News Briefs for February 17, 2021
February 17, 2021•Diageo has launched a new, lower-calorie brand extension for Baileys Irish Cream. The release, Baileys Deliciously Light, comes in at 16.1% abv and has 40% fewer calories and 40% less sugar than the original Baileys. To kick off the launch, Diageo has partnered with Cocktail Courier, a home mixology-focused e-commerce platform, to create four cocktail kits showing off the new liqueur. Baileys Deliciously Light is now available nationwide for around $25 a 750-ml.
•E.&J. Gallo will become the U.S. distributor for the Bev portfolio of canned wines effective March 1. Bev is touted as the first TTB-approved “zero-sugar” canned wine on the market. It’s at 11.9% abv with three carbs and 100 calories a serving. The portfolio Gallo will distribute includes Bev Rosé, Bev Blanc, Bev Gris, Bev Noir, and their most recently launched sparkling white wine, Bev Glitz. All varietals are from California and are available in 4-packs of 250-ml. cans retailing between $15 and $17.
•Chopin Vodka is partnering with fashion designer Vera Wang on a limited edition release. The vodka collaboration is called Vera Wang x Chopin and was distilled using a special variety of young potato that Wang personally selected, which is grown near Chopin’s distillery in Krzesk, Poland. Wang was also involved in designing the bottle, which maintains Chopin’s standard shape but features a matte black and white color scheme and a poem on the back written by Wang. The new edition will have select availability throughout the U.S., retailing at $100 a 750-ml.
•Mark Anthony Brands’ Mike’s Hard has announced a new lemonade-flavored seltzer, entering the growing subcategory within the wider world of hard seltzers. The 5% abv RTD is launching in four flavors—lemon, strawberry, mango, and pineapple—available together in a variety 12-pack of 12-ounce cans. Mike’s Hard Lemonade Seltzer is now available across the U.S. Mike’s Hard Lemonade was up 14.5% to 8.4 million cases in IRI channels for the year ending December 27.
•Agave spirits brand Puntagave is introducing a new line of Tequila-based hard seltzers, including Grapefruit Peach, Meyer Lemon Ginger, and Blood Orange flavors. Made in Mexico, the range is at 5% abv and retails at $14 a 4-pack of cans. Concurrently, Puntagave is debuting an Artisanal Double Barrel Tequila retailing at $90. Artisanal Double Barrel is aged in used American oak for one year, then split between new American oak and new French oak for further maturation. Puntagave’s core Rustica line of agave spirits is distributed in 19 states.
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