available in 70cl (RRP £36, trade £23), 20cl (RRP £15, trade £9), and 5cl gift packs (RRP £16, trade £10). havendistillery.co.uk Hearts Distillery has launched a Staffordshire Strawberry gin edition, made with strawberries from nearby Essington Fruit Farm and based on its London Dry. The bottle comes wrapped in red tissue and has an RRP of £18. heartsdistillery.com Swedish business Purity Distillery, best known for its vodka, has entered the UK market with an organic Old Tom gin (43% ABV), distilled with juniper, basil, and thyme.

RRP £39.95. puritydistillery.com

MORE PEOPLE GETTING INTO THE MIX

By Chris Mercer Since COVID-19 effectively shut down the UK’s bars, spirits lovers have been turning to mixing drinks at home to treat themselves. And the trend seems set to continue as lockdown eases.

On-trade analyst group CGA says 60% of consumers it surveyed planned to continue making cocktails beyond lockdown, also noting higher demand for equipment, such as shakers and stirrers.

Sekforde Drinks, which makes botanical mixers for specific spirits, said sales were up 50% on average across the range, with founder Talula White noting more interest in new combos and flavours.

Some distillers, retailers and bartenders have

A SUPPLEMENT TO FINE FOOD DIGEST

turned to DIY kits to help the nation hone its skills.

Jen Baernreuther, sales director at Speciality Drinks, has led a “bring the bar home” partnership with bars and restaurants to create make-at-home cocktail packs, sold via sister business the Whisky Exchange for between £53 and £105.

Top sellers included a Coconut Espresso Martini devised by restaurant Kanishka, and a Banana Rum Old Fashioned (pictured) by the Trailer Happiness bar.

Baernreuther tells FFD that, while it’s hard to replace the skills or atmosphere of great venues, “if you give people the confidence to make themselves a drink then it’s the beginning of a journey”.

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SPIRITS & LIQUEURS Daymark Rum’s Daymark 1683 Original is distilled from a base of Venezuelan molasses with samphire and sea salt. The rum is then aged in British oak casks to take on its deep golden colour. RRP £37.50, 70cl. daymark1683.co.uk Blackberries, apples and gin combine to create Shed 1 Distillery’s Festive Bramble Elixer.

The new Christmasthemed product joins its Festive Tipple gin, and brand new Make Your Own Bathtub Gin Tin, which includes 10 botanicals. shed1distillery.com Nelson’s Distillery has introduced a special edition strawberry & pink peppercorn gin, consisting of natural strawberry essence, Madagascan vanilla, kaffir lime leaves, and pink peppercorns. It joins its 57% Navy Strength, Rhubarb & Custard, and Rose & Raspberry gins. nelsonsdistillery.co.uk Monarch Liqueurs’ Tamar Tipple liqueurs include Tawny Owl Coffee Rum Liqueur, Elderflower & Grapefruit Gin Liqueur and a limited-edition Tamara Blackberry & Elderflower Gin Liqueur. All come in 25cl bottles with an RRP of £13. monarchliqueurs.co.uk Cross Stream Distillery, in Buckinghamshire, uses handcrafted methods to produce its 43% London Dry Gin, which has punchy notes of citrus, juniper, and spice and a long finish. RRP £38, 70cl bottle. crossstreamdistillery.co.uk

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The Sweet Potato Spirit Company has introduced three more lines to its range: Espresso Rum Liqueur, Gin Krishna, and Honey Moonshine Liqueur.

The rum liqueur is a rum fermented with molasses and distilled with sweet potato and arabica coffee beans (RRP £24, 50cl), while Gin Krishna is an Indian spiced gin (RRP £32, 50cl). The last addition is distilled moonshine blended with English honey (RRP £22, 50cl). thesweetpotato spiritcompany.com

Nc’nean Distillery’s 40% organic Botanical Spirit is produced by distilling Scottish barley spirit with wild bog myrtle, heather, and thyme to create a “wild drink” inspired by the young, whisky distillery’s home on Scotland’s west coast. It is available to retailers at a trade price of £23.70, per 50cl bottle. ncnean.com

In response to the COVID-19 crisis, which has seen more consumers enjoy a tipple at home, Asterley Bros has created a range of readyto-drink cocktails in onelitre retail-ready pouches.

