Film follows vodka launch

A 24-part film called ‘How to re-establish a vodka empire’ by Babelgum follows Dan Edelstyn who heads to Ukraine to explore his ancestry after finding his great-grandfather once owned the town’s now nearly bankrupt vodka distillery.
The series show Dan’s daunting and often hilarious attempts to not only revive the business by launching a new vodka brand, named Zorokovich 1917 after his ancestors (on sale exclusively in Selfridges from September 1) but also the fortunes of the small, financially put-upon town from which his family grew.

• Read the report – and watch a clip

Gin has been distilled on the famous whisky island of Islay for the first time.

Privately owned Bruichladdich distillery, renowned for its Islay single malts, has produced a gin flavoured by an unprecedented 31 different botanicals (including a rare subspecies of juniper) with twenty two of the botanicals harvested from the wilds of the Hebridean island itself.

• Read the report

Cristal-Lefortovo, a leading Russian distillery, has introduced ‘Winter Road' vodka with branding designed by Claessens|Cartils.

Adhering to the name of the products, the designs tell the story of the changes in mood (peace, patience, contemplation, pleasure) experienced on the long road home on a winter day. The illustration uses blue and white colours to communicate a cool refreshing vodka distilled with the purest of waters, and a warm cosy house at the end of an icy road to stir the emotions. A snow crystal in the logo strengthens the winter theme. Gold is used throughout the design to express 'premiumness'.

Stronger flavour traditional gin created for real gin drinkers

Foxdenton is a new 48%abv London Dry gin that has been launched in the UK and Europe by two drinks enthusiasts who felt there was a lack of traditional high-strength alternatives on the market. "We like gin; we want to know it's there when we first put it the glass to our lips".

Nick Radclyffe and John Simpson, founders of the Foxdenton Estate Company in Buckinghamshire, a family business previously only producing fruit gins, commissioned Charles Maxwell at Thames Distillers in London to create the formula. They were looking for a traditionally style with the depth of flavour and strength to make the perfect G&T.
 
Foxdenton is an aromatic, fresh, citric gin with an abundance of full-on traditional juniper, coriander and angelica with hints of lavender and spice.

£23.40/70cl bottle.

Colourful flavoured vodkas with cold-activated labels is launched in US

Just in time for the summer, Diageo has launch of Ursus Vodka, a line of premium, brightly-coloured flavoured vodkas.  To signal the ideal serving temperature for Ursus, the label on the bottle changes from white to blue when chilled in a freezer.

Ursus, Latin for “bear,” is a line of triple distilled vodkas comprising Original vodka, Blue Raspberry, Green Apple and Punch, a flavour first in the vodka category.  In addition, the cold-activated label is the first of its kind in the spirits industry.

Ursus Vodka will be available in US grocery, liquor, club and drug stores nationwide.

Eristoff launches RTD mix and new packaging

Eristoff vodka from the wilds of Georgia, ‘the land of the wolf’, has launched Eristoff & Cola, a vodka based canned drink. The new mixed drink will retail in the UK at an RRP of £1.85 per 250ml can.

Eristoff has also repackaged its Eristoff Original and Eristoff Black vodkas. The new design shifts the brand’s wolf emblem to the top of the label and highlights the Eristoff signature through embossing on the bottle.

Eristoff Black is a wild berry flavoured black spirit that does not like to mix when poured; with the result that it creates distinctive naturally-layered drinks when added to mixers. Eristoff Premium Vodka and Eristoff Black both have an RRP of £12.49 for 70cl

Mediterranean Gin launches in UK

Gin Mare is a new super premium spirit from the Mediterranean was launched in the UK at Distil this week. 

Inspired by its provenance, Gin Mare’s signature botanicals are the flavours synonymous with the region:  Arbequina olives, rosemary, basil and thyme.  The Mediterranean influence is also reflected in the packaging, a stylistic interpretation of the botanicals and sea. 

Gin Mare has an RSP of £35 and will initially target London style bars and luxury retailers, with a particular focus on Mediterranean restaurants and London’s burgeoning “tapas scene”.
• Read the report
• Read the Distil review

Ketel One celebrates Queens Day with launch of orange flavour

Diageo vodka brand Ketel One has introduced an all-natural orange flavour – Ketel One Oranje.

