Bacardi is entering into the alcohol-free spirits fray with the launch of its own non-alcoholic brand, Palette. The Bermuda-based brand created the range to elevate alcohol-free cocktails.
To create Palette, Bacardi collaborated with bartenders in Amsterdam, as it looked to make a non-alcoholic spirit that would “inspire creativity among bartenders.” Ingredients used in the range include American oakwood, gentian root, juniper berries, nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger. The brand’s master of botanicals, Alessandro Garneri, and his team used cutting-edge technology and three different methods to obtain “intense, all-natural flavors” from the botanicals.
“We’re calling time on sweet, tasteless ‘mocktails’,” said Marine Rozenfeld, innovation development lead for Bacardi Europe, Australia and New Zealand. “With the launch of Palette coming hot on the heels of our new Martini Non-Alcoholic Aperitivo with its ground-breaking quality and taste, we are definitely taking mindful drinking to new heights.
“Palette is the perfect choice for creative bartenders looking to mix things up behind the bar. I can’t wait to see how they use Palette to flex their creative muscles with non-alcoholic cocktails in a way that’s never been possible before.”
The brand debuts with two 500ml expressions: Palette Roots and Palette Bold.
Palette Roots offers a deep, complex and fragrant flavor, and is made using juniper berries, ginger, and the oils of nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon. It is recommended to be enjoyed in a Gimlette Highball, which combines lime juice, lime, mint cordial and soda water to create an alternative to the Mojito cocktail.
Bold, meanwhile, tastes like an aged spirit, with an upfront and punchy experience, followed wood, oak, and smoke notes. It is recommended paired with lemon juice, agave syrup and mint, or mixed with ginger beer. It can also be used as the base for an Espresso Martini.
Palette will launch in select bars across London, Paris, and Amsterdam this month.
For more information, head over to the brand’s official website.
