Close Menu
Top 10

Top 10 spirits launches in January 2020

The beginning of 2020 saw the launch of the “first” baijiu made in the UK, a CBD-infused bottled cocktail range and three “mood-enhancing” alcohol alternatives.

SB presents the latest spirits to hit the market last month

With a new decade upon us, spirits producers continue to innovate and release their latest products, some of which tapped into growing trends.

Zamora Company’s Licor 34 brand aimed to attract vegans with an update recipe for its horchata-inspired liqueur, while health food retailer Holland & Barrett jumped on the cannabidiol (CBD) bandwagon with two new alcohol-free bottled CBD cocktails.

In a series of firsts, the “first” baijiu to be made in the UK was launched by an Essex farmer, and the “world’s first” jackfruit-flavoured vodka was created in the US.

Click through the following pages to explore our full round-up of eye-catching spirits launched in January. 

Which new products grabbed your attention last month? If we’ve missed your favourite, let us know in the comments box below.

Bombay Creations Gin Liqueurs

Bombay Sapphire moved into liqueurs last month with the launch of four 50ml “Instagram-ready” expressions.

Each bottled at 20% ABV, the new Bombay Creations Gin Liqueurs pack contains four “trend-based” variants: Rose, Hibiscus, Strawberry and Raspberry.

The new expressions were created to complement the juniper and citrus notes of Bombay Sapphire gin.

For more information, click here.

Licor 43 Horchata

To meet demand for “lighter and non-dairy alternatives”, Zamora Company changed the recipe for its Orochata liqueur, which is now 100% vegetable-based and free from dairy.

Renamed Horchata, the expression is a fusion of the original Licor 43 with the Spanish tiger nut and cinnamon-flavoured horchata drink from Valencia.

Licor 43 Horchata will gradually replace the previous liquid in all markets where it is already present, but also in new markets such as the US.

For more information, click here.

Midleton Very Rare Dair Ghaelach

Midleton Very Rare Dair Ghaelach Knockrath Forest is the third Irish whiskey in the Dair Ghaelach series from Irish Distillers.

The new release was finished for two years in casks made from virgin Irish oak grown in Knockrath Forest, County Wicklow.

The idea behind the Dair Ghaelach series, which translates as ‘Irish oak’, began more than 10 years ago and aims to explore the impact of finishing whiskeys in Irish oak.

For more information, click here.

Thompson’s Baijiu

Thompson’s Baijiu is the “first” baijiu to be made in the UK and is produced with 100% British grown sorghum grains.

The product is the result of a collaboration between Essex-based The English Spirit Distillery and local farmer Pete Thompson.

The UK-sourced grains were fermented in a way that mimicked the traditional processes used in baijiu production through laboratory conditions. Technicians at The English Spirit Distillery used enzymes before final distillation to produce the desired profile and aroma.

For more information, click here.

Slapjack

Distilled six times from a mashbill comprising 100% corn, Slapjack is filtered three times before being flavoured with natural jackfruit. It is thought to be the world’s first jackfruit-flavoured vodka.

Slapjack Vodka is described as being “smooth, juicy and tropical”. The vodka is said to have “flavours of mango, banana, pineapple, orange and peach”.

Bottled at 35% ABV, Slapjack Vodka is created at a microdistillery in the northern hills of Georgia, US

For more information, click here.

Kolibri CBD Dark Forest and Kolibri CBD Citrus Grove

The alcohol-free bottled Kolibri range launched in October 2019 with three variants: Chilli & Cardamom, Strawberry & Basil and Elderflower & Lime.

The latest expressions to join the range are CBD-infused Dark Forest and Citrus Grove.

The bottlings have launched amid “growing consumer interest” in the CBD market. The CBD variants come with a patented cap that holds 20mg of broad-spectrum CBD to allow drinkers to control their own dosage.

For more information, click here.

TBWC Tullibardine Aged 11 Years Old

Independent bottler That Boutique-y Whisky Company (TBWC) joined forces with London bar Oblix at The Shard to create an 11-year-old Tullibardine single malt.

Limited to 326 bottles, the label has been hand illustrated by Boutique-y artist Emily Chappell and features the view of the city from Oblix, which sits on the 32nd floor of The Shard.

Part of TBWC’s global bottling programme, the partnership is the whisky firm’s first collaboration with a British bar. The whisky is available exclusively from Oblix.

For more information, click here.

Senser Power, Love and Joy

Designed to be treated like a traditional spirit, booze-free botanical brand Senser has launched with three variants: Power, Love and Joy.

Each expression features a “curated blend of botanical ingredients” that enhances its namesake attribute.

Senser was created to “elevate social situations into mood-enhancing experiences”.

For more information, click here.

Salcombe Rum Wolf Rock

English gin producer Salcombe Distilling Co, based in the English coastal town of Salcombe in South Devon, created its first rum last month.

The first batch of Wolf Rock rum is limited to only 200 bottles and has been made with molasses, unrefined sugar, a blend of yeasts, and distilled in traditional 60-litre copper pot stills.

Salcombe Distilling Co said that no sugar or extra colouring has been added to the rum after distillation.

For more information, click here.

Promethus 30 Years Old

Last month, The Glasgow Distillery Company completed its Prometheus series with a 30-year-old Speyside single malt Scotch whisky.

Prometheus 30 Years Old is a peated whisky that was matured in Sherry butts. It is limited to 544 bottles, each bottled at cask strength of 51.8% ABV.

Tasting notes for the 30-year-old include aromas of toffee, raisin and toasted spice, leading to flavours of vanilla biscuit, orange marmalade, spice fruit cake, walnut and a sweet, smoky finish.

For more information, click here.

It looks like you're in Asia, would you like to be redirected to the Drinks Business Asia edition?

Yes, take me to the Asia edition No