The launch coincides with Queen’s Day, a national holiday in the Netherlands honouring the Queen’s official birthday. The colour orange represents the royal family name — The Family Nassau, House of Orange. Ketal One is produced at the Nolet Distillery in Schiedam, Holland, so the launch also celebrates the brand’s Dutch heritage.

The flavour of Ketel One Oranje is defined by fresh orange zest, orange juice and hints of warm spice making it worthy of drinking on the rocks.

Ketel One uses artisanal extraction methods to gather the highest concentration of essential oils, which is then refined and blended together by experts in Grasse, France, the home of perfume.

RRP US$25

Distilling master class

Master distiller Sean Harrison has introduced a special experience for visitors to Plymouth Gin’s Black Friars Distillery. The Master Distiller’s Private Tour, hosted by Harrison, includes a comparative tasting and the chance for consumers to make and take away a small bottle of their own batch of gin, tailored to their personal taste.  The experience lasts approx. 2.5 hours and costs £40 per person.

Russian Standard Gold launches in UK

Russian Standard is extending its range in the UK with introduction of Russian Standard Gold, a new luxury vodkafeaturing a gold label and presentation carton box.
Jo Birkitt, UK brand manager for Russian Standard Vodka comments: “Our consumers tell us they have been looking for an exceptional vodka that can be given as a gift, so in response to this Russian Standard Gold is available in a premium gift box that not only conveys the specialness of the vodka inside but also makes this vodka the perfect gift for all occasions.”
RRP £20.00 70cl.
Russian Standard Vodka is distributed in the UK by First Drinks Brands.

Bacardi invests 7m in TV advertising campaign

Bacardi's latest TV advertising campaign made its debut during the half-time break in the Live UEFA Champions League quarter-final, watched by over 7m viewers.
The advert ‘Island’ shows friends coming together to build a ‘Bacardi Island’ where they enjoy Bacardi drinks and embrace the rum's Latin spirit. Featured across all TV channels, including On Demand, this 30 second advert kick-starts the rum's largest media investment that will see a continuous media presence for the brand throughout 2010.

Cool to be hot spirit goes global

The Namida Wasabi spirit from the Wasabi Spirits Company is making its global debut at Distil (London, May 18-20).

Developed in New Zealand in 1996, the spirit, which is hand made in small batches, individually numbered and signed by one of the Wasabi ‘maestros’, is now being produced in South Africa for export worldwide.

The pale green spirit is made by blending Namida Wasabia japonica (Wasabi) rhizome (a peppery tasting, knobbly green root which grows above ground) into triple distilled, four-times filtered pure spirit.

The resulting flavour creates an interesting alternative to vodka in a Bloody Caesar or Bloody Mary, or it can be simply taken as a shot or sipped over ice. In New Zealand, the preference is to turn it into a sweeter drink through the addition of Lemon Crush and ice.

Cîroc infusions launched

Diageo brand Cîroc, the ultra premium vodka distilled from French grapes, has launched its first line extension – Cîroc Red Berry and Cîroc Coconut.

Cîroc is distilled five times with the final distillation in a copper pot-still. The vodka is then blended with all-natural ingredients. The red berry is an infusion of raspberry and strawberry essences, while the coconut has “sweet and creamy coconut and a hint of other tropical fruit”.

Making their debut in the US this month (Feb 2010), the 35% ABV vodkas are available in 5cl, 37.5cl, 75cl, 1 litre and 1.75 litre sizes. RRP US$30 for a 75cl bottle.

Branded spirits and liqueurs producer Stock Spirits Group is showing remarkable growth at a time when others are struggling. Recent investments in Central European operations have increased production by over 75% and its market share in Poland from 10% to over 30%.
• Read the report

William Grant is using the IAADFS show to introduce a promotional pack for Tequilera Milagro that combines a 75cl bottle of Milagro Silver Tequila with a 37.5cl bottle of Milagro Ultra Premium Agave Nectar – a natural, organic sweetener made from the agave plant.

The box includes the recipe for ‘the world’s freshest Margarita” using the Agave Nectar and fresh lime juice in place of the traditional triple sec and sour mix. This not only accentuates the fresh agave taste of the Tequila, but has fewer calories than typical Margaritas.

