Top 50 innovative spirits launches of 2025: 10-1
Today we conclude our countdown of the 50 most innovative spirits launches of 2025 with the top 10 releases that pushed boundaries, challenged conventions, and set a different pace for the future of the spirits industry.
Selected for their originality, execution, and impact, these final entries showcase how brands reimagined flavour, process, and positioning last year.
For the full rundown of our top 50 spirits, click here: 50-41, 40-31, 30-21, and 20-11.
10. Isco Pizza Vodka
When the unusually flavoured Isco Pizza Vodka launched it was limited to the US state of Rhode Island. Soon after, however, the product went nationwide. To create the vodka, Isco Spirits, short for the Industrious Spirit Company, distilled a pizza made with organic wheat, herbs, spices, tomatoes and mozzarella.
Bottled at 40% ABV, it was described as ‘weirdly comforting and undeniably delicious’. It was recommended as a shot, alongside shredded Parmesan and a pepperoncini pepper, in a serve the brand dubbed the Italian Stallion. Other serve recommendations include the Hawaii 5-0, which mixes the vodka with pineapple juice, hot sauce and Tajín.
9. Aureus Vita
What sets Aureus Vita apart from other gins is it is made on a first-of-its-kind still, inspired by the golden ratio. The golden ratio is calculated by dividing each number of the Fibonacci series by its immediate predecessor. It is a special number, approximately 1.618, that appears in nature, art, architecture and mathematics. It happens when a line is divided into two parts so that the longer part divided by the shorter part is the same as the whole line divided by the longer part.
Aureus Vita master distiller John Hall decided to apply this to every step of the production process to see how it affects the final product. Hall started looking at which ratios existed in his process, and noticed he was already working around the 1.6 mark. Each botanical has its own space to interact with the liquid via the invention of the Fibonacci-Hall still. It was bottled at 61.8% ABV.
8. Bruichladdich X4+18 Edition 01
This is the first quadruple-distilled, 18-year-old single malt Scotch whisky. Created by Islay distillery Bruichladdich, X4+18 Edition 01 is the first release in a four-part series, with Edition 02 planned to launch in 2027. The liquid was distilled by Jim McEwan MBE in 2006, and spent 18 years ageing in both Bourbon and Rivesaltes casks. It was bottled under the watch of master blender Adam Hannett.
Hannett said about the quadruple distillation: “Effectively, it becomes an incredibly expensive spirit because you’re distilling it twice more. By distilling, you’re reducing the volume.” The whisky was bottled at 63.4% ABV, having first been filled into casks at 85% ABV, an atypical strength for a new make spirit, Hannett noted.
7. 1906
American wellness brand 1906 created a neutral, alcohol-free cannabis ‘spirit’. Each 750ml bottle contains 200mg of THC (the psychoactive compound found in cannabis) and 200mg of CBG (a non-intoxicating cannabinoid in cannabis). 1906 prides itself on being neutral in flavour, making it more versatile to mix in cocktails, or with sparkling water or soft drinks.
Peter Barsoom, co-founder and CEO of 1906, said: “1906 Spirits is the first cannabis ‘spirit’ designed for modern social drinking. Alcohol shaped the last century of social life. Cannabis will shape the next. With 1906 Spirits, we are redefining social drinking, giving people the freedom to enjoy cannabis and participate in this cultural shift without compromise.”
6. Archie Rose Wattleseed Smoked Cask Single Malt Whisky
Sydney’s Archie Rose Distilling Co experimented with smoking its casks as part of a new four-part series. The Australian distiller worked to test the boundaries of smoke. To do this, the producer smoked the casks rather than the grains. For the inaugural release, the casks were smoked with native wattleseed before Archie Rose’s single malt whisky was filled inside.
“In Australia, we’re fortunate to be unbound by tradition, having the freedom to be bold and find our own new ways of doing things,” said Dave Withers, master distiller at Archie Rose. “Wattleseeds need fire to germinate, so in burning this uniquely Australian ingredient to smoke our whisky casks, we’re giving life to a whole new layer of flavour, and a whole new style of Australian single malt whisky.” With notes of campfire bacon, roasted macadamia and caramel fudge, the whisky is presented with an ABV of 51.7%.
5. Realizzato
English contract distilling company Murray & Yeatman launched Realizzato coffee liqueur, which claims to be the most environmentally friendly and eco-conscious alcoholic drink in the world. It took a decade of research for Realizzato to fine tune its method of distilling alcohol from used coffee grounds.
The product was inspired by a peer-reviewed scientific paper published in 2014. It prompted Murray & Yeatman to investigate the science of coffee-based alcohol. Coffee grounds are one of the world’s most significant waste products. Every tonne of coffee sent to landfill produces one tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent. By upcycling coffee grounds to make a liqueur, the distiller hopes to help alleviate some of this impact. The liqueur, which is 20% ABV, has notes of caramel and dark chocolate, and a velvety texture. Each bottle is also made from 100% recycled glass, a recycled label, and comes delivered in fully recyclable packaging.
