Innovators take alcohol to new delivery systems

Alcohol infusions bring new opportunities to engage with consumers

If your holiday gatherings are anything like mine, they typically include at least one guest who brings something new or unique to the festivities for everyone to try. The interaction usually leads to some core memories being made. One thing that seems to be disrupting the traditional beverage alcohol market is innovators who are finding new avenues to deliver alcohol to imbibing consumers.

Boba POPS Group — *Image courtesy of Boba Pops/KelRay Industries*

Unifying Spirits is taking the popularity of Boba tea and taking it to the alcohol aisle. With its Boba Pops: Cocktail Caviar line, the company and its distillery KelRay Industries created pearls of fruit-flavored liqueur in five flavor varieties: Strawberry, Raspberry, Blueberry, Peach and Lychee. Featuring a 12.5% ABV, Boba Pops can be used by bartenders and home mixologists to enhance the cocktail experience or even be added as a dessert topping.

Speaking of dessert, Whipshots, the alcohol-infused whipped cream that launched in 2021 with musical artist Cardi B., continues to deliver more ways for consumers to incorporate alcohol into drinks in new ways.

This past fall, it introduced Pumpkin Spice Whipshots, a limited-edition vodka-infused whipped cream. Available online and at retailers across the nation, Pumpkin Spice Whipshots was created to elevate espresso and coffee-based beverages using Pumpkin Spice to create a Pumpkin SPIKED Latte, the company noted at the time of the release.

Its parent company Starco Brands recently announced that the company also was recognized in Good Housekeeping’s 2023 Best Kitchen Gear, Coffee and Tea Awards for its Whipshots Vanilla variety. The company adds that Whipshots recently surpassed 3 million cans sold in July 2023 and expanded retail availability to 37 states.

However, alcohol is not the only way that taste-makers are reinventing delivery methods of ingredients. Cannabis beverages continue to expand on ways to deliver CBD and THC to consumers. For instance, cannabis cultivator and processor Franklin Fields expanded its Sweet Justice infused soda line with Cranberry Ginger Ale, a fast-acting drink with 10 mg of THC.

Made with real ginger, cane sugar and cranberry juice, the 70-calorie drink offers adult drinkers an alcohol-free way to enjoy a buzz without the hangover, the company says. With lower carbonation to minimize bloating, Cranberry Ginger Ale can be consumed on its own or mixed with mocktail ingredients, it adds.

Whichever avenue innovators look to explore next to deliver wants and needs to consumers, it will be exciting to see what the new year will bring.

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Jessica Jacobsen, editor of Beverage Industry, visits a range of beverage companies for cover stories and facility tours, represents the magazine at trade shows and industry events, and works with the Beverage Industry team to determine the content and direction of the magazine and its online components. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from Marquette University.