BRAND NEWS

Belhaven rebrands

Scotland’s best-selling ale Belhaven Best has unveiled a fresh new look, designed to bring out the best in this iconic Scottish pint but the liquid has not changed.

The new look features a striking new blue and gold design created in partnership with specialist Scottish drinks agency Thirst, and aims to capture everything that is brilliant about Best.

There’s a nod to the iconic malting chimneys of Belhaven Brewery where Best is made, while rays of sunshine flooding through these chimneys represent the brewery’s home town of Dunbar, on East Lothian’s golden coastline.

The rollout of new-look Best will begin in mid-May with venues receiving new fonts, tap handles and keg lenses. There will also be a comprehensive POS kit featuring striking, branded glassware plus T-shirts, bar runners, drip mats, posters and table talkers.

Fiona Matheson, Belhaven Brand Manager said, ‘Belhaven’s success over the past 300 years is built on creating exceptional quality beers, but also on our ability to respond to the changing tastes of modern drinkers. Best is as popular as ever and is currently gaining in market share, but we felt that it deserved better when it came to its presentation.

‘This has been a labour of love.”

A Scotch whisky, distilled and bottled by Ardnamurchan Distillery and specially selected by the late Doddie Weir has been released to raise funds for the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation.

The Highland Single Malt, AD/06:17 was chosen from a single ex-Oloroso Sherry cask on June 9, 2017, for Scottish rugby legend Weir.

The 61-cap Scotland international was accompanied by friends and fellow rugby legends including former Scotland captain and MND fundraiser Rob Wainwright; Ireland great Keith Wood; and Scotland scrum half Gary Armstrong, visited Ardnamurchan Distillery in Glenbeg to select the final cask, shortly before Weir died on November 26, 2022, after almost six-years living with MND. Others making the trip included close friend of Doddie and ex-Scotland player Carl Hogg and Martin Wilson, Managing Director, Thrifty.

A total of 327 bottles have been labelled specially to support the My Name’5 Doddie

Foundation’s fundraising efforts. Four bottles (number 1, 2, 5, and 55) will be kept aside for future actions to raise funds for the Foundation.

The release will be sold via Royal Mile Whiskies, with all profits donated to the charity.

Rob Wainwright, who has helped raise millions for the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation, said, “Doddie loved a dram, and it was very poignant to get the group back together for the trip to Coll and Ardnamurchan to select the final whisky with him. We didn’t know it then, but that was one of the last times many of us would spend with him.”

Alex Bruce, MD, Ardnamurchan Distillery said, “We were incredibly honoured to welcome Doddie to our wee distillery at the beginning of October last year. His enthusiasm for life was unmatched, and I hope that everyone who manages to grab a bottle from this cask raises a dram in his honour.”

Molson Coors’ Spanish-inspired lager Madrí Excepcional has returned to our TV screens with its ‘Door Roja’ ad which is being supported by a £4m summer marketing campaign.

The five-month campaign titled ‘El alma de Madrid’ or ‘The Soul of Madrid’ aims to bring the vibrancy, warmth and progressive spirit of modern Madrid to the UK. At its heart is a 60-second TV ad, shot on location in Madrid by directing duo Julien & Quentin and Pulse Films.

The campaign will include city-wide takeovers with events in various cities including Manchester and London – featuring iconic DJs from both Spain and the UK.

Sophie Mitchell, Senior Brand Manager at Madrí Excepcional, said, “Madrí Excepcional brings together the best of Britain’s brewing heritage and the Soul of Madrid to create a unique modern-style European lager which has taken the UK on-trade by storm.

“This interactive campaign is building on the great momentum behind the brand, bringing ‘El alma de Madrid’ to the streets of the UK. We’re keeping Madrí Excepcional front of mind throughout the Summer, creating even more excitement around it and helping our customers to drive sales in their venues.”

SALES OF GIN IN THE UK STARTED TO RECOVER LAST YEAR WITH ALMOST 80 MILLION BOTTLES SOLD, ACCORDING TO DATA FROM THE WINE AND SPIRIT TRADE ASSOCIATION (WSTA).

The U.K is by far the most competitive place in the world for a gin producer to exist.