The initial range includes a Rhubarb Negroni, Wet Martini, and Pink Negroni, with more cocktails launching soon. RRP £44.95, 10 servings per pouch. asterleybros.com Jin Talog’s Great Taste 3-star signature single botanical organic gin now sits alaongside two limited-edition twin botanical gins. The seasonal gins come in two flavours and are made by combining Jin Talog’s signature Juniper Gin with either lemon verbena or bay leaf – both of which are grown organically on the distillery’s farm in Carmarthenshire. Ideal when paired with an herbaceous tonic, says co-owner David Thomas. jintalog.wales

Jawbox Spirits Company has launched an Export Strength Gin at 47% ABV. Packaged in a striking black bottle purposely designed to stand out on shelf, the spirit is distilled with heather from the Black Mountain which overlooks the city of Belfast. Its signature serve is with ginger ale and a wedge of lime. jawboxgin.com

Orkney Gin Company has created Scotland’s first Akvavit (a Scandinavian spirit distilled from grain and potatoes).

Orkney Akvavit is distilled eight times with caraway, citrus and rosehips to create a smooth drink. It joins the company’s other gins – Johnsmas, Mikkelmas, and Rhubarb Old Tom – and has an RRP of £39.90 per 70cl bottle (41.5% ABV). orkneygincompany.com

Off Piste Gin was created during lockdown in collaboration with Sibling Distillery. Inspired by the Alps, the new 40% gin combines a pure cane sugar base spirit with juniper, cardamom, lemon zest and alpine botanicals of mountain ash berries, cornflowers and Saaz hops, to create a “crisp, aromatic gin”.

RRP £37.50. offpistespirit.com

A SUPPLEMENT TO FINE FOOD DIGEST

Award-winning Organic Spirits Drink Sustainable, Drink Organic. @FattysOrganicSpirits

www.FattysOrganicSpirits.com Please contact Philippa@DulwichSpirits.Com for more information

New seasonal products launching for Christmas 2020!

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SPIRITS & LIQUEURS Goosnargh Gin is run by husband and wife team, Richard and Rachel Trenchard, on the edge of the Forest of Bowland. Chapter One is the distillery’s signature gin – made up of 14 botanicals including meadowsweet, yarrow, and elderflower – which won gold at the International Wine & Spirit Competition last year. Its next venture is a range of bespoke mixers due to be launching soon. goosnarghgin.co.uk

Following the success of its Great Taste 3-star-winning Gunshot Gin, Scottish brand Gin Bothy is launching a new range of spirits called Hipflask Spirits.

The distillery has created two new flavour combinations under the new brand – a Sloe Bramble Liqueur and a Golden Spiced Rum. Available in 20cl bottles with an RRP between £16 and £18. ginbothy.co.uk

Seafarer’s Gin is the fourth spirit launched by Cornwall-based Rosemullion Distillery. Released in March this year, this 43% ABV gin is flavoured with samphire and three types of Cornish seaweed. It is distilled in 200-bottle batches in a copper still with juniper, orange, orris, angelica root, cassia, lemon and liquorice. The RRP is £16 for 25cl and £35 for a 70cl bottle. rosemulliondistillery.com

Tipsy Tea is giving a fresh new look to its alcoholic tea cocktails such as Long Island Spiced Tea and MoTea-To. The new branding will be inspired by the Prohibition era of the 1920s. RRP £24, 70cl bottle. tipsytea.co.uk Atlantic Spirit sources its botanical ingredients like Laver and Samphire along the North Devon coastline for its six-strong range of gins. Other flavours include Hibiscus, Lemon & Thyme, Lundy (with gorse flowers), and Thai basil. atlantic-spirit.co.uk Edwards 1902 English Potato Vodka is the first spirit to be released from the newly opened Elsham Wold Distillery. The distillery makes its own base spirit on site allowing control from “soil to spirit”. RRP £39-42, 70cl. edwards1902.co.uk Mad City Botanical Rum is a new premium white rum from Foxhole Spirits, which is distilled with 25 botanicals to create a spirit with “mocha notes with citrus and tropical fruits”. RRP £29, 70cl. foxholespirits.com

Yorkshire-based Sloemotion Distillery has launched a seven-strong range of drinks called Finders Spirits. The line-up includes two smooth Oak-aged spiced rums (Chocolate & Coffee and Orange & Raisin); three gins (Fruits of the Forest, Lemon & Lime and London Dry); and two vodkas including a sherbet variety. Designed with vibrant, quirky packaging, the range launched with an RRP of £25. finders-spirits.com The Mr Hobbs Gin range is an extension of the family pleasureboating business, Hobbs of Henley, based on the Thames. In September 2020, the company is celebrating its 150th anniversary with the launch of Mr Hobbs 150, a London Dry gin (40% ABV, 70cl) blended with botanicals such as cubeb berries and cardamom. mrhobbsgin.com

Nectvs apricot and Nectvs plum spirits from True British Spirit are made from fruit grown on the Bardsley estate in Kent, which is pressed and distilled before it is mixed with juice from the same crop. RRP £70, 50cl bottles. truebritishspirit.com

HOW WE SELL… SPIRITS Kate Forbes, co-owner, Trading Post Farm Shop Like many indie retailers, in-store tastings were a big feature at the Trading Post Farm Shop until social distancing put them on hold.

