While stout has long been a traditional favourite for St. Patrick's Day, research by Kahlúa, the world's number one coffee liqueur brand, shows that 60 per cent of Brits would rather drink an Espresso Martini over a stout to celebrate the emerald isle. And, with a quarter (22 per cent) ready to commit and make the switch exclusively from stout to their favourite coffee-based cocktail on the big day, it’s clear people are ready to stir things up this year.
Kahlúa is showing up in unexpected ways this St. Patrick’s Day to remind drinkers that they can – and should – choose the drink they really want. While 64 per cent of drinkers have felt social pressure to drink a certain drink to celebrate an occasion, nearly half (42 per cent) of drinkers fear they might be judged for ordering a cocktail instead of a pint on St. Patrick’s Day. Kahlúa is on a mission to get drinkers to stir things up and have the drink their heart actually desires with a deliciously creamy, Kahlúa Espresso Martini.
Research shows that even the most seasoned of stout drinkers will choose to opt for something lighter later in the evening. This St. Patrick’s Day weekend, Thursday 14th – Sunday 17th, Kahlúa is partnering with Dirty Martini Bars for 2-4-1 Espresso Martinis between 12pm-7pm to celebrate and say Slainte – or Salud – with a velvety smooth, sophisticated glass of the nation’s new favourite black and creamy drink. For those in London, Dirty Martini St. Paul’s will also be giving away mini pint glasses to the first 40 consumers to order an Espresso Martini from when they open at 4pm.
"Young adults are increasingly looking to break away from tradition and Kahlúa is here to save the day!" said Liam Murphy, Brand Director for Pernod Ricard UK. "40 per cent of people want to see more creativity in cocktail options on St. Patrick’s Day, so … enter the Irish Espresso Martini. Simply use Jameson Irish Whiskey alongside Kahlúa and a shot of espresso for the perfect Paddy’s Day drink. This year, we’re encouraging everyone to stir it up and enjoy their drink of choice."
Spearheaded by a disruptive hero 35-second asset, the campaign will roll out across the brand’s social media channels, digital out of home vans driving in Soho, London, a partnership with Dirty Martini Bars and via print media from today until Sunday.
Diablo, the producer of disobediently good wines, has inked a partnership with new musical The Devil Wears Prada, which makes its UK debut in London this month.
Diablo (which means "devil" in Spanish) will feature on programmes, and competitions will be run to award tickets for the shows, which run until 31 May 2025. Diablo wines will also be poured at Elton John’s Opening Night Gala at the British Museum in London on 1 December, where a bespoke "Diablo" bar will be built.
The Devil Wears Prada Musical is a new stage adaptation of the popular 2006 film, itself based on Lauren Weisberger's novel.
The Diablo wine brand, first launched in 2018, is growing at a phenomenal rate in the UK, +33.4 per cent by value in the past 52 weeks. It has successfully introduced new wines into its portfolio, with the original Diablo Dark Red being joined by Chardonnay, and most recently Purple Malbec, Volcanic Cab and Deep Carmenere, all listed in major multiple grocers.
Diablo is attracting a distinctive younger and more affluent shopper (45 per cent of its shoppers are under 45 versus 14 per cent of shoppers across total still wine).
“This is an incredibly exciting time for the brand," said Javiera Moller, Senior Brand Manager at Concha y Toro UK. "The Devil Wears Prada is an iconic and much-loved story, now brought to life on the London stage with a star cast and a great score by Elton John, and the 'devil' connection makes it a perfect partner for our brand.
“Our audience are disruptive, intelligent, stylish and early adopters of brands and trends. This partnership gives us the chance to activate with our target consumers, and build the profile of an already-thriving wine brand.”
From its initial launch in 2018 with Diablo Dark Red blend, the brand now has six wines in multiple retail distribution in the UK:
Diablo Dark Red
Diablo Volcanic Cabernet Sauvignon
Diablo Purple Malbec
Diablo Deep Carmenere
Diablo Golden Chardonnay
Diablo Crystal Sauvignon Blanc
The brand has grown from £2 million in retail sales value in the UK less than five years ago to be worth over £20 million today (RSV).
Scandinavian Tobacco Group UK has introduced this year’s limited-edition pack for its ever-popular Henri Wintermans Half Corona brand, which is available to retailers now.
The Henri Wintermans Half Corona is easily the biggest brand in the medium / large segment and is now the UK’s fifth biggest selling cigar in value terms, with annual sales worth £16.3m. This new limited edition “Gentleman” pack adds a personal touch to the brand and celebrates its long heritage and continuing success, designed in a timeless pin stripe suit with the logo and information stitched into the fabric, which reflects both the aspirational nature of the product and the attention to detail that goes into crafting these fine cigars. Despite the changes to the packaging, the cigars inside of course remain the same.
“Retailers certainly won’t need me to tell them that sales of larger cigars go up in the build up to Christmas when adult smokers are in celebratory mood and typically have more time to enjoy them,” said STG’s UK Head of Marketing, Prianka Jhingan. “Our Henri Wintermans Half Corona is always a big seller at this time of year and this limited issue Gentleman’s edition pack should only increase sales further. My advice to retailers is to stock up on it, as it is easily the UK’s best-selling medium / large cigar and has a loyal following due to its quality blend and heritage.”
