Top spirits launches from January 2026
January was a feast for fans of new products as spirits brands kicked off 2026 with a number of innovations and launches.
The year got off to a speedy start for new launches as big brands and smaller producers alike added to their lineups. January’s debutants included a resurgence in premium vodkas, while whiskies, non alcoholic ‘spirits’ and the ‘world’s first’ transparent organic coffee liqueur also feature.
Read on for January’s hottest new spirits releases.
To see new arrivals from the end of last year, check out our product launch roundups from November and December.
Heather showcases Highland Park in full bloom
Edrington-owned Highland Park launched Heather, a whisky that highlights its signature heathered peat from Orkney.
Heather is made with 100% Orkney peat-smoked barley, sourced from Hobbister Moor, a few miles from Highland Park’s distillery in Kirkwall. The single malt was aged in first-fill European and American Sherry-seasoned oak casks, as well as select refill barrels, and was bottled at its cask strength of 63.6% ABV. It has an aroma of bonfire smoke, vanilla pods, and brandy butter. Rich and oily notes can be found on the palate, with marshmallows and macadamia nuts.
It is the first release in the brand’s refreshed cask strength range, developed by the distillery’s master whisky maker Marc Watson. It is available exclusively at The Whisky Exchange for an RRP of £60 (US$81).
Glenmorangie treats Australasia to exclusive whisky
Moët Hennessy-owned Glenmorangie launched a limited edition 13-year-old whisky aged in Moscatel casks exclusively for Australia and New Zealand.
The release uses liquid distilled in 2009 from a small batch of dessert Moscatel casks. These casks were used in a pilot programme for evolving the Nectar d’Or recipe, which is now known as The Nectar. After a seven-year secondary maturation in the Moscatel casks, Glenmorangie’s master distiller, Dr Bill Lumsden, created a whisky where most of the expression is nearly 16 years old, despite the label stating 13.
Bottled at 48.2% ABV, it is available to The Whisky Club members in Australia and New Zealand for AU$150 (US$101).
Brunette liqueur comes with a clear conscience
Billed as the world’s first transparent organic coffee liqueur, Brunette Clear was launched by Bordeaux Distilling Co.
The liqueur is crafted with byproducts of the coffee-making process: depulped coffee cherry, known as cascara, and coffee blossom, both sourced from Guatemala. They are macerated separately for two weeks in organic grain alcohol, and distilled at low temperatures with a rotary evaporator.
A byproduct generated from the filtration process of the company’s Brunette Organic Cold Brew Liqueur is then pot stilled to produce a third and transparent distillate. The final part of the process sees the three distillates blended before a six-month rest, where the alcohol content is reduced gradually to 22% ABV.
Citadelle freshens up for entry to non-alcoholic sphere
Gin brand Citadelle, owned by Maison Ferrand, launched its first non-alcoholic expression: Citadelle 0.0.
The ‘spirit’ has the same botanicals as Citadelle’s full-strength gin. Rather than de-alcoholise the product, the brand used a gentle hydrodistillation process inspired by perfumery techniques to capture the most expressive aromatic notes of the botanicals without alcohol.
“Working without alcohol meant going back to the essence of the plant,” explained Fannie Thibaud, creation and experimentation manager at Maison Ferrand. “Hydrodistillation allowed us to express the botanicals as they are: naturally fresh, bright, and delicate. It wasn’t about imitating gin; it was about finding a new way to let the botanicals speak.”
Citadelle 0.0 is available in France and Italy for €19.99 (US$23).
Elixir Distillers maps out new series
London independent bottler Elixir Distillers’ new series, called Elixir Trails, explores creative distilleries and producers from around the world.
Curated by founder and managing director Sukhinder Singh, the series launched with the first instalments of The Whisky Trail and The Rum Trail. The Whisky Trail features four world whiskies from Denmark, Japan, the US and England. The Rum Trail, meanwhile, has five expressions, hailing from Barbados, Jamaica, Belize, Australia and Fiji.
The series is available at The Whisky Exchange with prices between £59.95 (US$81) and £299 (US$402).
Kavalan ponies up for the Year of the Horse
In celebration of the Lunar New Year and 2026’s zodiac animal, the horse, Taiwan distillery Kavalan released a limited edition Golden Steed & Peonies gift set.
The gift set, illustrated with a golden steed and blooming peonies on the packaging, pairs a branded tulip-shaped nosing glass with Kavalan Triple Sherry Cask Single Malt Whisky, which was matured in oloroso, Pedro Ximénez, and Moscatel Sherry casks.
With an ABV of 40%, the whisky offers notes of dried fruit, caramel and tropical fruit on the palate.
Catoctin Creek makes waves in Virginia
Spirits producer Catoctin Creek expanded its offering in its home state of Virginia with three new products.
The products include a heritage-inspired strawberry-and-pawpaw-flavoured gin, and two spirits in larger formats. Shenandoah Gin is said to be inspired by an old Appalachian recipe, and features natural flavours of ripe strawberry and pawpaw, while the brand is also offering its Applejack and Roundstone Rye Whisky in new one-litre formats, both at 40% ABV.
All three products are available at select Virginia ABC locations throughout the state.
Ki One shows off fiery side with red pepper whisky
South Korea’s Ki One Whisky Distillery has collaborated with Kentucky-based chef Edward Lee on the “world’s first” red pepper cask whisky.