Now, owner Kate Forbes relies on her staff to upsell her range of premium, local gins and rums to customers in store.

“It’s really important my staff have sampled each new spirit that we stock and understand its backstory so they know the taste and can describe it to our customers,” she says.

Forbes is very keen to know all her alcohol suppliers and build good relationships with them, too. Often local brands will visit the farm shop to pitch their

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products to her.

“We like to have a relationship with the maker themselves, even if we buy through a wholesaler, because that makes selling things to customers easier,” she says. “If you can say ‘I know the person who makes this’, it makes it far more personal to your customers.”

How a gin or rum brand looks on the shelf and whether it has an interesting bottle design is also important for the farm shop for piquing shoppers’ interests.

A case of Twin Fin’s new spiced golden rum sold out within hours after Forbes shared a picture of the bottle on the farm shop’s social media. “The bottle looked so beautiful people were desperate to buy it,” she says. tradingpostfarmshop.co.uk

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The Gin and Tonic has been the Polo Players’ choice™ of refreshment for over 150 years, since the first polo match involving British Officers in 1859; hence the creation of British Polo Gin®.

Made in honour of the first ever polo in England, held at the Hurlingham Club in 1869, our fourth delicious gin offering has proudly been released to coincide with the 150th anniversary of this prestigious date.

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SPIRITS | WINE Two Birds Spirits has introduced a new Pink Grapefruit & Pomegranate Gin. The brand launched the new drink in March this year to join its other popular flavoured spirits such as rhubarb gin and salted caramel English vodka. With an ABV of 37.5%, the new gin comes in 20cl bottles (RRP £13) and 70cl bottles (£33). twobirdsspirits.co.uk

Isle of Raasay released its Hebridean gin last year and is the first legal spirit from the Isle of Raasay, in the Inner Hebrides. The 46% ABV gin combines 10 botanicals including Raasay juniper, orange peel, lemon peel, rhubarb root with its triple distilled spirit to produce a dry and zesty gin. raasaydistillery.com

Joining Lakeland Artisan’s gin, vodka and rum liqueurs is a new range of whiskey liqueurs. There are three flavours in the range: Kendall Fell, Lakeland Ginger, and a Lakeland Damson Whiskey. The damson whiskey is a twist on the damson gin liqueur. All are available in 50cl stone swing-top bottles (RRP £21), 33cl swing-top glass bottles (RRP £14.50), and miniature 4cl swingtop bottles (RRP £4.75). lakelandartisan.co.uk

Influenced by the UK’s love of Mexican food and drink, Mexico’s first whisky distillery Destileria y Bodega Abasolo is launching into the British market with its premium, flavoured whisky. Abasolo is made from Mexican corn which is apparent in the flavour of the spirit along with caramel and toffee notes (RRP £34.99, 700ml). It is distributed in the UK by specialist spirits importer and distributer, Mangrove UK. abasolowhisky.com

Grape expectations While spirits seem to be all the rage, don’t forget about the wine drinkers

By Lauren Phillips Cotswold Hills is a social enterprise run by the Royal Agricultural University in Cirencester to provide students with practical skills. Ortega, Bacchus, Chardonnay and Seyval Blanc vines are grown in the university’s vineyard and are blended to create its dry white, canned fizzy white and new rosé, which launched in May 2020. cotswoldhills.co.uk

Mereworth Wines has launched two new wine spritz drinks: a Marourde Spritz and a Marourde Rosé Spritz.

The drinks are a fusion of botanicals and honey wine.

While the spritz is medium-dry, the rose spritz variety includes hedgerow black fruits. Trade price £1.75, 500ml (RRP £3.25). mereworthwines. co.uk

Thomas Tipple launched in London in 2019 with the aim of filling the gap between premium bar cocktails and the pre-mixed versions on shelf.

They offer two sparkling winebased cocktails: Raspberry Bellini and Passionfruit Mimosa. Each 250ml can has a light 5% ABV. thomastipple.com

HOW WE SELL… WINE Jeremy Clevett, owner, Wildmoor Deli Retailing wine is like selling cheese, the more passion and knowledge you have the more you’ll sell, says Jeremy Clevett of Wildmoor Deli.

“That’s what separates a deli or farm shop from the larger grocers,” he says.

The deli has a lot of wine competition in the small Devon town of Bovey Tracey. On the high street alone there is a Co-Op, Spar and a Tesco Express, but Wildmoor distinguishes itself through its wine selection and expertise.

Clevett often has customers approach him in the deli to tell him what they’re having for dinner and ask what wine he would recommend with it.

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“You can’t go into a Waitrose and talk to anyone that actually has any idea about the bottles on the shelf,” he says.

