Japanese distillers,  House of Suntory pays tribute to the passage of time and the legacy of the founding family of Japanese whisky with Yamazaki 55, which celebrates the Japanese “Showa” era of the 1960s that represented a major period of change for the House of Suntory.

Bottled in 2020, the expression will be available in extremely limited quantities across global markets including the United States, the United Kingdom, Mainland China and Taiwan later this month. The resulting expression features a deep amber color; robust aroma redolent of sandal wood and well-ripened fruit; sweet, slightly bitter and woody palate; and slightly bitter yet sweet and rich finish.

Yamazaki 55 is a blend of precious single malts featuring components distilled in 1960 under the supervision of Suntory’s founder Shinjiro Torii and then aged in Mizunara casks; and in 1964 under Suntory’s Second Master Blender Keizo Saji and then aged in White Oak casks.

Suntory’s Fifth-Generation Chief Blender Shinji Fukuyo worked closely with Third-Generation Master Blender Shingo Torii in deploying their signature art of blending to properly reveal the exceptional depth, complexity and wisdom that is Yamazaki 55.

“Throughout the process of blending Yamazaki 55, I used as inspiration the passage of time and ‘Wabi-sabi’ – the Japanese belief that imperfections can help to ultimately contribute to perfection,” said Fukuyo. “While I often view other extra aged whiskies as art, I consider Yamazaki 55 to be more like a Buddhist statue: calm and mysterious, requiring time to truly enjoy the inner beauty.”

To honor its ongoing commitment to give back to society, Beam Suntory, will donate $5,000 USD for every bottle released in this year’s 100-bottle collection, totaling $500,000 USD, to The White Oak Initiative, a group committed to the long-term sustainability of America’s white oak forests.

Condesa, the fastest-growing Super Premium Gin in Mexico, will launch two expressions, Clásica and Prickly Pear & Orange Blossom, in the US.

Created to reflect a younger and more cosmopolitan vision of the country that reaches beyond Agave, Condesa Gin showcases the endless possibilities of Mexico’s rich and diverse botanicals and distilling talent.

“The gin category is evolving, as consumers trade up to premium brands from interesting places with compelling stories,” said Britt West, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Spirit of Gallo, the American Spirits Company that imports the brand.

“We know Condesa will appeal to consumers who want a truly unique and creative experience, and we look forward to working with the founders and ownership team to help Condesa reach its full potential.”

Named after one of Mexico City’s most iconic neighbourhoods, Condesa is artisanally made by a team led by award-winning master distiller Hillhamn Salome in a micro-distillery in the heart of the city. Her chosen botanicals nod to local rituals for cleansing the body and mind and amplification of consciousness.

Once a secret of Mexico’s culinary royalty, both expressions have been adopted by some of the best bars in the world from Mexico City to New York, Los Angeles and Rome.

For more information, go to condesagin.com

With a nod to its Southern Heritage, Tennessee Whiskey brand Jack Daniel’s has expanded its Country Cocktail range with the release of its new Hard Tea.

Debuting with four flavours – Original, Peach, Raspberry, and Blackberry – the range looks to achieve a perfect balance of black tea, true-to-fruit flavour, and sweet finish.

“We are excited about our launch of Jack Daniel’s Country Cocktails Hard Tea entering the fast-growing hard tea category,” said Keith Cunningham, VP of Partnerships – Pabst.

“Through our partnership with Brown-Forman and the iconic Jack Daniel’s brand, we’ve developed a new twist on the beverage that pays homage to its traditional southern roots.”

Perfect for sipping on the porch paired with a good conversation, each flavour offers drinkers a bold and refreshing quality experience for those who know what tea is all about.

“All four of our great flavours each shine in their own way. It’ll be hard to choose a favourite, but every flavour is guaranteed to deliver a smooth, bright and refreshing experience for consumers,” Cunningham continued. 

The four flavours will be available in a 12-oz can twelve-pack in thirteen states, including CA, TX, ID, AL, GA, SC, NC, TN, KY, IL, MI, WI, and PA. The Original & Peach will also be offered in 16oz and 23.5oz single-serve cans in those limited states.

For more information, go to jackdaniels.com

Global tequila brand Casamigos has teamed up with Iconic supermodel and entrepreneur Cindy Crawford to release its latest expression, Casamigas Jalapeño Tequila.

