Top spirits launches from May 2026
May took off with two Formula One-inspired whiskies and never slowed down, as the month’s roundup of new spirits launches shows.
With summer on the doorstep, May saw spirits brands make a play for current consumer trends, with Diageo releasing a mini version of its canned cocktail collection and Cotswolds Distillery creating a Wild Spritz Aperitivo.
In other hot launches from the month, Chivas Regal and Jack Daniel’s called on their Formula One partnerships to steer limited-edition whiskies, while Lost Explorer unveiled its second Tequila – a Reposado aged in Sauternes, PX Sherry and Bourbon casks.
For the full lineup of new spirits that hit the market in May, read on.
For more new releases, see what products launched in March and April.
F1’s Charles Leclerc drives into the hot seat to speed ahead with Chivas Regal 16 Years Old
Blended Scotch brand Chivas Regal teamed up with Formula One driver Charles Leclerc to launch its first 16-year-old whisky.
Leclerc, who is global brand ambassador for Chivas Regal, collaborated on the blend with Chivas Brothers’ former master blender Sandy Hyslop. It blends six ‘exceptional’ whiskies, each aged for at least 16 years, with a Sherry caskmatured Longmorn single malt hand-selected by Leclerc, at its heart.
The whisky’s profile contains notes of sweet mandarin, raisins and manuka honey on the nose, plus a palate of orange marmalade and apple cake. The 40% ABV whisky can be purchased on Amazon for £64 (US$69.99).
Never Never gets first squeeze out of Landers Pocket distillery
Australian producer Never Never released Landers Lime Gin as the first expression from the brand’s micro-distillery, Landers Pocket, located at Brisbane International Airport.
Landers Pocket opened at the end of 2025, and the lime-forward gin is expected to be the first of many spirits to be produced at the site. The expression is built around lime, with finger lime, Tahitian lime, desert lime and Makrut lime leaf all featured in the condenser basket.
Landers Lime Gin sits at 40% ABV and retails for AU$80 (US$58).
Tamnavulin Distillery marks its 60th anniversary
Whyte & Mackay’s Tamnavulin Distillery released a 25-year-old single malt to celebrate its 60th anniversary this year.
Titled Tamnavulin 25 Year Old Moscatel Cask 60th Anniversary, the whisky was distilled during a rare six-week distillation window when it re-fired its stills in 2000, after being mothballed in May 1995 and officially reopening in 2007. The liquid spent its first 20 years maturing in American oak barrels and was aged for an additional five years in a single Moscatel cask.
Bottled at cask strength of 51.8% ABV, it has aromas of oranges, poached pear, creamy custard, and a hint of balsamic vinegar. The release is limited to 290 bottles, priced at £260 (US$354) and is available at specialist whisky bars, pubs, and shops in the UK.
It takes two to Tango for Au Vodka
Carlsberg Britvic-owned soft drinks brand Tango partnered with Au Vodka to capitalise on the continued growth in the premium ready-to-drink (RTD) category.
The partnership launched with two carbonated variants, both inspired by Tango’s apple and orange flavours, and combining Au Vodka’s premium spirits positioning with Tango’s established consumer recognition.
Jackson Quinn, co-founder of Au Vodka, said: “We see this as a strong commercial opportunity in the ready-to-drink category. Combining the recognition and familiarity of Tango with Au Vodka’s established consumer audience creates a product with broad appeal across both retail and on-trade channels.”
The RTDs launched in the UK and have an ABV of 5% per 330ml can.
Monaco crowns new Beluga bottle
Noblewood Group has collaborated with the Principality of Monaco to create a limited edition bottle for Beluga Noble Vodka.
The bottle follows the release of Beluga Noble Winter, a collaboration with the Swiss town of St Moritz. The Monaco bottle is Beluga Vodka’s first release of a summer-destination edition and was created to highlight the brand’s presence at high-summer, resort-focused events.
The label design draws inspiration from Monaco’s coastal landscape and architectural features. The vodka remains the same, with the spirit distilled in Latvia from winter wheat, blended with spring water, and rested for 30 days. Beluga Noble Summer Monaco is available in 700ml and one-litre formats.
Cotswolds Distillery heads off the beaten path with its Wild Spritz aperitivo
English spirits producer Cotswolds Distillery launched an aperitivo called Wild Spritz.
The expression is the distillery’s interpretation of a bittersweet English aperitivo, crafted with classic local botanicals such as lavender, hops, and lemon balm, along with bright, distilled fresh orange peel.
Cotswolds Wild Spritz is bottled at 30% ABV, and is best enjoyed paired with sparkling wine and a splash of soda. Its label features floral and botanical designs. It retails for £25 (US$33) for a 700ml bottle.
McLaren F1 car is the driving force behind Jack Daniel’s whiskey
Brown-Forman-owned Jack Daniel’s released what is described as the most premium and limited global release in the distillery’s history: Halo MK1.
The Tennessee whiskey is part of the brand’s partnership with the McLaren Mastercard Formula 1 Team. It is fitted with custom-engineered McLaren Formula One packaging and mirrors the ‘halo’ shape of the team’s racing car.
The liquid, meanwhile, comprises Jack Daniel’s signature mash bill of 80% corn, 8% rye, and 12% malted barley. It was bottled at 58.7% ABV as an homage to the number of McLaren Racing’s founder Bruce McLaren’s first race car (#58), an Austin 7 Ulster. The whiskey is available in select global markets in limited quantities for US$599.99.
