Ruby Blue launched for spirited mixologists
Spirited Drinks, the Northern Ireland manufacturer of Boozeberries, the award winning berry-based Irish liqueurs, has launched Ruby Blue for mixologists worldwide.
Ruby Blue is a response by the company, based at Dromore in County Down, to a growing demand from mixologists keen to use the distinctively different and handcrafted liqueurs to create innovative cocktails. Ruby Blue offers the existing range of super premium liqueurs, Tangy Blackcurrant, Fragrant wild Blueberry and Zesty wild Cranberry in new 700ml bottles, ideal for cocktail lounges.
The liqueurs, which feature a mellow grain spirit, were originally launched in eye catching 350ml bottles for the retail, gift and hamper markets but also attracted interest from style bars and cocktail lounges.
Barbara Hughes, Ruby Blue's marketing director, says: "We were approached by a number of mixologists particularly in the UK and Great Britain who wished to use our liqueurs to create great cocktails.
"Ruby Blue has the class and sophistication craved by up and coming mixologists and liqueur aficionados - it's the drink people will want to be seen with and sits beautifully and elegantly on the back bar of the most elite hotel.
"Ruby Blue was initially born out of a need for a more sophisticated brand name for the American market, as we thought. But we are now very clear that the Boozeberries brand is the one the Americans want. We know this from the brand's social media following of almost 35,000 people, mostly in the US and the daily requests for availability there.
"We launched Ruby Blue in London recently and have some of the best bars in London interested. Feedback has been amazing from mixologists and bar owners. It gives them better versatility for unique cocktails and the fresh flavour really is unique in the liqueur category.
"The strength of this demand led us to introduce a larger and different bottle for this market segment.
"We also decided to restructure the company to differentiate between the two key markets, retail and cocktail. So we set up Spirited Drinks Ltd as the overall company with two initial products, Boozeberries and Ruby Blue.
"Our intention is to add to add new products for each market in the near future including a sparkling wine," she adds.
Boozeberries was formed by husband and wife team Stuart and Barbara Hughes in May 2010. The company gained a string of international awards for its first handcrafted products using cranberries, blackcurrants and blueberries in a grain spirit. The awards include gold and silver at last year's Wines and Spirits Wholesalers of America, (WSWA), tasting competition in Orlando, Florida and in the UK Great Taste Awards 2010 and 2011.