Top 10 spirits launches in July
We’ll hazard a guess that supplies may be down after summer, so here are 10 of the latest spirits releases from July to replenish the home bar.
Last month featured plenty of innovation, with Burnt Faith launching the ‘UK’s first’ premium brandy-based RTDs, Buffalo Trace upping the ABV of its Sazerac Rye to appeal to the bar and Ardgowan Distillery launching a collection of six single malts under its Clydebuilt brand.
Meanwhile a new whisky brand also debuted in July, with investment from Game of Thrones actor Rory McCann, who you might recognise as Sandor Clegane (aka the Hound).
Read on for the rest of what’s new in the spirits world from July, and for more new launches, check out our roundups from May and June.
Lost Explorer is on the right path
The Lost Explorer launched a 500ml bottled Passion Fruit Margarita in collaboration with Lockdown Liquor & Co.
It is made with The Lost Explorer’s Tequila Blanco and a blend of passion fruit and fresh lime.
The “tropical twist on the Tommy’s Margarita” retails on the Lockdown Liquor website for £25 (US$32).
Sheyan Patel, chief commercial officer of The Lost Explorer, said: “The new release marks a significant step forward for our premium, small batch Blanco Tequila.”
Buffalo Trace has high hopes for new Sazerac Rye version
Buffalo Trace created a higher-ABV version of its Sazerac Rye to increase its appeal in bartending and cocktails.
The new whiskey bumps the 45% ABV from the standard Sazerac Rye up to 50% ABV, so it can elevate classic serves such as the Manhattan and the brand’s namesake serve, the Sazerac.
“Sazerac Rye 100 Proof was crafted specifically with bartenders and cocktail enthusiasts in mind,” said Harlen Wheatley, Buffalo Trace master distiller.
The whiskey offers both higher proof and flavour while remaining relatively affordable, making it a go-to favourite for cost crunching bar teams. It is priced at US$30 per 1L bottle.
Rory McCann game for Slanj whisky
New blended Scotch brand Slanj, backed by Game of Thrones actor Rory McCann, launched its first whisky.
The brand was founded by brothers Brian and Craig Halley, and entrepreneur Stuart Montgomerie. The trio have dreamt of launching their own whisky brand for more than a decade, and collaborated with independent blender and bottler Douglas Laing & Co on its release. The debut Slanj offering is made up of 70% Speyside single malt matured in Sherry casks, and 30% Highland single malt matured in Bourbon casks. It has an RRP of £47 (US$64).
The brand also gained investment from longtime whisky lover McCann, the Scottish actor known for playing Sandor ‘The Hound’ Clegane in HBO TV show Game of Thrones. McCann said: “I’ve always loved whisky, but Slanj hits different. It’s smooth, no smoke, no fuss – just a bold, easy-going dram anyone can enjoy.”
Bottled Pisco Sour gains UK release
The Campanario ready-to-drink (RTD) Pisco Sour is now available in the UK, exclusively from Harrison’s Coffee, a Chilean restaurant near London’s Paddington Station.
The bottled serve can be purchased for £18 (US$25) per 700ml bottle.
Nicolás Poblete, UK director of ProChile, the Chilean government’s trade agency, said: “This is an important milestone for Chile’s pisco industry. Exports of our national spirit have been steadily increasing in recent years, both to the UK and globally. Having an RTD cocktail format brings our pisco – and our culture – even closer to consumers abroad.”
Old Dominick updates its vodkas
Tennessee-based spirits producer Old Dominick reformulated the recipe of Memphis Vodka.
The vodka is made using water from the Memphis aquifer, charcoal filtration, and a multistep distillation process. Chris Canale, owner of Old Dominick Distillery, said: “We’ve taken everything we learned from our previous vodka and completely reimagined it. The distillation process results in extraordinary smoothness while preserving character.”
The reimagined vodka is now available at retailers in the US Mid-South. Old Dominick’s vodka has undergone a transformation too. Previously featuring a red-lettered logo with a prominent ‘vodka’ and a rooster icon, the updated design now aligns it with the company’s whiskey.
Burnt Faith fires up first RTDs
British brandy producer Burnt Faith has moved into the RTD category.
The two expressions – Brandy & Apple and Brandy & Ginger – are said to be the UK’s first premium brandy-based RTDs. Both are packaged in 250ml cans, and are made with Burnt Faith’s flagship brandy.
Burnt Faith founder Simon Wright said: “All other categories – rum, vodka, whisky, gin – have long since ventured into RTDs because of modern consumer shifts around price, accessibility, and experimentation. Brandy has incredible potential in this space, but someone needed to step up and break new ground.”
The two flavours have a 6.2% ABV and come with an RRP of £3.50 (US$4.76).
Uncle Nearest unveils 2025 Master Blend
Tennessee-based whiskey producer Uncle Nearest unveiled its 2025 Master Blend Edition, which, for the first time, has been made available nationwide in the US.
First released in 2021 as a distillery exclusive, the whiskey honours the legacy of Nearest Green, the first known African-American master distiller. Victoria Eady Butler – a fifth-generation descendant of Nearest Green – is behind the blend. Every year, Butler sets aside a barrel she believes to be the finest of the Uncle Nearest blend’s batch. The selected barrels then create the annual Master Blend.
The 2025 edition is offered at 55.5% ABV, and is being rolled out in 32 US states. A total of 8,880 bottles were released to mark the distillery’s eighth anniversary.
Ardgowan introduces six of the best
Inverclyde’s Ardgowan Distillery has revealed a collection of six single malts under its independent Scotch whisky brand, Clydebuilt.
The six whiskies were sourced from distilleries in the Speyside region and curated by distillery manager Laura Davies, who joined Ardgowan in November 2024. The collection is underpinned by the number 12, with three small-batch releases distilled in 2012, and three single cask bottlings aged for 12 years.
Davies said: “Our new single malts underwent maturation onsite at Ardgowan in premium European oak Sherry casks. All aged for 12 years, each delivers a distinctive character owed to both the distillate profile and the maturation history. They are all bottled with an age statement, at a minimum of 46% ABV, without chill filtration or artificial colouring.”
QSI takes on whisky with Highland Warriors
Highland Warriors is a new blended Scotch whisky brand from Quality Spirits International (QSI).
The brand debuted in India, Taiwan, and China, and was created to stand out with its story of Scottish women who challenged social conventions, such as Lady Agnes, a Scottish noblewoman known for her defence of Dunbar Castle in 1338.
The whisky itself sits at 40% ABV, and is said to have notes of vanilla and a lingering sweetness.
Las Espirituosas sweetens the deal for agave syrup in Mexico
Agave syrup brand Beso de Agave has launched in Mexico through a partnership with incubator distributor Las Espirituosas.
The syrup is produced in Jalisco, Mexico, by the Romantic Agave Company, and is said to enhance the flavour and aroma of cocktails. Through the distribution agreement, the brand has secured listings in cocktail bars in Mexico. The certified-organic agave concentrate has a ‘gentle’ sweetness and toasted agave notes.
Ingrid Solis, sales director and co-owner of Las Espirituosas, said: “Beso’s unique texture is a strong added value for bartenders. We are confident Beso will become the first agave syrup choice for mixologists in Mexico.”
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