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Top 10 spirits launches in February 2021

A lower-ABV range from Grey Goose vodka, an alcohol-free Tanqueray and a new rum brand from Moët Hennessy made our pick of unmissable launches last month.

non-alcoholic Tanqueray and botanical-infused Grey Goose
A non-alcoholic Tanqueray and a botanical-infused Grey Goose range were among our top new products

February 2021 brought new product innovations from producers such as Diageo, Bacardi, Moët Hennessy and La Martiniquaise-Bardinet.

Tapping into the trend for low-and-no alcohol was Diageo, which unveiled new expressions for Tanqueray gin and Baileys liqueur, while Bacardi unveiled a 30% ABV Grey Goose line.

English gin brand Slingsby also moved into hard seltzers with three canned variants, and Irish Distillers revealed the first Midleton Very Rare whiskey created by its new master distiller Kevin O’Gorman.

Click through the following pages to discover our favourite spirits launches from last month.

Grey Goose Essences

Grey Goose vodka unveiled its “most expansive innovation” to date with the release of its lower-ABV Essences range.

The new Grey Goose Essences line comprises three expressions: Strawberry and Lemongrass, White Peach and Rosemary, and Watermelon and Basil. The range is made with Grey Goose vodka and infused with ‘real’ fruit and cold-distilled botanicals.

Each expression contains no artificial ingredients, sugar or carbohydrates. A 1.5oz (42ml) serving contains 73 calories.

For more information, click here.

Saint James VSOP

The latest addition to the Saint James agricole rum range is a VSOP expression bottled at 43% ABV.

The new rum has been aged for more than four years in American ex-Bourbon oak barrels and new American oak barrels.

The flagship expression is the first of three premium rums that will launch as part of the Saint James brand: VO, VSOP and XO.

For more information, click here.

Midleton Very Rare 2021

Midleton Very Rare 2021Irish Distillers revealed the first Midleton Very Rare whiskey created by its new master distiller Kevin O’Gorman.

The 38th edition in the range, Midleton Very Rare 2021 is a blend of single pot still and single grain Irish whiskeys aged between 15 and 36 years, and matured in lightly charred ex-Bourbon American oak barrels.

O’Gorman chose both first-fill and second-fill casks to create the 2021 whiskey, and used a higher amount of grain whiskeys for the blend.

For more information, click here.

Oats Liqueur

The new Oats Liqueur range from developer Creamy Creation is described as a first for the spirits sector.

The liqueur is available in five flavours: Coffee Caramel Fudge, Cinnamon Sugar Cookie, Orange Blossom, Ginger Rum and Honey, and Classic Oats.

The expression was created to meet demand for plant-based drinks, and is vegan, gluten-free and made with real oats.

For more information, click here.

Tanqueray 0.0%

Tanqueray 0.0%

Diageo unveiled a raft of innovations for Tanqueray gin last month, including the brand’s first alcohol-free variant.

Tanqueray 0.0% was made using the same blend of botanicals used to create the original Tanqueray London Dry gin, including juniper, coriander, angelica and liquorice.

The expression was launched in the UK and Spain.

The brand also released Tanqueray Blackcurrant Royale and two new ready-to-drink cans.

For more information, click here.

Eminente

Eminente Reserva Rum

The launch of Eminente marks Moët Hennessy’s re-entry into the rum category. Moët Hennessy is the wine and spirits arm of luxury goods company LVMH.

Eminente was established by Camille de Dominicis and Briac Dessertenne.

The rum is a blend of aguardientes, eaux-de-vies made from molasses distilled to 75% ABV. The aguardientes were aged in ex-whisky barrels made from white oak. The liquid was then blended and aged further with light Cuban rum, distilled to 96% ABV. The youngest spirit in the blend is seven years.

For more information, click here.

Slingsby Spritz

Yorkshire-based Slingsby Gin entered the burgeoning hard seltzer category last month with the launch of a new range.

Slingsby Spritz comes in three flavours: Rhubarb and Strawberry, Marmalade and Apricot, and Damson and Blackberry.

Each hard seltzer contains 70 calories per can and carries an ABV of 5%. The range has been launched to target a younger, health-conscious demographic, Slingsby said.

For more information, click here.

Teeling Renaissance Series Three

Irish whiskey maker Teeling debuted the latest Renaissance bottling last month – an 18-year-old single malt finished in ex-Muscat wine casks.

The third bottling in the Renaissance range is an 18-year-old single malt that was aged initially in ex-Bourbon barrels before being finished in ex-Muscat wine casks.

Limited to 9,000 bottles globally, Renaissance Series Three has been bottled at 46% ABV with no chill filtration.

For more information, click here.

The Anecdote of Ages

Scotch brand The Macallan collaborated with English artist Sir Peter Blake for the third time on a new collection of whiskies. The Anecdotes of Ages Collection comprises 13 ‘one-of-a-kind’ bottles of whisky from 1967.

Each bottle in the collection features an original collage from Blake on the label, along with details of Macallan’s history, community and landscape.

Furthermore, The Macallan will offer a specially created whisky, called An Estate, A Community and A Distillery, inspired by Blake’s and the brand’s shared appreciation of beauty, nature and legacy.

For more information, click here.

Baileys Deliciously Light

During a conference call in November 2020, Diageo said it planned to launch Baileys Deliciously Light in early 2021.

Unveiled last month in the US, the new liqueur is made with 40% fewer calories and less sugar than the flagship variant.

Made with Irish cream and whiskey, the expression has ‘rich cocoa and vanilla flavours’.

For more information, click here.

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