But Clevett has had to build this trust over time with his customers, which is why he moved his wine selection closer to the tills and cheese counter so he could easily engage with browsing shoppers.

The selection of wines is also hugely important and Clevett suggests building a good relationship with an independent wine wholesaler who can help tailor your range.

“First decide what it is you want to offer, whether that is organic or specific origin countries, and then make a plan on how to achieve that.” wildmoor-deli.co.uk

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VIPER THE GIN WITH A BITE

Now available in Pink Grapefruit, Rhubarb, Toffee and other avours!

Multi award-winning producer creating small batch gins in the Forest of Bowland Avalon, the mystical land from Arthurian legend, only to be discovered by the chosen few is also referred to as the Isle of Apples. This inspired us to use apples in our Viper London Dry Gin. Recognising that the Viper is entwined with the story of King Arthur and Avalon, Viper London Dry Gin was born!

Handcrafted in small batches in a copper pot still using English wheat spirit and ten botanicals, notes of crab apple, citrus and juniper are balanced to create an exceptionally smooth, fresh and memorable gin.

Perfect as a cocktail base but is every bit as good in a G&T! Other products include Viper mulled gin with seasonal spices and Viper barrel aged, which is oak aged in a Somerset cider brandy barrel!

Walking our path, telling our story chapter Visit www.viperspirt.co.uk or email us independence at info@viperspirit.co.uk by chapter, celebrating 18

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www.goosnarghgin.co.uk hello@goosnarghgin.co.uk A SUPPLEMENT TO FINE FOOD DIGEST

BEERS | CIDER | MEAD

Brewing excellence From honeyed delights to Italian brews, there is plenty on offer in our round-up of the newest kids on the block in beers, cider and mead

By Lauren Phillips

Sheppy’s new Redstreak cider is a 4% ABV medium-sweet single variety named after the Somerset Redstreak apples it is made from.

Owner David Sheppy said, “Lower ABV innovations are more important than ever to maintain volume growth and keep drinkers interested in cider.” It is available in 500ml bottles with an RRP of £17.41 for twelve. sheppyscider.com

Malarkey is the new gluten-free beer from Powys-based Monty’s Brewery. The brewery originally launched the 3.8% hop-forward golden ale in casks just before the pandemic and subsequent lockdown, before relaunching it in 500ml bottles in June. The company says that the new variety has a “powerful punch of Simcoe and Cascade hops”. montysbrewery.co.uk

London-based meadery, Gosnells introduced a new 0.5% ABV, gluten-free sparkling mead at the beginning of 2020 to join its canned mead range. Made from European honeys, it follows the brand’s previous range of 4% ABV 33cl canned meads in four flavours: Sour, Hopped, Hibiscus and Citra Sea. The new can is a part of owner Tom Gosnell’s ambition to revolutionise the mead category. gosnells.co.uk

Known for its ales such as Seahorse and Lifesaver, Salcombe Brewery has unveiled a new vegan and gluten-free pale ale, Sun Drop (4.6% ABV). Using American hops, the ale is said to have a “fruity and citrusy aroma of melon, orange and pink grapefruit”. It is available in 330ml bottles with an RRP of £24 for a case of 12 x 330ml bottles. salcombebrewery.com

Thoughtful Forager is a new beer and cider brand from Cottage Delight. The brand partnered with British awardwinning independent brewers to create an 11-strong beer range, including a Malty Golden Ale, Raspberry Wheat Beer and Sparkling Mango Sour (RRP £3.293.59, 330ml). There is also a range of ciders, made by Herefordshire company Celtic Marches (RRP £3.29-3.59). thoughtfulforager.com

Afon Mêl won a Great Taste Golden Fork for Best Product in Wales in 2019 with its distinctive Heather Mead (12 x 75cl, trade £148.80).

Now, it’s developed a sparkling 5% ABV Session Mead in 330ml bottles (cases of 12 cost £23.40). afonmel.com Mead District Rose is a 5.5% sparkling dry mead from Derbyshire Meadery.

The “delicate, salmon pink” sparkling mead is said to have “a flavour profile of Provence Rose with raspberry, vanilla, pink peppercorn and papaya coming through”. RRP £20-25, 75cl. derbyshiremeadery.co.uk Apple Country Cider Co’s Single Variety Perry (5.5% ABV) is a lightly sparkling medium perry made from freshly pressed Blakeney red pears and described as fruity and wellrounded. RRP £2.99 per bottle (£18.95 per case of 12 x 330ml). applecountycider.co.uk Ma.Ma is an Italian craft beer brand imported exclusively by Tenuta Marmorelle. There are five beers in the range – Bianca, Chiara, Rossa, IPA and GlutenFree – which are made by the Flea Brewery, based near Perugia. tenutamarmorelle.com Silly Moo Unfiltered is the latest cider to come from Sussex-based Trenchmore Farm. It is a cloudy fulljuice cider made from tannic and dessert fruit (ABV 4.2%). RRP £2.50 for 300ml and RRP £3.50 for 500ml. trenchmore.co.uk

HOW WE SELL… BEERS & CIDERS Grumpy Goat, co-owner Anne-Marie Beatty It’s easy to feel overwhelmed at the huge selection of styles and brands, when looking to improve your beer and cider offering in store.

