The Butterfly Cannon tequila has released a new ultra premium 100 percent agave Reposado expression – The Winged King – available to UK specialist retailers, food and drinks stores and independent outlets now with an RRP of £99.00 for a 700ml bottle.
Part of the Biggar and Leith portfolio, the new-to-market Butterfly Cannon Reposado uses quality blue agave from the finest seven and eight year-old blue agave plants in Jalisco, Mexico. The Winged King is crafted using two methods: 50 percent of the piñas are slowly steam-roasted in centuries old stone walled brick steam ovens for up to 54 hours to release rich and dynamic flavours, then cooled for up to three days before being mashed and distilled.
The remaining piñas are cooked by autoclaves with high pressure steam to produce a clean and smooth tasting tequila. The method unites old-world traditions with new-world innovation, before fermentation that exceeds 48 hours, and double distillation in pot stills.
The spirit is then rested in American Oak ex-Bourbon barrels for a minimum of eight months, surpassing category standards, to create a rich amber liquid with a golden hue and a nose of mellow oak and citrus and notes of natural agave, warm vanilla, tree nuts, spiced cloves, ground cinnamon, caramel, and oak.
“Hailing from Mexico’s most awarded distillery, Destiladora del Valle de Tequila (Casa Maestri), The Butterfly Cannon Reposado offers the UK a high end, ultra-premium and beautifully executed tequila,” Tim Dunlop, European commercial director at Biggar and Leith, said.
“It will capture the attention of consumers brought into the category who are seeking something truly special, that tastes as good as it looks. It’s suggested to serve neat, over ice or in a Reposado Margarita and gives retailers the opportunity to stock an exceptional agave spirit when exploration and graduation within tequila and its popularity is at an all-time high.”
Honouring its old world heritage and to command attention on fixture, The Winged King is beautifully presented in a handmade, heirloom quality, black gloss ceramic bottle, adorned with tactile embossing with silver accents. It carries a solid chrome stopper featuring a life size monarch butterfly statuette. A matching branded black and white box features the name ‘The Winged King’ alongside subtle imagery of butterfly wings.
“We’re so excited about the launch of The Winged King Reposado into the UK retail market and we know consumers are ready for it. It’s a standout tequila with striking branding and a unique bottle, and it’s certain to create a buzz in store and really bring a feeling of luxury the home drinks cabinet. It makes a decadent gift idea for tequila fans with its premium black box and is set to be the tequila to know about in 2024,” Dunlop said.
The Winged King joins the brand’s range of 100 percent agave tequilas which draws inspiration from the butterfly migration from the US to the agave fields in Mexico. The range also includes The Butterfly Cannon Silver Cristalino which is aged in barrels for up to 30 days before being charcoal filtered, The Butterfly Cannon Rosa, infused with pink grapefruit peel silver tequila, and The Butterfly Cannon Tequila Blue, the world’s first colour changing tequila.
The range is available to retailers now via Craftwork.
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).
Tilda has announced the launch of its 2024 limited-edition tin, created in collaboration with Lovo, a non-profit organisation dedicated to empowering and inspiring women and their families.
The tin will be available from November at independent retailers, offered free with a 2kg purchase of Tilda Pure Basmati Rice for a limited time only.
Designed to celebrate diversity and women’s empowerment, the tin features intricate patterns that embody sisterhood, while its vibrant flora and fauna reflect community and personal growth. The striking colour palette of green, yellow, pink, and blue conveys strength and gratitude—values that resonate deeply within the Lovo community.
Not only is this tin visually captivating, but it is also practical, making it an ideal storage solution for rice while symbolising support for a noble cause.
To commemorate the launch, Tilda and Lovo hosted a celebratory event on 26 September, unveiling the limited-edition tin to over 150 attendees, including the mayor of Southwark, Naima Ali. Highlights of the event included a keynote address from a financial expert, a global lunch featuring Jollof rice and biryani, lively performances by drummers and dancers, and a special moment where guests were encouraged to write their dreams and aspirations for the future on a symbolic ‘Tree of Aspiration’ that stood at the heart of the celebration.
“This vibrant tin reflects the varied cultures and communities that Tilda serves. Rice is such an integral part of meals worldwide, and we are thrilled to partner with Lovo, an organisation that aligns perfectly with our values of diversity and empowerment.” Anna Beheshti, head of marketing at Tilda, said.
Ola Stephen, founder and director of Lovo, added, “The tin is a true celebration of diversity. It is not only beautiful but also embodies the spirit of the community we are nurturing together.”
Last month, Tilda announced a £10,000 donation to support Lovo’s initiatives.
ADRIATICO is once again disrupting the amaretto category by expanding its portfolio, this time in the world of rum. ADRIATICO Amaretto today announces the launch of ADRIATICO Roasted Amaretto Planteray Rum Cask, a new limited edition amaretto made up of only 2,600 bottles, in collaboration with the prestigious rum producer.
This is the fourth limited edition ADRIATICO Amaretto release following the successful Heaven Hill Bourbon Cask, Caroni Rum Cask and Bonollo Grappa Cask expressions. The new limited edition expression ages ADRIATICO Roasted Amaretto for eight months in ex-Planteray Fijian Rum casks, creating an intense amaretto with nuances of classic rum flavours.
As part of the collaboration, Maison Ferrand, producers of Planteray Rum, have also used ADRIATICO Amaretto casks to age their Barbados Single Cask Rum from 2017. This will be the first time that a rum has been matured in an ex-amaretto cask and approximately 1,500 bottles will be released.
"It was essential to have a very intense rum to complement the intensity of the amaretto," said Fannie Thibaud, Head of Creation and Experimentation at Maison Ferrand. "Amaretto is quite sweet, so we needed a rum that was more tannic and structured to achieve a nicely balanced palate. Additionally, the almond and sweet orange notes pair perfectly with the coffee and toasted flavours of the Fiji rum, with slightly animalistic notes that further enhance the marriage of these spirits.”
Jean-Robert Bellanger, Co-Founder of ADRIATICO Amaretto, says: “We are thrilled to collaborate with such a famous rum producer for our fourth limited edition expression. Planteray is a leader in the rum category, producing original blends and single-cask rums from around the world. We found that the Planteray Fijian Rum Casks enhanced ADRIATICO Roasted Amaretto beautifully. We decided to trade our ADRIATICO Roasted Amaretto casks with the founder of Planteray, Alexandre Gabriel, so that he could age his Barbados Single Cask Rum in our Amaretto casks and so that we could use his rum casks to age our Amaretto, creating a fantastic limited edition rum and amaretto. The result is a cosy amaretto with hints of spices and strength.”
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.”