The judge found that "vodka was generally perceived by consumers to be a clear, tasteless, distilled high strength spirit" and that "an important aspect of the reputation of vodka is that it can alcoholically enhance any chosen mixer without detracting from the taste of the mixer". He concluded: "The term ‘vodka' does have a reputation giving rise to a protectable goodwill".

The judge was satisfied that Diageo will have suffered resultant damage in the form of both lost sales and erosion of the distinctiveness of the term ‘vodka' due to the marketing of Vodkat.

Packaging design changes
ICB changed the branding of Vodkat last year. The component parts of the brand name are now vertical on an “etched glass” effect opaque label and separated to read Vod Kat Schnapps. The label features a silver lion on a black background which can be seen magnified through the glass and liquid on the inside of the back label. The cap is also now silver and black rather than Smirnoff red.

Chase launches gin distilled from its organic apple vodka

Chase Distillery in Herefordshire has launched Williams Elegant Crisp Gin produced from it's own vodka made from organic cider apples grown on the estate (see story below).
With juniper, coriander, angelica, liquorice, Orris, orange and lemon peel, hops, elderflower and fresh Bramley apples in the botanical mix, distillation is in a copper pot still and column then in a Carter Head-style gin still.
Chase has also created a small batch (500 bottles) of a smoked vodka and is experimenting with honey, marmalade and truffle vodkas.

Anniversary gin from Miller's

Martin Miller’s Gin is celebrating 10 years with a limited edition Anniversary Strength (54% abv) expression.
The response to the initial run of 1,000 bottles has been so positive winning a trophy for Best Overall Gin in the International Spirits Challenge) that company is now considering distilling a small batch for sale in 2010.
The initial run will be available to favoured bars (no 'pay to play' bars) and loyal Martin Miller’s supporters. There are no plans for a US release because of the predominance of ‘pay to play’.
The brand, product and packaging was designed by David Bromige of the Reformed Spirits Company. The gin is distilled in England, blended and bottled in Iceland using Icelandic spring water.

Optical illusion gift pack is a winner

Bacardi gin brand Bombay Sapphire has launched its latest gift pack, Reign, exclusively in global travel retail markets. The box holds a 1-litre bottle and a recipe booklet.
Bombay Sapphire Reign takes its inspiration from a cocktail glass designed for the brand by Eva Zeisel. The prismatic spheres magnify the key messages on the bottle, detailing the 10 botanical ingredients.
This is the first time that the Fresnel lens printed foil laminate technique (by API), which creates the 3-D dome effect illusion, has been applied to packaging in the drinks sector.
The new gift box, designed by Webb Scarlett deVlam, won the Best Cartonboard Packaging Award in November at the UK Packaging Awards.

DeLos Vodka, the only vodka distillery in Dallas, TX, has introduced one of the first glass vodka bottles to incorporate a full-body shrink label.
DeLos Vodka is handcrafted in small batches and available in 50 ml, 750 ml and 1.75 litre bottles.
Shying away from the traditional etched clear glass bottles, the entrepreneur and namesake behind DeLos, Carlos Guillem (nicknamed ‘Los'), desired a packaging that looked sleek and eye-catching but would provide the flexibility to quickly launch new sizes and flavours.

• Read the report

Absolut Vodka has announced an "artistic partnership" with US filmmaker Spike Jonze. The brand is also celebrating 30 years of “artistic creativity” with an Absolut Art Award and a permanent Absolut Art Collection in the Historical Museum of Wine and Spirits in Stockholm.
• Read the report

Bacardi Heritage commemorates the history of the Daiquirí

Bacardi Superior Rum, a premium white, is commemorating the impact of the Bacardi Daiquirí on cocktail culture throughout the world with a limited edition Heritage bottle.
Only 9,700 cases will be produced in the Destilería La Galarza in Mexico.
The rum has the same alcohol strength as it did 100 years ago (44.5% abv) and the maestro de ron Bacardi, José Sánchez Gavito says it also has the same flavour profile as it did in 1862 when it was first blended by Don Facundo Bacardí Massó at a small distillery in Santiago de Cuba.
The bottle is presented in a wooden presentation case and will be launched at select airports globally in April 2010.