But according to Anne-Marie Beatty of specialist beer (and cheese) retailer The Grumpy Goat, building strong supplier relationships, researching the latest brews and following current trends via social media are three ways retailers can do this.

“As a specialist, we need to know our product,” she says. “We go on courses, attend festivals and follow micro-breweries on social media.”

This approach has allowed the shop to build a

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loyal customer base while limiting any crossover between its stock and the supermarkets’.

The shop arranges its 500-strong range in order of styles rather than brands or breweries, mainly because there are so many styles in the market now.

An IPA alone can be a New England IPA, a West Coast IPA or a Session IPA, says Beatty. Ranging like this also helps cater for a wide customer base (from 18- to 90-year-olds) and levels of interest in beer.

“We sometimes get new customers who tell us ‘Oh I just drink lager’,” says Beatty, “so we can start there and then introduce them to a pale ale and so on, and take them on a journey.” thegrumpygoat.co.uk

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www.gbpublishing.co.uk

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COMPETITION

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SOFT DRINKS | MIXERS | NO- & LOW-ALCOHOL

The softer side

For a punchier Bloody Mary try Tongue in Peat’s tomato juice infused with peat smoke. Available in 250ml glass bottles (trade £15.36 for 12 bottles, RRP £2.49 each) and 500ml glass bottles (trade £14.70 for six bottles, RRP £4.79). tongueinpeat.com

Here’s our picks of the latest launches in mixers, soft drinks and the growing no- & low- sector

By Lauren Phillips Jeffrey’s Tonic has moved into the premium tonics sector with its latest syrups and cordials. The range comprises: Sicilian Lemon & Warm Spices, Oriental Lime, Yarrow, Rosehip & Elderflower and Classic Premium Indian Tonic Syrup. Available in 200ml and 500ml bottles sold to the trade in cases of 6 x 500ml bottles (£41.94) or 12 x 200ml bottles (£46.80), with RRPs of £12 and £6.99, respectively. jeffreystonic.com

Tonic brand Gallybird has added a Classic Blend Indian tonic variety to join its original Botanical Blend tonic water. It is sweetened with stevia to create a premium tonic with no sugar and zero calories.

Available in 200ml (RRP £5, per 4 x 200ml packs) and 500ml bottles and new 150ml cans. gallybird.com

Soft drinks company Dalston’s has entered the low- or noalcohol category with a new range of gin-free G&T sparkling drinks. The drinks come in two flavours – Classic and Rhubarb – that both feature a blend of juniper, coriander and lemon balm. Launched at the beginning of the year, the range is available to independents and on-trade stockists nationwide. RRP £1.992.99, 250ml. dalstons.com Benefit Water is a new range of canned unsweetened, sparkling spring water.

Launched in April this year by The Benefit Brand, it comes in three flavours – Mango & Coconut, Lemon & Elderflower, and Apple – and is pitched as a refreshing mixer alternative. Available to the trade at £9 per case of 12 cans (RRP £1.49 per can). thebenefitbrand.com Copenhagen-based non-alcoholic spirit brand, ISH Spirits, entered the market in 2018 with its GinISH and RumISH products. Two years later and the company has returned with two ready-to-drink slimline canned cocktail lines: GinISH & Tonic and a SpritzISH. The latter is a nonalcoholic take on the Aperol Spritz.

RRP between £2.50 and £3, per 250ml can. ishspirits.com

Ginger Switchel is a non-alcoholic aperitif from Mother Root.

Made with ginger juice, apple cider vinegar, and blossom honey, it is available in 480ml bottles (trade £13) and a new 120ml limited edition bottle (trade £4.50, RRP £8.90). motherroot.london Wilfred’s Drinks has a new alcohol-free Orange & Rosemary flavoured aperitif.

The drink serves 10 spritzes (with tonic) per 500ml bottle and has an RRP of £18. wilfredsdrinks.com Aiming to shake up soft drinks is Jitterbug with its sparkling apple cider vinegar tonics.

Packaged in retro labels, the range comes in three flavours: Lemonade Swing, Orange Jive and Berry Hop. RRP £2.99, 330ml bottles. jitterbuglife.com Brod Kvas is a naturally fermented drink originating from Russia. The Kvas Company produces a Brod Original Rye (Russian rye bread, sultanas) along with Rose (rosebuds, cardamom pods), Ruby (beetroot, turmeric and ginger), and Green (hemp and manuka) varieties. thekvascompany.com

NO- AND LOW-ALCOHOL IS A CATEGORY WITH POTENTIAL

By Chris Mercer Demand for no- and low-alcohol spirits, beer and wine has surged as part of what marketers are calling “moderation” trend.

