Speciality Food Feb/March 2024

specialityfoodmagazine.com 43 STOCK CH ECK S P E C I A L I T Y F O O D M A G A Z I N E * 2 0 2 4 * WORLD OF ZING KAFFIR LIME PICANTE MARGARITA A gently spiced cocktail made with premium gold and silver tequila. One of the only British drinks brands available in a recycled paper bottle. worldofzing.com NINE TINES Multi award-winning small-batch Yorkshire vodka, using the farm’s own potatoes. Silky and exquisitely clean in taste. ninetines.co.uk RESPIRITED SUSTAINABLE BRITISH VODKA A clean, smooth vodka made using repurposed grain and sold in 100% recycled glass bottles. respirited.com LIMONCELLO DI CAPRI CREMA A creamy, smooth, bright, citrussy liqueur that’s ideal as a springtime post-dinner digestif. limoncello.com BUTTERFLY CANNON TEQUILA BLUE A 100% agave tequila with a natural violet blue colour. Infused with clementine and prickly pear for a tropical, refreshing flavour. butterflycannontequila.com HIVE MIND SPICED HONEY RUM The mead producer’s first rum, made in small batches in Wales using honey and molasses brewed at the meadery . Sweet, with floral notes. hivemindmead.com ISLE OF MULL SPIRIT CHEESEMAKERS STRENGTH A 60% full-bodied vodka made with whey from the cheesemaking process. With hints of vanilla and chocolate, and a luscious creaminess. isleofmullcheese.co.uk FAIR CAFE LIQUEUR A premium spirit for those espresso martinis. Made in Cognac using slow roasted, 100% Fairtrade Arabica coffee beans fromMexico. fair-drinks.com The consumer today is wanting more transparency in how products aremade and we, the spirits sector, need to reflect this MIRANDA HAYMAN CELEBRITY-BACKED BOTTLES There’s huge growth in celebrity owned or backed spirits, with tequila being the frontrunner, followed by gin, vodka and whisky. “Having a celebrity owner with a huge fanbase certainly helps to create immediate awareness of the brand, but authenticity is as important as ever,” says Michael Vachon of Maverick Drinks. SUSTAINABILITY Brands are having to balance a line between sustainability and price to hit the sweet spot with consumers who are “looking for authentic sustainability claims. Clearly stated. No greenwashing,” says Mark Harvey of The Oxford Artisan Distillery. “Those brands making a clear and demonstrable positive impact are winning. WHISKY DRINKERS ARE DIVERSIFYING: Whisky lovers are trying other aged spirits, largely driven by price. Armagnac sales, for example, have woken up, with a 25-year-old bottle being on average 90% cheaper than a single estate malt. Rum is also stepping up as an alternative choice for whisky fans, with vintages, age WHAT’S TRENDING IN SPIRITS? COOPER KING DISTILLERY DRY GIN The UK’s first carbon negative gin. Made using a vacuum still and incorporating honey and botanicals produced on site. cooperkingdistillery.co.uk VIVIR TEQUILA CAFE VS Award-winning Vivir Tequila Blanco, flavoured with Mexican coffee beans, sourced locally to the distillery and sweetened with natural Mexican cane sugar. vivirtequila.com statements, single cask, single estate and premium rums coming to the fore. “We have seen massive 53% volume and 43% value growth in rum over £100,” says Lisa Halstead of Master of Malt. This is, she says, in stark contrast to whisky, with a move from consumers towards more affordable brands. VODKA FINDS ITS ROOTS Vodka is being considered a ‘dark horse’ in spirits for 2024, says Master of Malts’ Adam O’Connell - with consumers seeking authentic flavours and provenance. “There is a growing appreciation for vodka because people are recognising its deep cultural and historical associations, and because a wave of modern producers are creating spirits with flavour and personality that use unique methods or ingredients,” he says. MEXICAN DRINKS CONTINUE TO APPEAL While global spirits sales are predicted to rise by 3% by 2026, Mexican spirits are tipped to see category growth of 7% in the same period. “Mexico has come a more popular destination, and celebrity endorsed agave spirits have made tequila a sophisticated tipple of choice,” says industry insider Fenella Taylor. using sustainable spirit brands. The business also uses card bottles, with founder Pritesh Mody saying it was one of the most visible and impactful things he could have done. “These bottles are lighter, safer, and better for the environment than glass, whilst creating huge on-shelf impact and positive conversations amongst consumers.” It’s essential, he says, “for the drinks industry to meet the rising consumer demand for eco-friendly products.” Market disruptor Frugalpac is at the forefront of innovation in this sector, with hopes the Frugal Bottle represents the future for the drinks industry. With the ability to be flatpacked for transportation (requiring five times less space per lorry than glass bottles), Frugal Bottles comprise a strong recycled (94%) paper outer layer, that’s folded into shape, and lined with a travel safe, recyclable PET inner layer. MalcolmWaugh, of Frugalpac, says the product deals with “the problem in the drinks industry, which is carbon. A lot of people don’t realise glass carries a huge carbon load due to the energy required to make it and, frankly, recycle it.” Paper bottles, he adds, use six times less carbon to produce, are five times lighter, and require four times less water in manufacturing compared to glass. The brand has customers across 25 countries, and grew 150% last year – 900% the year before - with machines also being sold so that bottles can be manufactured on site at distilleries, using local materials. “This is the kind of innovation that really resonates with consumers. We need more of this,” Malcolm adds.