Oxley Dry Gin from Bacardi Global Travel Retail is an ultra-premium small batch gin distilled without the use of heat to preserve the fresh natural essences of the botanicals. The process, called cold distillation, lowers the pressure within the still, allowing distillation to take place at approximately -5ºC.
Oxley uses 14 botanicals including grapefruit, orange, and lemon, juniper and meadowsweet. The latter, rare to gins, benefits from the cold distillation and adds a rounded, almond flavour.
Only 240 bottles are produced each day, which are hand-bottled and finished with a leather tie.
Sampling of Oxley took place in London Heathrow Airport’s T3 and T5 prior to the brands global launch at TFWA in October.

RRP £39.99 for 1-litre at 47% abv.

Organic apple vodka launched

Chase Distillery has produced a new vodka, Naked Chase, distilled from English organic cider apples.
When William Chase built the distillery in 2008 he planned to make the world’s finest gin and to do this he needed the best vodka to redistill wild botanicals. Chase created an English potato vodka but found for the purposes of making gin it was too complex and overpowered the delicate flavours of the botanicals. Now Chase has made another vodka, this time from the organic cider apples grown on the Chase farm in Herefordshire.
The result is a pure clean spirit, so fine and delicate that Chase is releasing it in its own right. There’s nothing added to it, no apple flavourings, which is why it’s called Naked Chase.
The bottle features script writing and swirls of apple roots wrapped around the core. Yet unlike Chase potato vodka, this bottle is frosted all over, enhancing the crisp freshness of the distilled organic apples inside.

The newest addition to the Finlandia Vodka flavour, Blackcurrant, is now available and joins a line-up that includes Mango, Cranberry, Grapefruit, Lime and Tangerine Fusion. 

“We feel Finlandia Blackcurrant will be a strong addition to our flavour portfolio,” said Jim Perry, managing director of Brown-Forman Travel Retail. “It is a flavour that has been a long-time favourite among fine food and drinks lovers in Europe and certain parts of Asia and it is now growing in popularity across the globe.”

When combined with Finlandia’s classic vodka, blackcurrant exudes a smooth and refreshingly tart flavour that works exceptionally well in cocktails and is also tasty by itself over ice.

Ten thousand bottles of an illegal vodka, called Glens, have been discovered by HM Revenue & Customs officers in a raid on a manufacturing and bottling plant hidden on a remote farm in rural Leicestershire, UK. Several arrests have been made.
It appears to have been a sophisticated operation with the equipment to distill on site, using pure alcohol and other chemicals. The bottles seized feature professionally printed labels, duty stamps and bottle tops – but all counterfeit. A sample bottle revealed high levels of methanol, a potentially serious health risk.

Czech spirits producer Granette has launched a range of 11 spirits varying from whisky and vodka to slivovice and absinthe, all aimed at the high price segment of the Czech market.
Granette has been established 160 years and, until now, its portfolio mainly contained brands targeting the middle and low price segments.
Brand packaging designers Claessens Cartils from Amsterdam has created a coherent family line in which the different presentations each fitted the category coding of their individual products. A unique bottle shape and bold Granette logo safeguard the family feeling, while the differentiation is supported by specific typefaces for the different product variants, individual colourings and background illustrations.

Smirnoff has launched an interactive campaign called 'Be There' inviting consumers to join its quest to co-create extraordinary experiences, online and off. As well as the a global hub, Smirnoff.com, an extensive network of social media platforms including Facebook, Youtube, Twitter and Flickr will allow the brand to connect with consumers where they would naturally socialise.
• Read the report

Scottish gin with a Celtic flavour launched

Caorunn is a new 41.8% abv “super premium” Scottish gin launched this month by International Beverage, the international arm of Thai Beverage. It has been launched on the UK market just in time for the summer at rrp £21.99.

Distilled according to the EU definition for London Gin, Caorunn, the Gaelic name for the Rowan berry, is infused with five Celtic botanicals (Rowan berries, Coul Blush apple, heather, bog myrtle and dandelion) along with juniper, orange peel and a further four traditional gin botanicals.