Top spirits launches from February 2026
February might have whizzed by in a flash, but that didn’t stop spirits brands from rolling out plenty of exciting new products in the short window.
Last month was a fruitful one for whisky fans – Irish, world and Scotch – with Ardbeg, Lagavulin, Redbreast, The Dalmore and Archie Rose all making new additions to their lineups. Elsewhere, more flavoured gins entered the fray, whilst Hendrick’s did something it hasn’t done in nearly 10 years.
Scroll down for the best of what hit the market in February.
For January’s new spirits launches, check out our last roundup.
Ardbeg Ten gains in strength
Islay distillery Ardbeg released a cask strength version of its flagship 10-year-old single malt, bottled at 61% ABV.
The original Ardbeg Ten is bottled at 46% ABV, and, according to the distillery, its loyal fan base, the Ardbeg Committee, has been requesting a cask strength version for more than 20 years. Ardbeg master blender Gillian MacDonald said: “Created by Dr Bill [Lumsden] and myself from casks filled with new make spirit at a higherthanusual strength, it has all the flavours committee members know and love, infused with a new intensity.
The Ardbeg Ten Cask Strength is available to members of the committee on the distillery’s website for £75 (US$102). MacDonald noted the whisky carries “aromas of toffee, tar, with classic notes of fennel and sea spray, and sweet sooty tastes of peat moss, malt and smoked cinnamon”.
Time is ripe for Ukiyo’s nashi pear-flavoured gin
Kirker Greer Spirits co-created a new Ukiyo Gin expression with UK-based retailer Marks and Spencer (M&S) that is inspired by Japan’s nashi pear.
Uikyo Nashi Pear Gin is designed to stand out in the premium gin space as a distinct fruit-forward option. It features notes of juniper, yuzu, nashi pear, and shiso leaf, accompanied by undertones of white pepper, orris root, and green tea. The gin is available exclusively at M&S stores in the UK, and is bottled at 40% ABV with an RRP of £32 (US$44).
Ryan McFarland, chief commercial and strategy officer of Drinksology Kirker Greer, said “This launch is an exciting start to 2026 for Ukiyo and Kirker Greer Spirits.”
New Maison Ferrand takes inspiration from the past
French spirits producer Maison Ferrand launched a rum-based tropical liqueur called Ferrand Dry Curaçao Tropical.
Inspired by early 19th-century Caribbean traditions, particularly the Caribbean Shrubb, the liqueur blends Barbados rum with sweet and bitter orange peels. It was developed by Alexandre Gabriel, owner and master blender of Maison Ferrand and Stade’s West Indies Rum Distillery in Barbados, and spirits historian David Wondrich.
Gabriel and Wondrich aimed to revive a forgotten rum-based style of curaçao with the recipe, rather than the traditional brandy-based style. Ferrand Dry Curaçao Tropical sits at 40% ABV and is available for €29.90 (US$35).
Tarsier comes in hot with spicy gin
Manchester’s Tarsier Southeast Asian Spirit will release a chilli and lemongrass-flavoured gin in Canada, marking a “significant step for the brand”.
Launching in April, the gin will be part of the Liquor Control Board of Ontario’s (LCBO) Gin Shop programme. It will be available in more than 140 LCBO retail locations across the province. The gin’s inspiration draws from Thailand’s vibrant street food culture. It combines Tarsier’s gin with fresh lemongrass, chilli, and fragrant makrut lime leaves.
Each bottle of Tarsier Chilli & Lemongrass has a QR code that unlocks a curated collection of cocktail recipes, including a Thai twist on the Caesar, a Bloody Mary-style cocktail made with Clamato.
Dalmore sticks to principles
Whyte & Mackay-owned The Dalmore added to its core Principle Collection with a 17-year-old single malt Highland whisky.
The expression is described as a rich, further exploration of the brand’s use of Sherry maturation. It was initially matured in American white oak exBourbon barrels, which created a base of soft vanilla and honey notes, before being transferred to a trio of Sherry casks for finishing: Amoroso, rare Apostoles, and Matusalem oloroso.
Bottled at 42% ABV, The Dalmore 17 Year Old features notes of Seville orange, orchard fruit, sweet toffee, as well as orange marmalade. It is priced at RRP £175/€200/US$250.
Mezcal Reina Espadín gets lift off in UK
Women-founded mezcal brand, Mezcal Reina, launched an espadín expression.
Espadín joined the rest of the brand’s portfolio of premium, small batch mezcals – Ensamble Espadín Tobasiche, Tobalá and Arroqueño – in debuting in the UK in February. It is made from Angustifolia agave that is cooked in earthen pits, milled by horse on a stone mill (tahona) and fermented naturally in wooden vats, before being double distilled in copper stills. Its profile is said to bring herbal and green notes with bright citrus, pear and banana.