EH Taylor Jr brings back Four Grain and Cured Oak
Buffalo Trace Distillery reintroduced two Bourbon expressions to its Colonel EH Taylor Jr collection: Four Grain and Cured Oak.
First introduced in 2017, EH Taylor Jr Four Grain Bourbon is a small batch whiskey bottled at 50% ABV. Its mashbill features corn, rye, wheat and malted barley – grains that would have been accessible to the brand’s founder, Colonel EH Taylor, in the 1800s.
EH Taylor Jr Cured Oak Bourbon Whiskey, meanwhile, first appeared in the range in 2015. Also offered at 50% ABV, the bottled-in-bond Bourbon is aged for 10 years in barrels made from white oak staves that have been air-dried for 13 months – more than double the standard curing time.
There’s plenty of passion behind Tarquin’s new Connie Glaze liqueur
Cornish distiller Tarquin’s Spirits created a Passion Fruit Vodka Liqueur under its Connie Glaze brand.
Inspired by the Passion Fruit Martini, the liqueur was designed for Spritz serves. It is made in small batches, slowly filtered through Cornish golden sand, and then blended with passion fruit.
Master distiller Tarquin Leadbetter said the liqueur “captures all the vibrant flavour and fun of a Passion Fruit Martini in a refreshing, easy-to-serve Spritz”. Connie Glaze Passion Fruit Vodka Liqueur sits at 20% ABV, and retails for £28 (US$37).
Kyrö is game for whisky collaboration
Finland’s Kyrö Distillery launched a pair of Game of Thrones-inspired whiskies.
The two 100% rye whiskies were created with Warner Bros Discovery Global Consumer Products, and pay tribute to the Game of Thrones TV series. Inspired by House Targaryen and its motto ‘fire and blood’, the expressions are called Whisky of Fire and Whisky of Blood.
Bottled at 46.6% ABV, Whisky of Fire is made from 100% smoked malted rye, aged in ex-Bourbon barrels and finished in rum casks. A lighter expression with a more delicate character, Whisky of Blood is made from 100% malted rye and aged in ex-Bourbon and French oak casks, with an ABV of 46%.
Both are available globally in limited quantities, with an RRP of €70-€85 (US$81-US$99) per 700ml bottle.
Diageo pockets mini cans for North American summer
Diageo released miniature canned versions of its ready-to-drink Cocktail Collection in the US.
The new canned lineup comprises five cocktails: Ketel One Vodka Espresso Martini; Ketel One Vodka Cosmopolitan; Bulleit Old Fashioned; Bulleit Whiskey Sour; and Crown Royal Black Cherry Whisky Sour.
Each cocktail is packaged in a 100ml single-serve can, which Diageo described as “perfectly portioned” for on-the-go occasions such as beach days or picnics. The Cocktail Collection Mini Cans come in three formats – individual 100ml cans (US$4.99), single-flavour fourpacks (US$18.99), and a mixed variety sixpack featuring three flavours (US$25.99) – and are available nationwide in the US.
Ron Tepuy undergoes a super-premium relaunch
Dug Group has relaunched its Venezuelan rum brand Ron Tepuy.
Produced at Dug Group’s Destilería Unidas facility in Venezuela, Ron Tepuy has existed in its domestic market since 2009. It is made using regionally sourced sugarcane and tropical ageing conditions, meaning that maturation occurs up to two or three times faster than in cooler climates. The range has been redesigned and repositioned as a super-premium rum in its home market and internationally for 2026.
The brand’s two rums, Ron Tepuy Monumento (RRP US$39.99) and Ron Tepuy Destino (US$29.99), both sit at 40% ABV. Monumento has aromas of dark cherry and spices alongside velvety dried plum, toasted nuts and a touch of dark chocolate. Destino features toasted oak and vanilla on the nose, with toasted nuts and subtle spices on the palate. The products have debuted in France, Spain, and the US.
Elijah Craig raises a toast to 2026 PGA Championship
Heaven Hill-owned Elijah Craig created a commemorative Bourbon for the 2026 PGA Championship golf tournament.
Elijah Craig was the official Bourbon of this year’s PGA Championship, which took place between 14 and 17 May at Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania.
The Bourbon was bottled at 108 proof (54% ABV) to mark the golf major’s 108th edition, while the liquid came from a small batch of barrels from Heaven Hill Distillery’s N and S rickhouses.
It has aromas of vanilla, clove, cinnamon and citrus, followed by butterscotch, ripe berries and baking spices on the palate. The bottle is available at select retailers nationwide in the US for US$36.99.
Lost Explorer charts reposado release
The Lost Explorer released a reposado Tequila in partnership with maestro tequilero Enrique de Colsa.
The 40% ABV reposado was shaped through a blended resting process with Sauternes wine casks, Pedro Ximénez Sherry casks and Bourbon barrels, which is described as a first for the category. De Colsa was able to have complete autonomy in the Tequila- making process. This allowed him to be more experimental, and approach crafting the reposado in a way that has not been done before: via multicask ageing.
The reposado joins the brand’s blanco, which launched in 2024, and The Lost Explorer mezcal – the brand’s first product which debuted in 2020. The reposado is priced at £59.99 (US$81.75).
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