Dead Man's Fingers reveals new flavoured rum

Dead Man's Fingers expands flavoured rum portfolio 

Spiced rum ​brand Dead Man’s Fingers has expanded its flavoured portfolio with the launch of its latest variant, Vanilla Rum (35% ABV).

The new versatile addition to the Dead Man’s Fingers line-up boasts notes of smooth, sweet and creamy vanilla, paired with rich butterscotch, best enjoyed with cola or in rum-based cocktail​.

In addition, the new serve is the first rum ​to be presented in a clear bottle, enabling the golden liquid to shine through alongside the brand’s distinctive log.

Halewood Artisanal Spirits, which distributes Dead Man’s Fingers in the UK, global marketing director Rachel Adams said: “Vanilla is a deliciously indulgent flavour that of course has strong associations with rum.

“We really wanted to dial that up for our newest launch, creating a really luxurious tasting liquid which pairs perfectly with cola and mixes well into cocktails​.

“We’re also excited to unveil the new clear bottle design, which not only guarantees strong stand out on shelf, but is also made using increased volumes of recycled glass”.

Dead Man’s Fingers Vanilla Rum will be available from Asda later this month at RRP £28.

Greene King announces new cask 

Pub operator and brewer Greene King has launched a new cask beer, Hopping Special (4.2% ABV), inspired by the train service put on for hop picking families helping farmers with the labour-intensive task in the 19th and 20th century.

Hopping Special is part of a quartet of new casks from Greene King available throughout May and June, alongside the return of St Edmunds, the collaborative Pave the Way​ and the brand’s Coronation ​Ale.

The amber ale has been brewed with five different malts to create a rich body and biscuity sweetness, and late hopped with Galaxy and Citra for extra fruity flavour.

Greene King​ head brewer Jack Palmer said: “We certainly have lots of styles and flavours available for May and June.  

“Our Hopping Special and St Edmunds celebrate the brilliant parts of beer history and our heritage.

“Our cask beers are brimming with stories, from the ingredients that make them, to the flavours they create and the inspiration of their names.

“I encourage customers to get them on their bars while they are around, as they are sure to draw attention.”

Read more about Greene King’s new cask beer launches here.

Salcombe Distilling Co. releases new rum

Salcombe Distilling Co. has announced the launch of its latest small batch spirit, Blackstone Rum (40% ABV).

Marking the fourth release in Salcombe’s rum portfolio, Blackstone offers flavours of caramelised orange peel, pink peppercorns and Szechuan pepper on the palate alongside aromas of liquorice, spiced citrus and treacle tart following by ripe bananas and a hint of mango​.

The rum is triple distilled at the award-winning brand’s South Devon Distillery, with the fermentation process taking approximately one month, before then undergoing the first distillation in flame fired 60l copper pot stills.

Lastly, the third distillation makes use of a reflex column to further smooth out the spirits, with seven botanicals added before being the ABV is reduced to 40% using purified Dartmoor sourced water, steeped overnight in Black Strap Molasses and peppercorns.

Salcombe Rum ‘Blackstone’ Punch:​

Ingredients:​​

• 100ml Cold brewed tea
• 50ml Salcombe Rum ‘Blackstone’
• 20ml Cinnamon and Peppercorn syrup (method below)​
• 15ml Lime juice
• 2 dashes orange bitters

Method:​​

Cinnamon and Peppercorn syrup:​​

• Simmer 400ml water, 400g sugar, 2 cinnamon sticks, 10g black peppercorns and 10g pink peppercorns in a saucepan for ten minutes
• Strain into a 700ml bottle

Cocktail recipe:​​

• Add all the ingredients into a boston shaker
• Fill with ice and shake for 10 seconds
• Double strain into a highball glass over ice
• Garnish with a mint sprig and a dehydrated orange

REAL introduces first alcohol-free rose

Naturally fermented sparkling tea brand, REAL, has introduced its first alcohol-free rose, Peony Blush.

Made from hand-picked white peony tea leaves grown in China, Peony Blush offers aromas of strawberries, cherry summer fruits and creamy butter notes that pairs well with fresh spring salads, chargrilled fish and charcuteries.

REAL founder David Begg said: “The rosé category has seen incredible growth and with the arrival of spring, at REAL, we believe that the time for an alcohol-free rosé is now.

“With rosé becoming more popular every year, we have an opportunity to reach a new audience & introduce them to our world of Naturally Fermented Sparkling Teas.”

The new serve is available now direct from the brand’s webshop at RRP £9 per 70cl bottle or £28.38 for a case of 6.

Kavka expands vodka range

Kavka Estate Vodka, which launched in 2021, has announced the launch of its latest expression, Kavka Orchard Plum and Apple Vodka (38% ABV), drawing on the vodka-making heritage of Poland.

Made with 200 years of distilling tradition, Kavka blends fine rye and wheat spirits, adding small quantities of aged pot-stilled fruit spirits to offer notes of ripe apples and rich plum sweetness with an underlying layer of rye and grain.

Kavka Vodka Founder Jan Woroniecki, who also own Ognisko Polish restaurant in London, said: “The passion behind Kavka is to create spirits that are authentically Polish, both in character and in the production methods from the 19th Century that we use.

“The plum and apple pot still spirits that we make in the ancient market town of Sandomierz form the backbone to all our vodkas and give Kavka its unique depth, smoothness and complexity. These are vodkas born out of the countryside and its traditions and represent the best of Polish craft.”

Kavka Orchard Summer Spritz​

Ingredients:​​

• 30ml Kavka Orchard Vodka
• 20ml Rose Vermouth
• Fresh Strawberries
• Fresh Lime
• Prosecco

Fresh Mint 

Method:​​

• Add Kavka Orchard Vodka, rose vermouth and fresh lime to a glass
• Top up with prosecco and garnish with strawberries and mint

Arkell's releases coronation brew 

Arkell’s Brewery has announced the release of Coronation Ale (4.5% ABV), a special dark ale to toast the coronation of King Charles III.

The family-operated brand described the beer as a smooth, chocolatey, traditional style, dark ale with a surprising light easy drinking body, brewed using traditional methods in their Victorian brewery.

Arkell’s managing director George Arkell said: "Pubs are the bedrocks of communities across the country and we hope customers over the coronation weekend enjoy the celebrations and come together at their local to toast the King with Arkell’s special Coronation Ale; it is a fantastic beer for a memorable event."

The limited-edition beer will be available on draught at Arkell’s pubs and on sale at Arkell’s Grape & Grain Wine & Brewery Warehouse in individual bottles or packs of 6 or 8x500ml bottles at RRP £13.20 per six-pack.

Arkell’s head brewer Alex Arkell said: “In keeping with our long tradition of celebrating royal milestones over our 180 years of brewing, we are extremely proud to release this Coronation Ale to honour our King as he is formally crowned. 

“We have in fact celebrated six other monarchs coming to the throne since 1843, the first of course being Victoria, which is when we built our Victorian brewery. 

“We’ll be sending some of the bottled beer to King Charles III and Queen Camilla, with many happy memories of the visit of her majesty to the brewery in January 2018.” 

If you have any new products being released to the on-trade, email the details with high resolution images before Thursday at midday for potential inclusion on Friday’s article to ​​​​​​​​​​​Erorppn.jryyre@jeoz.pbz​​.