32 · BBII 6/2020
BEVERAGE INNOVATIONS
SPARKLING ICE SPIKED
LAUNCHES NEW HARD
SELTZER
Make some room on the shelves
for the newest addition to the hard
seltzer line-up, Sparkling Ice
Spiked™. Available since November
2020, the new Sparkling Ice
Spiked is a full-flavored hard seltzer
with 4 % alcohol, zero sugar,
1g carbs, only 80 calories, and is
gluten-free.
Infused with deliciously satisfying
blends of natural fruit flavors,
Sparkling Ice Spiked is available in
12-oz. slim cans in a variety
twelve-pack featuring four refreshing
flavors: Cherry Lime
Cooler, Lemonade Refresher,
Ruby Fizz, and Strawberry Citrus
Smash.
The hard seltzer brand was first
introduced to consumers in August
2020 as part of the brand’s
soft launch in test markets across
the U.S. The newest product to hit
shelves will reflect a new, eye-
SAMUEL ADAMS‘ NEW WINTER LAGER
BRINGS A WINTERY REMIX TO HOLIDAY CLASSICS
Tis the season for holiday gear inspired by beer! Samuel Adams has
teamed up with holiday apparel company Tipsy Elves and bakeries Top
Shelf Cookies and Brewscuits to bring home the ultimate collection of
holiday flair to enjoy with family, friends, and even canine companions.
From toasting with seasonal brews to wearing matching dog-and-me
festive attire, drinkers will have everything they need to eat, drink, and be
merry from home, Winter Lager in hand.
Samuel Adams brewers have reformulated the storied Winter Lager to
bring drinkers a crisper and brighter experience with every sip. Featuring
an enhanced crisp bock recipe and amplified orange notes inspired by
the season, the deep ruby
brown beer features hints of
seasonal spices that complement
its rich, caramel
maltiness with just a touch
of bitterness and a hint of
citrus in the finish that
brings a festive flavor to any
holiday celebration.
“As one of the first seasonal
beers we brewed over 30
years ago, Winter Lager
was inspired by the unique
flavors and festivities of the
holiday season that bring
drinkers together,” said Jim Koch, Samuel Adams Founder and Brewer.
“Constantly optimizing our recipes in pursuit of better beer, Samuel
Adams brewers revisited the complex profile of this long-loved beer to
create a crisper and brighter Winter Lager that boasts the spice and
citrus flavors of the season with a malty finish and greater drinkability.”
Spicing up the Winter Classics Variety Pack is Samuel Adams Holiday
White Ale, the new perfect plus-one for the holiday season. Blending
orange peel with holiday spice for a golden, hazy beer with a slightly
sweet, herbal spice, and citrus aroma, Holiday White Ale complements
any festive occasion. Delivering a true wintery remix, the Winter Classics
Variety Pack also features bold and hoppy American IPA and dark and
robust Holiday Porter alongside flagship Boston Lager and smooth and
crisp Sam ‘76 – ensuring there is no shortage of ways to keep drinkers’
spirits bright this year.
Further information: www.samueladams.com
BLAKE‘S HARD CIDER
RELEASES NEW LIMITED-
EDITION FLAVOR BERRY
CRANDERS
Blake’s Hard Cider (BHC), the
Midwest‘s largest craft cidery, introduces
Berry Cranders, a new
flavor addition to the hard cider
winter lineup. This new hard cider
flavor is part of the Blake‘s Limited
Series and will be available for
purchase in stores and online this
winter, while supplies last.
Inspired by the flavors of winter
and the holiday season, Berry
Cranders is a semi-sweet hard
cider and offers sophistication
with a slight tartness up front,
complemented by sweet apples,
and spice at the finish. With a
6.9 % ABV, enjoy it on its own or
as a substitute for ginger beer in
your holiday cocktails.
ZING ZANG EXPANDS
FROM COCKTAIL MIXES
INTO BEVERAGE ALCOHOL
NEW PREMIUM
SPIRITS-BASED RTDS
The Zing Zang brand – on track to
sell more than two million cases of
premium, naturally crafted mixers
this year – has quickly become the
top name in cocktail mix in the
U.S., and has announced the
launch of a new line of spirits
based ready-to-drink (RTD)
canned cocktails.
Zing Zang RTD cocktails – initially
available in three varieties: Bloody
Mary, Margarita, and Bourbon
Whiskey Sour – combine Zing
Zang’s award-winning cocktail
mixes with premium high-quality
vodka, silver tequila, and Kentucky
bourbon. Each 12-ounce
can contains nine percent alcohol
by volume, the same ABV as most
bartender-made cocktails, and offers
the convenience of two servings.
The Zing Zang RTDs will be
introduced initially in 20 U.S.
states, with additional distribution
to follow in 2021.
“Consumers want bartender-quality
cocktails that are convenient
for at-home and on-the-go consumption.
That’s exactly what
Zing Zang has always been known
and trusted to deliver,” says Brent
Albertson, CEO at Chicago-based
Zing Zang, LLC, who previously
spent 30 years in leadership roles
at Diageo. “Our new RTDs are real
cocktails, made with our bold Zing
Zang mixes and high-quality premium
spirits, unlike most canned
cocktail drinks and hard seltzers
which are just watered-down malt
or beer-based drinks.”
This year’s Samuel Adams Winter Lager features a
crisper and brighter remixed recipe and new ways
to enjoy holiday favorites from home.
“The mix is the majority of a drink,
so the quality of that mix is crucial.
Zing Zang is the leading mix brand
in the U.S. because we’re committed
to only producing bold, premium
quality mixes made with natural
ingredients, real fruit and vegetable
juices, and no high fructose
corn syrup. That same award-winning
mix is what gives our new
ready-to-drink cocktails their outstanding
taste and consistent
quality,” adds Albertson.
Further information:
www.zingzang.com
“At Blake’s, we live by the motto
that making memories is always in
season and we extend that to all
our hard ciders, too. If nothing
else, 2020 has certainly been a
memorable year and 2021 will
mark 75 years my family has been
in the farm and apple business,”
said Andrew Blake, BHC founder
and owner. “We are always working
to innovate in the distillery and
this year, as many of us were
missing our loved ones, we had a
special focus on creating a hard
cider that would capture the flavors
of the holidays and being together
– cranberry and ginger. We
hope our BHC fans love it as much
as we do.”
Like Blake’s full line of hard ciders,
Berry Cranders is all natural and
gluten-free made from a five-apple
blend of fresh-pressed Michigan
apples grown and harvested
on Blake’s orchard with no artificial
flavorings or sweeteners.
Established in 2013, Blake’s Hard
Cider is an independent, family
owned and operated Michigan
craft cidery. Located on a 1,000-
acre orchard in Armada, Mich.,
Blake’s Hard Cider was founded
on the values of its almost 75-year
farming roots.
Further information:
www.blakeshardcider.com
catching packaging update featuring
a sleek and modern design
and enhanced logo based off
learnings from the soft launch.
Along with the product launch, the
team behind Sparkling Ice Spiked
is also launching a nationwide
sales and marketing campaign.
The campaign will come to life
through in-person and at-home
activations, including in-store
POS and holiday promotions,
earned media outreach and mailers,
influencer programming, targeted
digital media and banner
ads, paid social, and more.
Further information:
www.SparklingIceSpiked.com
/www.samueladams.com
/www.zingzang.com
/www.blakeshardcider.com
/www.SparklingIceSpiked.com