The three-year-old single malt was matured exclusively in barrels infused with red peppers – seven first-fill ex-Bourbon barrels were filled with chopped red peppers and hot water. After months of soaking, the casks were emptied and refilled with the distillery’s unpeated newmake spirit for three years. The whisky was bottled at 57.5% ABV, and displays aromas of red chilli, vanilla, and ripe fruits on the nose, followed on the palate by ‘an explosive bang’ of chilli spice.
Ki One Red Pepper Cask debuted in South Korea on GS Retail’s Wine25 Plus online platform, priced at 198,000 won (US$134) for a 700ml bottle.
Calabasa on hand for palm spirit
UK-based Calabasa, created by London-born Nigerian Tobi Ojuri and Ghana-born Kwabena Asante, has launched its inaugural spirit.
The expression is inspired by the West African palm spirit made from palm trees; Calabasa triple distils its version. Its profile features floral and slightly grassy aromas of freshly tapped palm sap, with notes of vanilla, green banana, and dark spices on the palate. Ojuri said: “This is about making room for African spirits to stand alongside other iconic regional spirits and giving our audience those distinct, authentic experiences they’re craving.”
Calabasa Palm Spirit is offered at 40% ABV in 500ml bottles, featuring unique handmade neck adornments crafted by artisans in Accra, Ghana. It retails in the UK for £55 (US$74).
Latest Rebel Bourbon release is rooted to an old recipe
Kentucky-based Lux Row Distillers has revived its Rebel Root Beer Bourbon.
The root beer-inspired whiskey was initially introduced in 2016, and infuses Rebel’s Straight Bourbon Whiskey recipe with the bold and creamy flavours of root beer. Rebel Bourbon brand manager Phillip Lux said: “We listened to the real trailblazing rebels out there, and brought back Rebel Root Beer. It’s available in a variety of size options for enjoying neat, chilled, in cola cocktails, and more. Rebel Root Beer is fun and tasty, but doesn’t have any rules – on purpose.”
Rebel Root Beer Whiskey’s bottle label features an illustration of a frothy rootbeer mug alongside a Bourbon barrel. It is bottled at 35% ABV and is available nationwide in the US for a suggested retail price of US$19.99.
First flavoured Grey Goose vodka in 10 years bears fruit
Berry Rouge is the name of Bacardi-owned Grey Goose’s first flavoured vodka launch in nearly a decade. The expression is made with natural ingredients – freshly picked strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries from the Mediterranean – and no added sugar. Combined with its signature French vodka and pure spring water from Gensac-la-Pallue, Grey Goose said the resulting taste is bright and tangy with a clean, smooth finish.
The brand added that Berry Rouge taps into a growing demand for premium yet flavourful spirits. It is recommended on its own or in cocktails such as its signature Grey Goose Rouge Royale, which is described as a “refreshing berry-forward Spritz”.
Absolut in red-hot form with Tabasco flavour
Pernod Ricard-owned Absolut teamed up with Tabasco to create a spicy vodka.
The expression sees Absolut’s vodka fused with the natural essence created from the fermented, aged red pepper mash used to make Tabasco hot sauce. Its profile is said to deliver the distinct heat and aroma that the sauce is known for.
Craig van Niekerk, global vice-president of marketing for Absolut Vodka, said: “People want to feel some heat in their drinks. What better way to do it than by combining one of the world’s leading hot sauce brands with the world’s leading premium vodka brand? For anyone who wants to dial up the heat, whether it’s Saturday night cocktails or Sunday brunch, this spicy vodka is definitely for you.”
Absolut Tabasco has an ABV of 38% and is available in more than 50 markets globally.
Lochlea makes statement with 7YO whisky
Scottish distillery Lochlea has unveiled its third age-statement-release: a seven-year-old single-estate whisky, which is its oldest expression to date.
The whisky was distilled in 2018, Lochlea’s first year of operation, and was drawn from seven first-fill Bourbon casks. Darren McCormick, distillery manager, said: “Reaching seven years of maturation is a huge moment for us as a young distillery. These casks have been quietly resting in our warehouses since 2018, and the transformation over time has been incredible to watch.”
A limited release, it is bottled non-chill-filtered at 50% ABV, and is priced at £90 (US$121).
House of Hazelwood welcomes its first Warehouse Reserve whisky
William Grant & Sons-owned House of Hazelwood has unveiled its first Warehouse Reserve bottling with a heavily Sherried 36-year-old blended malt.
The Warehouse Reserve series sources whiskies from the private stocks of the Gordon family – the owners of William Grant & Sons – located in their private dunnage warehouse in Dufftown, Scotland. Warehouse Reserve Batch One, the first whisky in the series, is limited to 150 bottles and offered exclusively by invitation to the house’s friends.
It is bottled at 51.4% ABV, and has notes of maraschino cherries, coffee beans and treacle. Each bottle has an RRP of £1,650 (US$2,210).
New tropical Malibu Pink hits shelves
Pernod Ricard-owned Malibu has added a tropical-flavoured liqueur to its range, named Pink.
Malibu Pink is made with guava, pineapple and coconut flavours. The concept was inspired by Uren’s 2026 flavour trend to watch, which suggested tropical flavours like guava are transitioning from speciality to mainstream.
Saragh Killeen, US brand director of Malibu, said: “Malibu has always been the goto drink for those seeking a tropical and exotic experience. With the launch of Malibu Pink, we’re pairing familiar favourites like coconut and pineapple with new guavaled notes as the next evolution in tropical flavour, transporting summerseekers on a new adventure.”
The pink liqueur sits at 21% ABV, and can be mixed with lemonade or enjoyed as a shot.
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