Gordon’s is today unveiling its new ATL campaign, "Mix It Up". The ad, which shows consumers choosing to pace their consumption by switching between Gordon’s Pink and Gordon’s Pink 0.0%, has been created to empower consumers to moderate their consumption in a way that works for them.
Mix It Up is the first Gordon’s campaign to bring both Gordon’s Pink and Gordon’s Pink alcohol-free variants together in one advert. With 36 per cent of drinkers currently pacing their consumption with soft drinks and 49 per cent of alcohol-free occasions also featuring alcohol, the campaign offers those looking to moderate an option that doesn’t compromise on taste.
The new TVC invites viewers to join an evening out with a group of friends. As the group begin to drink their Gordon’s & Tonic, the screen splits in two to visually demonstrate how they choose to pace their night by switching between Gordon’s Pink and Gordon’s Pink 0.0%.
In addition to the new TVC, a suite of assets have been created to bring the campaign to life across social and digital channels. Whilst in the same universe as the commercial, the social content hero’s Gordon's long-term partner Maya Jama who brings to life how she chooses to mix it up for followers.
“When creating this campaign, we wanted to demonstrate that moderation didn’t have to be a binary decision between having something alcoholic or alcohol free," said Tayara Sousa Linke, Global Head of Marketing. "We know that this perceived choice impacts people’s decision to moderate, so, through Mix It Up, we wanted to highlight that it is possible to seamlessly switch between the two and enjoy the same great taste of Gordon’s Pink whilst moderating with Gordon’s Pink Alcohol Free.”
The new creative will run across BVOD, Social and Digital channels in GB.
Scandinavian Tobacco Group UK is pleased to introduce this year’s limited-edition pack for its ever-popular Henri Wintermans Half Corona brand, which is available to retailers now.
The Henri Wintermans Half Corona is easily the biggest brand in the medium / large segment and is now the UK’s fifth biggest selling cigar in value terms, with annual sales worth £16.3m. This new limited edition "Gentleman" pack adds a personal touch to the brand and celebrates its long heritage and continuing success, designed in a timeless pin stripe suit with the logo and information stitched into the fabric, which reflects both the aspirational nature of the product and the attention to detail that goes into crafting these fine cigars. Despite the changes to the packaging, the cigars inside of course remain the same.
“Retailers certainly won’t need me to tell them that sales of larger cigars go up in the build up to Christmas when adult smokers are in celebratory mood and typically have more time to enjoy them," said STG’s UK Head of Marketing, Prianka Jhingan. "Our Henri Wintermans Half Corona is always a big seller at this time of year and this limited issue Gentleman’s edition pack should only increase sales further. My advice to retailers is to stock up on it, as it is easily the UK’s best-selling medium / large cigar and has a loyal following due to its quality blend and heritage.”
Highgrove today (25) announced the launch of its new limited-edition Royal Gardens Single Malt Whisky, made using heritage barley grown on the Highgrove Estate.
This special edition has been created from a unique vatting of Cotswolds Distillery single malt whisky made using heritage Plumage Archer barley grown at the Highgrove Estate and aged in premium active ex-red wine and first fill bourbon casks.
Plumage Archer is a barley variety which yields a subtle but unique twist on Cotswolds’ new make spirit. The Royal Gardens edition was bottled exclusively by Cotswolds Distillery on Oct 21 2024 and a limited-edition collection of just 400 bottles is available to purchase exclusively from The Highgrove Shop at Highgrove Gardens, the Highgrove website and Cotswolds Distillery shops and website.
Each bottle of Highgrove Royal Gardens Single Malt Whisky is numbered and adorned with a label showcasing a watercolour of The South Front, Highgrove House by His Majesty King Charles III reproduced by kind permission of The King’s Foundation to Cotswolds Distillery.
The King’s Foundation is the custodian of Highgrove Gardens for the opening of Highgrove Gardens to the public, which generates an annual income for the charity. All profits from sales of the whisky will support The King's Foundation for its charitable delivery of education and training initiatives, some of which take place at Highgrove.
The King’s Foundation’s base at Highgrove accommodates education and training opportunities in furniture-making, fashion, and textiles, and building craft skills.
Scott Simpson, Retail Director at The King’s Foundation, said: "We are so excited to launch a new limited edition whisky with Cotswolds Distillery and it’s particularly special that it has been produced using heritage barley grown on the Highgrove Estate. The garden at Highgrove provides inspiration for all of our products, including our extensive range of food and drink made using ingredients from the garden. We are proud that all of the proceeds from Highgrove products are ploughed back into the work of The King’s Foundation and the charity’s educational delivery which takes place on site.’’
Cotswolds Distillery Founder Dan Szor comments, “We are so happy with our ongoing relationship with Highgrove, which represents traditional values of British craftsmanship at its finest, and it is an honour indeed to adorn this bottling with His Majesty's beautiful painting of the Highgrove Estate”
The Cotswolds Distillery is the first and only full-scale distillery in the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It is committed to being a model of environmentally sustainable rural business, creating jobs and highlighting its beautiful region to visitors from around the world.
All the barley is sourced locally and traditionally floor-malted at nearby Warminster Maltings, Britain’s oldest working maltings, where Plumage Archer barley was originally invented in 1906.
Highgrove Royal Gardens Single Malt Whisky ABV: 50% is RRP at £250 for a 70cl bottle. It is available to purchase exclusively from: Highgrove and Cotswolds Distillery.