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Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/598044
www.cheersonline.com 25 November/December 2015 • know what to make of it. But when Boston Beer Co. launched Angry Orchard in 2011, Americans were evidently ready to give it a try. Now the top-selling cider brand in the U.S., Angry Orchard hit 14.3 million 2.25-gallon cases in 2014—an increase of 81.0% over 2013. The brand, which has only been nationwide since 2012, started with three fl agship fl avors, Crisp Apple, Traditional Dry, and Apple Ginger. The line now includes the Cider House Collection of specialty ciders, as well as a variety of seasonal ciders, including cinnamon spiced Cinnful Apple. 2 GINGERS IRISH WHISKEY (2011) 2 Gingers founder/CEO Kieran Folliard created the Irish whiskey in 2011 for use in the four pub-chain he owned in Minnesota, which at the time was the leading Jameson Irish whiskey account in the country. So how did 2 Gingers, named for Folliard's red-headed mother and aunt, get to be the fastest-growing Irish whiskey brand in the U.S.? With the product launch, Folliard aimed to transform Irish whiskey from a winter-only spirit to a seasonless sip, and also to appeal to younger legal-age drinkers and women. One way was to spread the word in a roadshow in an Airstream trailer piloted by Folliard. Another was to create a simple signature cocktail, the Big Ginger—2 Gingers and ginger ale, with a wedge of lemon and lime—to raise the brand's profi le. 2 Gingers, which was bought by Beam in 2012, has contributed heavily to the current boom in Irish whiskey. BUD LIGHT LIME-A-RITA (2012) It would be hard to predict the success of a Margarita-fl avored malt beverage named after a light beer brand. Yet the Bud Light Lime-a-Rita Margarita-fl avored malt beverage has exploded in just three years, snagging a whopping 47% share of the FMB category. Introduced in 2012, Bud Light Lime-a-Rita sold 7.3 million 2.25-gallon cases in its fi rst year. The brand's fl avor extensions, which include Mang-O-Rita, Raz-Ber-Rita and Straw-Ber-Rita, have proved more popular than the original. Seasonal fl avors include the fall Apple-Rita and Cran-Brr-Rita, as well as Bud Light Lime Lemon-Ade-Rita, which launched last summer. The 'Ritas line (along with Angry Orchard hard cider) made Nielsen list of U.S. Breakthrough Innovation Winners for 2014. The product has enabled Anheuser-Busch InBev to reach more women drinkers, something that's been a challenge for many with mainstream beer brands. ANCHO REYES (2014) Given all the different spirits and fl avors to hit the market just in the past fi ve years, it's getting harder to come up with something unique. But chile- fl avored liqueur Ancho Reyes did just that, tapping into the spicy/savory/sweet cocktail trend with a premium product. In less than a year, the brand has become an indispensible player on the back bar. Launched in 2014 by William Grant & Sons, Ancho Reyes is inspired by a 1927 recipe from the Reyes family in Mexico. It's made using ancho chile (open-air-dried poblano chiles) soaked in a neutral cane spirit for six months, then blended and aged to allow the fl avors to further mesh. The bronze-colored liqueur strikes a balance between spicy, savory and sweet, so it's complex and intriguing on its own and versatile in cocktails. Ancho Reyes enables bartenders to add heat to Mexican classic such as the Margarita and Paloma, as well as create sophisticated new libations. Perhaps the ultimate compliment, it's been refered to by some as "the new St. Germain." Not Your Father's Root Beer Oddka Parvan Pink Pigeon rum Punzoné Redd's Apple Ale Shellback rum Somersby cider Suerte tequila Tap 357 Canadian maple rye whisky 2013 20 Grand vodka Bayou rum Blue Chair Bay rum Kuhl vodka Mezcal El Silencio Myx Fusions wine cocktails Phraya rum Rhuby rhubarb liqueur Saint Archer Brewing Co. St. Elder liqueur Stella Artois Cidre Sugar Island Rum Co. 2014 Ancho Reyes chile liqueur Barrow's Intense ginger liqueur Belle Ambiance wines Blade & Bow bourbon whiskey Brockmans gin Dos Equis Dos-A-Rita Guinness Blonde American Lager Jagermeister Spice Johnny Appleseed cider Monkey 47 gin Patron Roca tequila Piehole whisky Selvarey rum Singani 63 Smith & Forge hard cider Solbeso Snow Leopard vodka Teeling Whiskey Uncle Val's Restorative Gin Viniq Wineheart 2015 Afrohead Rum Hibiki Japanese Harmony whisky La Quintinye Vermouth Royal Mig Fuel Santera tequila Serpent's Bite apple cider fl avored whiskey Surf Swim chardonnay Tres Papalote mezcal Top 20 Product Launches