Crawford’s drink of choice inspired Casamigos Tequila founders George Clooney, Rande Gerber and Mike Meldman to create the jalapeño tequila that is naturally flavoured with jalapeños to create a spicy yet balanced liquid with just the right level of heat.

“As much as I love Casamigos, my go-to drink for a fun night is a skinny, spicy Casamigos margarita,” says Cindy. Casamigas Jalapeño makes it that much easier. It’s Casamigos with a kick!”

For both Cindy and Gerber, this new launch is personal. “Cindy has obviously been part of the Casamigos journey since day one, and I’m excited that she now gets to put her special touches on Casamigas,” he said. “It’s been over six years in the making.”

Made from 100% blue Weber agave from the rich clay soil of Jalisco, Casamigas is naturally flavoured with jalapeños to create a spicy yet balanced tequila, perfect for a spicy margarita or chilled shot.

In addition to the clean-tasting notes of spicy jalapeños, the expression offers hints of citrus, offering, and sweet agave, a pleasant kick that is balanced with a smooth citrus finish.

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The label, also designed by Rande, has Cindy playfully disrupting the traditional label with a fresh and fun design. Flames of fire, a jalapeño and Cindy’s trademark lips and beauty mark are sketched on the label, along with a red “A” crossing out the “O” in Casamigos.

The Casamigos’ founders’ initials are also playfully crossed out with “CC,” and Cindy Crawford’s signature is added in between George Clooney and Rande Gerber’s, finishing the design.

For more information, go to casamigos.com

Taiwanese Whiskey brand Kavalan is releasing its award-winning Triple Sherry Cask expression to the American market.

The brand has aged Kavalan’s velvety texture and signature sweetness in a rare combination of Oloroso, Pedro Ximénez (PX) and Moscatel-aged casks.

The 43% ABV expression produces notes of cinnamon, candied smoked plum, and citrus layered with berry, tropical fruit, and longan aromas, with a dash of honey, chocolate, and toffee.

“We believe Triple Sherry will win the hearts of U.S. drinkers. It’s the only whisky out there that combines three different sherry casks. The Sherry flavours explode with taste and aromas of dried fruits, rich caramel, sweet maltose and tropical fruits,” said King Car Group CEO Mr YT Lee.

After fully maturing Kavalan’s new make spirit in the three individual sherry casks, Triple Sherry Cask reflects a three-stage balancing act of marrying vats. The process allows the three whiskies, once fully matured in the three respective sherry casks, to rest and meld together in perfect fusion, locking in optimal smoothness.

“During this process, the flavours harmonize through a myriad combination of the three sherry cask whiskies, creating up to nine distinct sherry dimensions,” says Senior Blender Zerose Yang.

“With the dried fruits of the Oloroso cask as its main character, Triple Sherry is embellished with the sweetness of PX and Moscatel casks,” Yang continued.

The packaging design features fluid painting intertwined with white, gold, and red colours, which symbolise the multilayered and smooth taste of triple sherry cask whisky. Underscored on the tin capsule is a double silver line, symbolising the Central Mountain and Snow Mountain ranges surrounding Kavalan Distillery.

For more information, go to kavalanwhisky.com

RTD brand The Finnish Long Drink has announced the return of its Peach flavour, the first new flavour to be added to the brand’s permanent expressions in four years.

Originally launched last year as a limited edition, the flavour soon became a fan favourite due to its bright, fresh, and fruity notes of peach.

“We’re beyond ecstatic to make Peach a permanent product in our lineup,” says Sakari Manninen, Co-Founder of The Finnish Long Drink. When we first rolled out the drink as part of our Midsummer pack, we didn’t have any plans on keeping it around past the summer, but the pack performed exceptionally well.

“We’ve waited a long time to introduce a new flavour to the market,” continued Manninen. “However, throughout this time, we have been experimenting and investing time to ensure that any new flavour we develop is truly an authentic long drink. Peach achieved just that and was just too delicious not to share with the world.”

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Honouring the traditional Finnish drink, The Finnish Long Drink was created to bring the “national drink of Finland” to America. Born out of a need to cater to guests of the 1952 Olympic Games in Helsinki, long drinks are now the best-selling category of liquor in the country.