4. Planteray Hogo Monsta
Hogo Monsta from Maison Ferrand’s Planteray is an ‘explosive’ high-ester rum designed to enhance the flavour of drinks with just a few drops. It claims to be the highest-ester rum to be made commercially available. Created at the Stade’s West Indies Rum Distillery in Barbados, the spirit has volatile substances of 3,178g per hectolitre of absolute alcohol, and 2,029g per hectolitre of absolute alcohol esters.
Alexandre Gabriel, owner and master blender of Planteray Rum, said: “For years, this type of high-ester rum lived in the shadows, used in secret by blenders to add power and depth to a final mix. But we always dreamed of botting it – raw and unapologetic. Hogo Monsta is that dream unlocked.” The 56.6% ABV rum is said to funky, fruity, and spicy, with flavours of overripe banana, pineapple and mango, complemented by notes of brine, varnish and bold tropical funk. It is not recommended to drink it neat.
3. Never Never Signature Vodka
The aim with Never Never Signature Vodka was to push the boundaries of texture. The vodka is distilled from Australian wheat spirit, and enriched with olive, coconut, and avocado oils – all selected to enhance the spirit’s texture. The liquid is filtered through activated carbon for 16 hours before the oil distillates are blended into the final vodka. Furthermore, the water used to dilute the vodka to its 40% ABV bottling strength is filtered using reverse osmosis filtration to remove all minerals and impurities. The result is a silky, rich and long-lasting vodka that suits Martinis and can be enjoyed neat, too.
Never Never co-founder Sean Baxter said: “Texturally, we believe it’s superior to anything on the market. Try it in a classic Vesper, mixed with one of our gins. “We built a textural vodka using the techniques learned over eight years of building incredible flavour in gin, and we think it’s one of the best out there.”
2. Three Families
Bartender Ryan ‘Mr Lyan’ Chetiyawardana created a range of cocktail seasonings in early 2025. The range is called Three Families, a nod to the trio of family-owned brands that collaborated on the products: Mr Lyan, Rockland Distilleries, and Dilmah Tea. Three Families features five flavours that combine traditional bitter techniques with modern fruit distillates and extracts – all designed to elevate cocktails and inspire fun experimentation.
All five flavours sit at 40% ABV. The Ceylon Sour was designed for cocktails that would use a squeeze of lime, and offers a citrussy hit of calamansi, tamarind and coriander seed. In contrast, the Verdant Sinhaya is greener, with preserved mandarin, wildflower honey and lemongrass. For Pettah Market, rambutan jasmine and arrack were used to create a “tropical explosion”. Meanwhile, Sunset Pekoe’s blend of pekoe tea, turmeric and toasted oak are recommended to add a peppery heat to Sour serves and Gin and Tonics. And completing the lineup is Amethyst Punch, which uses green tea, mangosteen and peppercorn.
1. Chivas Regal Crystalgold
“With Chivas Regal Crystalgold, the aim was to offer consumers the best of both worlds: the versatility and mixability of a clear spirit combined with the depth and complexity of an oak-aged one,” explains Sandy Hyslop, master blender emeritus at Chivas Regal. “The key challenge was removing colour without losing character and flavour of the Chivas house style – and that was never up for compromise.”
Chivas Regal Crystalgold burst onto the scene at the end of September as the Scotch whisky brand’s first clear spirit drink. Hyslop created the 40% ABV liquid using a bespoke filtration process that extracts colour from traditional oak-aged spirit. While categories like Tequila have been creating clear cristalino expressions for years, this is new in the world of whisky. This fresh approach by Hyslop and his team means Crystalgold tops the Most Innovative Spirits Launches of 2025 ranking. “Chivas Regal Crystalgold was designed to be deliberately versatile,” Hyslop says. “It speaks both to drinkers who might typically reach for a longer serve – perhaps a gin, vodka or Tequila-based drink – and to existing Chivas Regal fans who are looking for something a bit different from their usual dram.
“This versatility means that Chivas Regal is well placed to cater to shifts in how and when consumers are drinking. For instance, social occasions are happening earlier in the day, and there’s a growing appetite for lighter, more refreshing serves that don’t compromise on flavour. Chivas Regal Crystalgold fits naturally into those moments. It’s a bottle that works across a table, allowing different serves from the same liquid, which is increasingly important in modern social settings.” Hyslop says innovation and category experimentation has always been part of Chivas’ ethos.
While he hopes Crystalgold will encourage wider experimentation in the Scotch whisky category, he adds: “This is an industry built on tradition, but it stays interesting by continually re-examining what’s possible, and finding new ways to reinterpret established craft, which is one of the great pleasures of the job. While I’m always happy to see the category move forward, the secrets of Chivas Regal Crystalgold are staying firmly under lock and key in our blending room.”
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