The Gin Guild said markets in South America showed huge growth, led by Brazil, Argentina and Chile.

Phoebe Waller-Bridge debuted a Fleabag-inspired offering, working in collaboration with Edinburgh Gin last year. It featured a handwritten “I love you” from Waller-Bridge’s character on the front and “It’ll Pass” from Andrew Scott’s Hot Priest on the back (a nod to the dramatic exchange from the closing scene of the hit BBC show). All profits from the bottles went towards supporting artists to return to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, where Fleabag first aired in 2013.

Customised glass bottles are the norm when it comes to gin - over 65% of the top 200 brands have them.. That’s a much higher percentage than any other category, even Whisky.

THE VERY FIRST GIN TO BE AGED IN A JUNIPER OAK WAS HERNÖ DISTILLERY’S JUNIPER CASK GIN.

The world’s most expensive gin is the Morus LXIV that sold for $4,887.91 in 2018.

FLAVOURED GIN ISN’T REALLY A NEW INVENTION. IN THE 20TH CENTURY GORDON’S ALONE HAD MANY FLAVOURED VARIANTS.

Non specialist bars in the UK will stock at most 10-15 gins and will, usually, turn over half of those each year. That’s around 20 gins being poured each year in bars that don’t specialise in gins.

James Bond who is famous for his Martini’s actually ordered 19 vodka martinis and 16 gin martinis throughout Ian Fleming’s novels and short stories.

NAVY STRENGTH GIN, OR OVERPROOF GIN IS ACTUALLY AN OVERPROOF VERSION OF LONDON DRY AND WAS ORIGINALLY USED BY THE BRITISH ROYAL NAVY BECAUSE IT WOULDN’T INHIBIT GUNPOWDER FROM LIGHTING WHEN DAMP WITH GIN. HOWEVER THE DESCRIPTION NAVY STRENGTH MAY HAVE EVEN BEEN USED FIRST BY PERNOD-RICARD MARKETEERS IN THE EARLY NOUGHTIES – WHO WERE DISCUSSING HOW TO UPDATE PLYMOUTH GIN AND PLAY TO ITS NAVY ROOTS.

Cocktails were born some say, as result of Prohibition, which started in the United States in 1920. The ban on alcohol led to the development of illegal booze called bathtub gin which was distilled in open vats.. Apparently it tasted so awful that to mask the taste homemade cocktails including the Old Fashioned and French 75 were born.

The Dutch created Genever the original style of gin which dates back to 16th-century. It’s base spirit is malted and it is flavoured with juniper and botanicals. But Juniper is not always the dominant flavour.

Limoncello and pink grapefruit are the ultimate killer combo in this sophisticated serve. Save it for sunset and dazzle your guests.

A delicate balance of bitter and sweet, served short and pretty.

Ingredients:

25ml Rhubarb & Ginger Liqueur

25ml Rhubarb & Ginger Gin

25ml Limoncello

25ml Pink Grapefruit

Method:

Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker, shake and double strain into a chilled nic & nora glass. Garnish with a grapefruit twist.

IN 2021, GINEBRA SAN MIGUEL WAS BY FAR THE LEADING BRAND OF GIN WORLDWIDE, SELLING OVER 36 MILLION 9 LITRE CASES. RANKING SECOND, GORDON’S SOLD JUST OVER SEVEN MILLION CASES OF THE DISTILLED ALCOHOLIC DRINK. STATISTICA.COM

There are more than 200 gin brands in the UK – with nearly treble the amount of variantswhich are considered by experts as good or very good and another 40 close contenders. But there are a further 400-500 brands made in the U.K which appeal to local markets. In fact there is a local maker in almost every city.

IN THE 1730s, LONDONERS WERE IMBIBING 2 PINTS OF GIN EACH PER WEEK. THE PERIOD WAS CALLED THE GIN CRAZE. PEOPLE DRANK IT BECAUSE IT WAS CONSIDERED HEALTHIER AND SAFER THAN DRINKING THE DIRTY DRINKING WATER.

Ryan Reynolds had a 10% share in Aviation Gin, which was sold to Diageo for $610m dollars in 2020.