Concrete proof of this is Waitrose’s launch of a pre-mixed “Nogroni” in March and the retailer has recently reported sales of low and non-alcoholic drinks are up by 64% year-on-year.

The Nogroni is produced by Seedlip, a pioneer of “distilled non-alcoholic spirits”, whose founder Ben Branson told FFD at the end of 2019 that the producers have barely “scratched the surface” of the category’s potential. “In the last year, we saw a volume growth of +270% and are today stocked in

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more than 7,500 accounts globally.”

Those involved see the sector as a way of offering premium drinks to a growing number of consumers who wish to cut down on alcohol, but don’t want to replace booze with the usual sweetened soft drinks.

Sarah Yates, co-founder of Devon-based brand Sea Arch, says that it’s important to give nondrinkers “a quality experience” to stop them from feeling like second-class citizens at the bar or party.

“You get a botanical hit but you don’t get the alcohol,” says Yates of the company’s non-alcoholic distilled spirit, which is made with botanicals including blood orange, sea kelp, juniper berries,

cucumber and cardamom. Each one is distilled separately before being blended later.

While some observers question the use of the term “distilled” to describe these kinds of drinks, there is also plenty of debate around using the terms “alcohol-free” (which must legally be 0.05% ABV or lower) and “low alcohol” (1.2% ABV or below) and the vaguer “non-alcoholic” on labelling.

Regardless, no- and low-alcohol has emerged as a category in its own right Seedlip’s Branson suggests retailers should have “a dedicated alcohol-free section so it’s a clear destination instore”.

It might just be worth making some shelf space.

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SOFT DRINKS | MIXERS | NO- & LOW-ALCOHOL New to the market is soft seltzer brand, Something & Nothing. The non-alcoholic carbonated water drink has a base of grape juice and lemon juice and is flavoured with either Yuzu, Hibiscus & Rose, or Cucumber. They can be enjoyed straight from the can, as a mixer or in a spritz. It is available wholesale at £9.60 as 12 cans per case (RRP £1.80). somethingandnothing.co KVIST is a new Nordic-inspired premium non-alcoholic spirit. Distilled with eight botanicals including juniper, silver birch and rhubarb root, it comes in two varieties: Classica and Rosa (RRP £12-14, 70cl). It is made by distilling the macerated botanicals in neutral grain spirit and water before the alcohol is removed, which the company says ensures the juniper flavour is retained. kvistspirit.com

Chu Lo Drinks has launched a series of premium Japanese-inspired sour soft drinks. It hopes to disrupt the market in the UK with its Apple, Lemon and Peach sour flavours in 330ml cans. chu-lo.com The UK’s first coffee kombucha brand Good Koffee has unveiled a range of Social Coffee Tonik mixers.

Customers can choose from Black Kardamom or Saffron Gold. RRP £24.95, 500ml. goodkoffee.co Newcomer Love Tonic entered the market at the beginning of the year. It is made without quinine, meaning it doesn’t have the bitter taste associated with classic tonic waters. RRP £1.65. lovetonic.com

The distillers at Yorkshire-based Raisthorpe Manor developed Yorkshire Tonics to complement its wellknown fruit gins, vodkas, and liqueurs. The tonics are made with quassia, an alternative to quinine, which the producer says results in a drier, crisper mixer with a rounder finish. Available in six flavours: Strawberry & Pomegranate, Apple & Elderflower, Pink Grapefruit, Citrus, Premium, and Skinny Premium. raisthorpemanor.com

Cherry & Plum, Raspberry Lemonade and Rhubarb Lemonade are the three new flavours joining Franklin & Sons’ soft drinks collection. Naturally pink in colour, the drinks include less than 5g of sugar per 100ml. To coincide with the launch, the company has also refreshed its 275ml glass bottle labels to include illustrated designs and silver foiling. Trade price £2.89 per 275ml bottle. franklinandsons.co.uk

The Soho Juice Co’s non-carbonated spirit mixers are pitched as an alternative to fizzier varieties. The range includes flavours like Cucumber, Mint, Classic Blood Orange, and Apple, Honey & Lemon. The brightly packaged drinks come in 200ml cans and bottles but will soon be launched in new 250ml single serve cans.

Available for wholesale via LWC and Matthew Clark (RRP £1.50). sohojuice.co.uk

Middle Way has launched its soft drinks with new labels and bottles.