Co-founder Susana Franyutti said: “By blending Mexican tradition with a modern ‘quality over quantity’ ethos, we’ve created a soulful spirit that challenges the status quo of massmarket mezcals.”
Hendrick’s adds another gin to its permanent range
William Grant & Sons launched Another Hendrick’s, marking the brand’s first new permanent gin release in almost a decade.
Another Hendrick’s is based on the brand’s original recipe but with the addition of two botanicals: cacao and orange blossom. “It is still obviously Hendrick’s but it has different elements coming through,” Hendrick’s master distiller Lesley Gracie said. The flavour profile is described as having vibrant juniper with bright and citrussy notes on the nose, including orange blossom and a slight sweetness.
On the palate, it is enhanced with cacao, citrus, orange blossom, and has a smooth finish. It clocks in at 41.4% ABV, and retails for RRP £33 (US$45).
Archie Rose comes of age
Australian distillery Archie Rose launched the third batch of its Single Cask Series, which includes its first age-statement release.
Batch No3 comprises a trio of rare single malt whiskies, hand-selected from more than 35,000 casks: Toasted Amber, a trade- exclusive single malt, and its first age statement expression, Six Year Old. The latter was matured for more than six years in an Australian apera fortified wine cask, and bottled at 50% ABV.
For the other whiskies, Toasted Amber is distilled from toasted amber malt, aged in an American oak ex-Bourbon cask, and offered at 54% ABV. The third expression in the series is an unspecified single malt whisky, available exclusively for the hospitality trade.
Lagavulin finds sweet spot between approachable and peaty
Diageo has released Lagavulin Sweet Peat, noting that the whisky “aligns naturally with the ways whisky is enjoyed today”.
Sweet Peat was aged in first-fill American oak ex-Bourbon casks for 11 years, and deviates from the Islay distillery’s trademark smoky profile with a layer of sweetness added to the flavour. Jesse Damashek, senior vice-president of whisky at Diageo, explained: “Sweet Peat presents peat in a way that tastes more approachable, while still delivering the depth and complexity long associated with Lagavulin.”
Sweet Peat’s notes include honeyed malt and toffee apple, while the finish lingers with peat smoke, dark chocolate and soft vanilla. Bottled at 43% ABV, it is available at select US retailers for US$69.99.
Redbreast’s latest Iberian Series whiskey spends time in Málaga before its release
Irish Distillers-owned Redbreast launched Moscatel Wine Cask Edition as the fifth expression in its Iberian Series.
The whiskey was finished for 16 months in Málaga Moscatel casks acquired from the Bodegas Quitapenas in Málaga, southern Spain, under the supervision of fifth-generation custodians Marta Suárez Prieto and Víctor Suárez Onrubial.
Redbreast Moscatel Wine Cask Edition has notes of sweet tangerine and twisted orange peel, while wine-seasoned oak imparts flavours of vanilla, floral honey and sugarglazed fruits. It is bottled at 46% ABV, and is priced at US$109.99.
Peddlers sweetens the deal with a candy-inspired gin
Shanghai’s Peddlers Gin launched an expression inspired by Tanghulu street candy.
The gin was released to celebrate Chinese New Year and the Year of the Horse. It follows the brand’s 2025 special edition Snake Oil Gin, which was inspired by Beijing’s erba sauce. For the Tanghulu Street Candy Gin, Peddlers has used its signature London Dry gin as a base and infused that with hawthorn, Guangdong liquorice, strawberry, juniper, coriander seed, Nanjing angelica, and Buddha’s Hand citrus.
The gin’s inspiration, Tanghulu, is a street candy found in Northern China that’s made with sugarcoated hawthorn and strawberries. The gin was initially launched in China with a retail price of CN¥290 (US$42), but is now also available in London.
Sazerac House opens door for liqueurs
The Sazerac House launched a collection of liqueurs designed for at-home cocktail making.
The range comprises six liqueurs: Curaçao, Triple Sec, Amaro, Elderflower, Coffee, and Aperitivo. Each aims to empower home bartenders to craft bar-quality drinks. They feature design elements on the bottles inspired by the architecture of The Sazerac House in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Thomas Register, The Sazerac House general manager, said: “With the Sazerac House of Cocktails collection, we wanted to make bar- quality cocktails more accessible at home.” The liqueurs range from 12.5% to 40% ABV, and are available at The Sazerac House – at 101 Magazine Street, New Orleans – for US$19.99 each.
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