Bundaberg, Beenleigh, Nil Desperandum and Kalki Moon release collab rum

On Saturday 2 November, Bundaberg Rum, Beenleigh Rum, Nil Desperandum and Kalki Moon unveiled a unique collaborative rum blend crafted in celebration of the second annual Queensland Rum Day. 1920 bottles of The Rum Consortium’s 2024 Limited Edition Blend were released, with each distillery allocated 480 bottles to sell at their distillery doors and online.

Founder of Nil Desperandum Rum Matt Hobson said, “we’re really excited to forget for a moment that we are competitors and collaborate on something truly unique and delicious: a Queensland rum created by the oldest rum producers in the state and some of the newest.

The unique rum unites four of the thirty rum distilleries in Queensland, which collectively produce seven million bottles of rum each year. The category is also gaining popularity locally, with rum being the fastest-growing alcohol beverage category in the state’s venues over the past 12 months.

Read the full Drinks Trade article here.

Tasted: Squealing Pig Squealini spritzes:

Treasury Wine Estates has unveiled three new wine spritzes under its Squealing Pig wine brand: Squealini Zesty Lemon, Squealini Fuzzy Peach, and Squealini Spiced Apple Pie. The new collection is hoping to caplitalise on the growing spritzer category that is “ripe for exploding this summer.”

Drinks Trade had the opportunity to trial two of TWE’s new spritz releases:

Squealing Pig Squealini Zesty Lemon:
Our thoughts: “Fresh lemon zest and pithy lemon rind, with balanced sweetness. Quite punchy body/flavour, which offers more than just a refreshing citrus flavour. Quite high carbonation makes this well suited for summer.”
Who’s it for: “A strong contender for a citrus/refreshing spritz on shelf. The labelling and packaging is strong, and the known brand will likely inspire confidence on the shelf.”

Squealing Pig Squealini Fuzzy Peach:
Our thoughts: “A mix of fresh and confected peach both on the nose and palate that lasts on a long finish. Well balanced sweetness that lets the natural fruit shine through. By focusing on a single flavour, it is able to taste more authentic to the fruit, and is more likely to live up to consumer expectations."
Who’s it for: “Again quite a full-flavoured spritzer that isn’t overly sweet - would be a great option to have with a bbq. Also presents really well with the colour-coordinated label/liquid.”

Squealing Pig Squealini spritzes are bottled at an abv of 10% and retail for $20 per 750ml bottle.

To read more and to learn about availability, click here.

Ryan Reynolds’ historic beer brand returns to Aus after 100 years

Wrexham Lager Beer Co, the oldest currently operating lager brewery in Great Britain, has announced that it will be relaunching nationwide into Australia after a more than 100 year hiatus. It has also simultaneously announced that Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have entered into joint ownership alongside the Robers family, who have owned and operated the business since 2011.

The news follows on from Reynolds and McElhenney’s purchase of Wrexham AFC football club for £2 million (almost AUD $4 million) in February 2021.

“As Co-chairmen of Wrexham AFC we have learned a lot,” said Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds in a joint statement.

“The connection between club and community, the intricacies of the offsides rule and the occasional need for beer - especially after finance meetings. Wrexham Lager has a 140-year-old recipe and a storied history and we’re excited to help write its next chapter.”

To begin with, Wrexham Lager will be made available in Dan Murphy’s stores nationwide in a 330ml bottle format.

Click here to read more.

Nusa Caña rum attains national distribution

Nusa Caña, the Bali rum brand founded by Australian entrepreneur and founder Marc Rodrigues in 2016, has officially entered the Australian market.

Inspired by Bali’s rich rum-making heritage, Nusa Caña is a spiced rum made using traditional Indonesian spices of nutmeg, clove and ginger alongside chocolate, pineapple and coffee.

“Batavia Arrack, or Indonesian rum, was the most popular, exotic and sought-after sugarcane spirit from the 17th to the 19th century,” said Marc Rodrigues.

“Indonesian rum has been produced on the island of Java since the 17th century. It is made from molasses derived from Javan sugarcane and fermented with red rice, before being distilled in Chinese-style copper pot stills and aged in Indonesian teak barrels.”

Since launching in 2016, Nusa Caña hs grown to become the number-one cocktail rum in Indonesia, along with being the top selling spirit at Bali airport, where over 200 bottles are sold to visitors daily. The brand has also become one of the top performing rums in Greece and has subsequently continued to expand its footprint across Europe and the US.

Nusa Caña Spiced Rum is bottled at an abv of 40% and is available to purchase now from Liquorland and First Choice Liquor stores nationwide at $50 per bottle.

Read the full article here.

Share the content