The products – in flavours like Apple & Ginger and Blackcurrant – are available via The Cress Co at £1.08. middle-way.co.uk Jun-Kombucha is brewed with honey instead of the usual cane sugar to limit the vinegar taste associated with its cousin, kombucha. Nunc Living makes its version in three flavours – Hops Monster, Juni-Purr and Rose Blush.

Trade price for 12 x 330ml is £15.08 (RRP £2.99). nuncliving.com

SWEET SUCCESS FOR LOW-SUGAR TONIC Twelve Below entered the mixer market in May last year and has already established itself in the category as the first producer of low-in-sugar tonic waters.

Founder Ross Smethurst launched the brand after spotting a gap in the market for a tonic with lower sugar content.

“I’d pick up a bottle of our competitors’ tonic and couldn’t believe the sugar content in it,” he says. “Even a low-calorie flavoured tonic has about 5% sugar.”

This strong USP proved fruitful and the brand is now stocked by high-end supermarket Booths and hundreds of independent retailers across the UK.

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Twelve Below tonics are sweetened with a small amount of agave so have less than 2.5% sugar per 100ml. There are four flavours in the range: Classic Premium, Rhubarb & Ginger, Pear & Cardamom, and Apple & Garden Mint.

“They pair with gin, vodka, rum or can be drunk on their own,” says Smethurst. “Our tonics are subtle in taste so don’t overpower the spirits.”

The brand now wants to build on its success and become the tonic of choice for the indie retail market. “Independents are looking for indie brands that are unique to the sector all the time,” says Smethurst, “and we definitely fit into that.” twelvebelow.co.uk

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Nelson’s Distillery & School is a multi-award-winning craft distiller of premium Gin, Rum and Vodka that offers the unique experience of crafting your own 70cl spirit at their Gin & Vodka School.

Its gins are renowned across the globe, winning awards in San Francisco World Spirit Competition, Cathay Pacific Hong Kong International Wine & Spirit competitions and closer to home the Great Taste Awards.

Nelsons gins are a perfect balance and blend of 27 botanicals sourced from across the globe. These specific botanicals are what create Nelson’s flagship gin London Dry No. 7. A refreshingly complex twist on the classic London Dry. This finely tuned spirit forms the base of all Nelson’s gin including its double award-winning Rhubarb & Custard Gin and triple award-winning Timur Gin

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Check out our website to find out more: www.nelsonsdistillery.co.uk

14:59

It’s time to try The Spirit of Ulverston.

Wolftown is a contemporary gin that stands happily on its own as a sipping gin, mixed with tonic for a refreshing cocktail and whose orange notes make it the perfect base for a Negroni.

Made with Sarsaparilla, ginger, citrus and almonds, our first gin is an accessible joy that leaves non-gin drinkers re-evaluating their position. www.wolftown.uk | sales@wolftown.uk

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“A unique gin from the first sip to the lovely, long, complex finish. An absolutely excellent, beautifully sophisticated, untraditional, delicious gin.”

Taste of the West Judges 2019

WWW.PAPILLONGIN.CO.UK

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Shed 1 Distillery Cumbria's award-winningg micro-distillery FESTIVE BRAMBLE GIN ELIXIR A traditional, full-strength liqueur made with locally grown apples and foraged blackberries, steeped in spiced Shed 1 Gin. 40%abv

www.shed1distillery.com 07794699913 24

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SNACKS

Raising the snacking bar Premium snacks are an easy cross-sell with alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks and FFD has found some of the classiest nibbles to sit alongside your customers’ favourite tipple.

By Lauren Phillips

Producers of caramelised and baked nuts, Cambrook Foods has launched two new stand-up 140g packs for retail: Cocktail Hour Nuts and Baked Cashews & Peanuts with Chilli & Lime (RRP £2.99). The company has also unveiled four of its nut products in glass jars including, Caramelised Sesame Hazelnuts (RRP £4.99, 175g) and Hickory Smoked Almonds & Cashews (RRP £5.49, 180g). Available wholesale via Holleys. cambrookfoods.co.uk

The Drinks Bakery is now producing its popular Drinks Biscuits in 20g mini packs. The range comes in four flavours including Parmesan, Toasted Pine Nuts & Basil and Lancashire Cheese & Spring Onion. The new 20g format joins its other sizes, Perfect Serve 36g packs and Luxury Sharing 110g packs. Available via Diverse Fine Foods, Cotswold Fayre and The Cress Co. thedrinksbakery.com

5th Season’s freeze-dried fruit snacks come in three varieties – Strawberry, Pineapple, or Fruit Salad – and are available through Tree of Life and Diverse Fine Foods. RRP £1.35.

