Michael Jordan’s tequila, keg negroni and chocolate martinis: the best new spirit launches

Cocktail bars are always competing for custom in a crowded market, trying to create a buzz around a unique offering, so the latest spirits launches are aimed at helping venues stand out and bring quirky twists to traditional recipes.

 

So to ensure your cocktail bars are the place to be, we have rounded up the most innovative new additions to the UK liquor portfolio.

 

Find new options to update your cocktail menu below.

 

Negroni from a keg

 

Edinburgh-based gin distillery Electric Spirit Co has launched the Kegroni. The cocktail is made from the distiller’s Achroous gin mixed with Bitter Fusetti and Valentian vermouth, and is designed to be hooked up to and poured from a standard beer keg. Each keg gives 200 pre-chilled, ready-to-drink negronis, each with a pour time of around five seconds. Kegroni uses returnable kegs, each of which removes 24 glass bottles, closures and other secondary packaging from the supply chain.

 

Price £395

 

Photo: James Porteous

 

Whiskey-beer hybrid

 

Independent bottler the Heart Cut has released two experimental malts in collaboration with St George Spirits, a San Francisco craft distillery. Cask #08 is made from malted barley infused with sage and brewed with hops and bay added as a hot-side aroma. Bottled at 54% abv, the flavour profile has notes of dried chamomile and toasted brioche, with hints of Calvados and sage from the beer. Cask #09, which began as a coffee stout made from malted barley before being distilled and aged in a new American oak barrel, has tasting notes of green pepper, jalapeño, poached pears, white chocolate matcha and smoky chocolate.

 

Price Cask #09, £46.33

 

New tequila range hits the UK

 

Tequila and mezcal brand Casa Don Ramon has debuted an eight-strong range on British shores, created from Tequilana Weber blue agave from Los Altos de Jalisco, Mexico. The range includes the smooth-profiled Tequila Plata, Tequila Reposado, which has a palate of wood and herbs, and Tequila Cristalino, which is is double-distilled and charcoal-filtered for a clear hue. Tequila Añejo and Extra Añejo each have a bold, aromatic character, and Tequila Don Ramón Tamarindo has a spicy tamarind flavour. Casa Don Ramón Mezcal, the Mezcal Joven line, features Salmiana and Espadín varieties, Mezcal Don Ramón Salmiana originates from 100% Salmiana agave and Mezcal Don Ramón Espadín is crafted from 100% Espadín agave.

 

Price Tequila Plata, £25.75

 

Chocolate Martini from the Amazon

 

Norfolk vodka brand Wild Knight has added a new liqueur to its range with the launch of its Chocolate Martini. The vodka-based drink is made from rare Criollo cacao beans from the Peruvian Amazon, which are considered a delicacy and prized for their superior flavour. The 20% abv Chocolate Martini promises chocolate richness with complex notes of fruit, nuts and flowers, and is available to the on-trade nationwide.

 

Price Case of 6 x 50cl bottles, £123.30

 

Basketball icons’ tequila

 

Spirits distributor Mangrove Global is importing Cincoro tequila to the UK. The brand was launched in 2019 by five NBA players: Jeanie Buss of the Los Angeles Lakers, Wes Edens of the Milwaukee Bucks, Emilia Fazzalari and Wyc Grousbeck of the Boston Celtics, and Michael Jordan. Cincoro offers five expressions, all using 100% Blue Weber agave from both highland and lowland appellations of Jalisco, Mexico. All the brand’s tequilas begin as Cincoro Blanco and are then aged in Tennessee whiskey barrels.

 

Price Cincoro Blanco,  £45

 

Golden gin from Marrakech

 

Palmaráe Gin Premier Cru (44% abv) is a new golden gin that pairs the flavours and botanicals of Marrakech with the distilling technique and water from Cognac. Orange blossom, mandarin, Moroccan mint, Medjool dates and Fleur de Sel de Marrakech are sourced from small-batch suppliers and blended by master distiller Miko Abouaf to create a smooth golden-hued gin.

 

Price £51.99

 

Small-batch dark rum

 

British rum brand DropWorks has launched its latest small-batch creation and the first barrel-matured product to join its core range: Barrel Drop rum. The spirit is matured in casks to produce a full bodied 40% abv dark rum with tasting notes of rum and raisin ice-cream, jammy dates and warm winter spices. Barrel Drop is matured for a shorter time than conventional aged rums but has a rich and layered flavour profile despite the shorter maturation process.

 

Price 700ml bottle, £22.50, for a minimum order of five litres

 

Rare añejo tequila

Casa Noble has introduced Marqués de Casa Noble Tequila to the UK, a premium, limited-release spirit made from 100% Blue Weber agave grown in Jalisco, Mexico. This rare añejo tequila is aged in French oak barrels for up to five years and offers a smooth, complex flavour profile with notes of cooked agave, vanilla, ripe fruits and spices. The blend of 12 extra añejos and nine añejos is overseen by founder and master tequilero José Pepe Hermosillo.

 

Price 70cl bottle, £240