Liquid assets: the latest drinks launches for April

Djuce

Launched in 2022 and now targeting UK restaurants, Djuce collaborates with ‘thought-leading winemakers who have long been respected for their commitment to organic and biodynamic practices’ to put wine into 250ml cans. Producers include Gernot & Heike Heinrich (Burgenland) and Agricola Foradori (Trentino). Djuce says switching from bottles to cans cuts CO2 emissions by 79% in terms of packaging alone and that aluminium cans are twenty-eight times more efficient to recycle, twenty-times lighter, and twice as efficient to transport. Each Djuce can (pictured above) supports a global contemporary artists by lending a majority of its can space to their art.

Boco Rosé by House Coren

Following from the success of its first Charmat method white sparkling wine, West Sussex-based vineyard and negociant House Coren has released a rosé version. Made with 100% Pinot Noir, Boco Rosé is described as being packed with raspberry and strawberry flavours with a touch of peach and a fresh, floral finish. It is light and fragrant with a fine mousse (11.5% ABV). House Coren says it has the chosen the Charmat method - which sees wine carbonated in large steel tanks - as it believes the style showcases the bright, fruity freshness found in English grapes and to offer an interesting alternative to the traditional method sparkling wines already on the market. The name for the wine is inspired by Old Sussex regional dialect, ‘boco’ derived from the French ‘beaucoup’ meaning ‘lots of/more.’

Hattingley Valley Entice

Hampshire winery Hattingley Valley has created its first-ever dessert wine following 2022’s ‘fruitfully long and warm growing season’. The very limited release Entice is made from 100% Bacchus grapes that have been frozen and pressed, prior to undergoing a cool fermentation process in stainless steel tanks to create a juice with naturally high sugar content. The result is a pale lemon-gold liquid with a honeyed character and a creamy mouthfeel with notes of lemon and elderflower on the palate and aromas of tropical fruits and blossom. The vineyard has also announced the release of its 2022 still rosé, which has a nose of grapefruit, pomegranate, fresh strawberries and blossom. 

Botivo

Non-alcoholic drinks brand Botivo has unveiled a playful new design and re-emphasised its mission to disrupt a category that is ‘essentially water and flavourings’. The theme behind the new design is inspired by the ongoing conversation between Botivo founders Sam Paget Steavenson and Imme Ermgassen both of whom are 'fascinated with the connections that are deepened through the age-old tradition of eating, being merry and drinking together'. The ‘slow sipping botanical drink’ has an apple cider vinegar backbone with other ingredients including honey, rosemary, thyme, gentian and wormwood. Botivo has no added flavourings or preservatives with only 20% added water with a flavour profile that is described as herbal, bitter and citrus with a long finish. Botvio is best served with soda as a spritz or sipped over ice with a wedge of orange but the food-friendly drink can also be used on both alcoholic and non-alcoholic cocktails.

Empirical

Copenhagen-based spirits specialist Empirical has launched two new products into the UK market. SOKA makes use of sorghum cane, an ancient cereal crop that’s often used in Asian and African beer brewing. Empirical - which was founded by two former Noma employees in 2017 - is sourcing its sorghum from the Midwestern United States and has combined a distillation of its fermented fresh juice and syrup to create a spirit with notes of melon, cucumber, green apple, hay and honey. Symphony 6, meanwhile, explores six fragrant leaves and ‘unique’ ingredients that are often underutilised. The botanicals are blended to create a vibrant, citrusy and musky spirit. 

Komos

A luxury tequila brand that takes its inspiration from European wine making techniques has made its UK debut. Following traditional tequila-making processes, Komos uses blue agave from the highlands and lowlands of Tequila which is roasted in a volcanic stone oven before being double distilled in pot stills. Each expression is then aged in a variety of barrels, including French oak red and white wine barrels, resulting in an ‘exceptionally smooth tequila, evoking a taste of the Mediterranean lifestyle with every sip’. Komos’ portfolio is made up of Añejo Cristalino, Reposado Rosa and Extra Añejo. 

Turntable

Whisky industry veterans Gordon and Ally Stevenson have launched a new blended whisky brand that aims to ‘boldly break new ground’. A project years in the making, the brothers have put wood management at the forefront, sourcing ‘exceptional’ casks from around the world to run a strategic rerack programme and develop the quality of their whisky stock. The business is launching with three limited edition blends that are all natural colour, non-chill filtered and bottled at 46% abv - Track 01: Joy. Discovery. Invention; Track 02: Firestarter; and Track 03: Purple Haze. 

Schweppes Sodas

Coca-Cola Europacific Partners is adding a new range of sodas to its Schweppes portfolio, with summer-inspired Schweppes Soda Melon Watermelon and Schweppes Soda Peach Coconut variants. Available in 200ml glass bottles, Schweppes Flavoured Sodas offer tropical flavours and aromas and will look to grow the 13% value share of mixers sodas currently hold within the licensed sector. Schweppes Melon Watermelon Soda has a fresh, fruity flavour with a dry and crisp finish, while Schweppes Peach Coconut Soda has a tropical peach flavour with subtle hints of coconut, finished with floral notes. The new flavoured sodas join Schweppes’ original Soda and Pink Soda variants.

The REAL Drinks Co.

Naturally-fermented sparkling tea specialist The REAL Drinks Co. has added Peony Blush to its portfolio. Billed as an alcohol-free alternative to sparkling rosé, Peony Blush is made from white peony teas that are grown in the Fujan province of China and are hand-picked on an early Spring morning. With a pale, wild-salmon pink colouring, Peony Blush is described as having cream, butter and strawberry on the palette with a complex and well-rounded mouthfeel. On the nose, drinkers can expect ‘vibrant and fruity’ notes which are complemented with a ‘deeper savoury complexity and smoothness’.