5thseasonfruit.com A classic cocktail snack, these green olives from Alsea are of the Agriniou variety and then marinated with lemon juice, EVOO, red wine vinegar, rosemary, garlic and oregano to retain their crunchy, bitter flavour. alsea.gr

Premium Spanish crisp brand, Patatas Torres, well-known for its black truffle and Iberian ham flavoured crisps, has branched into the veggie and vegan snacking market. The new lines include Torres Veggie Beetroot, Parsnip & Sweet Potato; Lentil Twists with Honey; Broad Bean Chips with Amaranth & Chia Seeds; Beans & Peas with Lime & Pepper; and Quinoa Sticks with Chia Seeds. patatastorres.com

iLove Snacks has added two snacking options to its range of olives, fruits, nuts, and chocolate. The new snacks are cashews seasoned with chilli & lime and a sweeter variety flavoured with Cacao, Vanilla, & Sea Salt. Trade price £9.30 (15 x 62p per unit), RRP £1.20, 22g. ilovesnacks.co.uk

Crunchy roasted fava beans are the new savoury range from Makan Snacks. Pitched as the perfect aperitif to pair with any cocktail and as a vegan, healthier alternative to nuts and crisps. The range comes in three flavours: Sea Salt, Sea Salt & Balsamic Vinegar, and Miso & Seaweed (RRP £1.79). makansnacks.com

Offering a sweet cocktail snack is SAY YEY, with its Taiwanese-style nougat, combining oven-roasted almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, and pecans with cranberries, goji berries, and cherries. RRP £2.50 per 35g bar. sayyey.com Serious Pig has expanded its premium snack range with Snacking Pickles.

Pitched as a great accompaniment to craft beer, the pickled gherkins are seasoned with dill for a deep savoury flavour. RRP £1.40, 40g. seriouspig.london Crespo’s brine-free 70g pouched olives are ideal with a martini or G&T. There are four varieties: Pitted Green Olives with Herbs & Garlic or Chilli Peppers, Pitted Mixed Cocktail and Pitted Dry Black Olives. All available from UK distributor RH Amar. rhamar.com

ECO STRAW BRAND OFFERS NEW PASTA-BILITIES When Maxim Gelmann launched his pasta straw brand, Stroodles, as an alternative to plastic straws, he inadvertently created a new drinks snack.

“I was playing it [eating the straws] as a joke but around 1 in 4 people eat them raw after using them in a drink,” he says.

Gelmann had the idea of using pasta tubes as straws after seeing children in Italy playing with the store-cupboard ingredient.

“Italians weren’t doing it from a sustainability mindset, it was just a bit of fun for children,” he

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says. “But I thought the idea was genius and so simple.”

Made from wheat and water, the pasta straws are biodegradable yet durable enough to hold their shape in a drink for at least an hour – unlike paper straws which get soggy after 10 minutes.

“Bamboo and metal varieties are expensive for the on-trade and customers steal them, so there was no real alternative without a compromise,” he says. “But customers don’t realise they are drinking through a pasta straw because it looks and feels like a good plastic version.”

RRP £2.99 per pack of 40 straws. stroodles.co.uk

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www.mrhobbsgin.com

@mrhobbsgin

@mrhobbsgin

@mrhobbsgin

VOTED A Best Drinks Brand

by Fine Food Digest readers

2019/2020

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The perfect way to retail mixers 8 x 150ml cans

www.folkingtons.com

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Pink Grapefruit Tonic

Rose Gin & Sloe Gin

All Natural Premium Mixers

Strawberry YORKSHIRE & Pomegranate, Pink Grapefruit, Premium, TONICS Citrus, Apple & Elderflower and Skinny Premium

www.raisthorpemanor.com www.raisthorpemanor.com sales@raisthorpemanor.co.uk

01377 288295 01377 288295

WITHERS GIN, G1 Heartsease, London Dry Gin G1 is our inaugural gin, launched in 2020. We are a family business, founded by established gin enthusiast Sarah Withers A premium London dry gin, G1 is exceptionally smooth and well balanced. It offers complex citrus, peppery and delicately floral flavours.

The natural sweetness, derived from the heartsease flower, makes a delicious G&T and serves as an incredibly versatile cocktail gin.

The hero botanical, the heartsease, is a flower of remembrance and also symbolises the love or admiration of one person for another. This symbol links our gin with our passion to raise money for cancer, a cause very close to our hearts.

10% of all profits are donated to cancer charities WITHERS GIN www.withersgin.co.uk

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HIGH SPIRITS 2020-21 17/07/2020 10:07

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COASTAL COASTAL DISTILLERY DISTILLERY ®

®

COASTAL DISTILLERY

Stiff drinks

from the Printer and the Undertaker...

®

DAM GOOD GIN

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STRAWBERRY CREAM liqueur with TEQUILA

SILVER 2019

Call 01507 206 617 www.coastaldistillery.co.uk A SUPPLEMENT TO FINE FOOD DIGEST