Synergy Flavours targets RTD low- and no-alcohol beverages with whiskey and cocktail-inspired flavors

06 Dec 2023 --- Synergy Flavours has launched a natural whiskey flavor range and a whiskey cocktail flavor designed for both alcoholic and low- and no-alcohol ready-to-drink (RTD) beverages. The range has been created with manufacturers in mind amid growing demand for cocktail bar-quality RTD options.

The new range includes Bourbon, Tennessee, fruity and peaty whiskey flavors, as well as a traditional “old fashioned” cocktail flavor. Interestingly, this is the first collection launching as part of a wider range, which the company is on track to expand in 2024 with the launch of other spirit flavors. 

“Low- and no-alcohol beverages continue to develop year-on-year and we’ve certainly seen more interesting options, including non-alcoholic cocktails. Over the winter months, a lot of people want to moderate their alcohol intake, and they are looking for great-tasting alternatives,” Vicky Berry, senior European category manager at Synergy Flavours, tells Food Ingredients First. 

Often, seasonality is linked to cocktails, she observes. “Old fashioned cocktails are trendy over the winter months as they have cozy, warming effects, but whiskey cocktails can be enjoyed through the year — this summer, we saw the whiskey sour and whiskey high-ball trending.”

Synergy sees more activity in both non-alcoholic categories and beverages at 8% ABV and above.Synergy decided to launch whiskey first as Berry says the company has seen “a strong rise in RTD cocktailsand notably in 2023, we’ve seen different brands exploring whiskey cocktails.”

Manufacturers are both sticking with the classics with old-fashioned, high-balls, and whiskey sours and twisting classic cocktails with whiskey — for example, creating whiskey Palomas, traditionally made with tequila or whiskey margaritas. 

Non-alcohol through to premium
One key challenge Synergy flags was ensuring it had solutions that would work across ABVs (alcohol by volume). 

“We wanted solutions that could deliver in the non-alcoholic beverages space right through to premium cocktails at around 20% ABV. It was also fundamental for us to deliver authenticity — we combined science and art to craft sophisticated and true-to-profile solutions,” notes Berry. 

“Communication with our customers is also essential and beverage developers are under a lot of time pressure and don’t always have time to test multiple flavors. We developed sensory charts so technologists can select the right flavor based on the desired attributes.” 

“For example, a peaty whiskey flavor if they are looking for something to deliver an oaky characteristic, or perhaps the Bourbon or Tennessee if they are looking for a darker, fruity profile,” she continues.

Crafting sensorial profiles 
This flavor range offers manufacturers flexibility in developing authentic RTD products and allows customization due to each flavor’s carefully crafted sensory profile. 

Each whiskey flavor has a sensory description highlighting the key flavor attributes so developers can select the right profile for their beverage using this information. 

Partnering with Synergy reportedly allows manufacturers to use the whiskey flavors alongside other Synergy solutions, including natural flavors, extracts and essences, to develop complex, premium cocktail bar-quality RTD products. 

“For low- and no-alcohol products, the new portfolio helps our customers create drinks with flavors reminiscent of alcohol, replicating the sophistication of whiskey-based options consumers enjoy,” explains Berry. 

“In beverages at 8% ABV and above, our whiskey flavors help manufacturers to reduce the amount of whiskey they require in their RTD cocktail, perhaps opting for a less expensive alcohol instead while maintaining a premium flavor at a lower price point.”

Complex flavors 
Meanwhile, Charlotte Spitzner, Flavour Research Analyst at Synergy Flavours, expands on the science behind the new flavors. 

“Detailed analytical and sensory insights are crucial when creating distinct whiskey profiles such as these, as the chemistry of whiskey is complex with many different flavors and aromas due to how it is made.”The range includes Bourbon, Tennessee, fruity and peaty whiskey flavors.

“Our flavorists tasted and analyzed whiskeys from across the globe, then our flavor team blended extracts and natural aroma compounds to achieve the perfect balance and profile.”

“We’ve also developed analytical flavor pairing charts, which can help our customers make informed flavor pairing decisions to create products such as an impactful spiced Manhattan, Brazilian orange whiskey sour, or raspberry mint julep RTD, for example,” she continues.

While designed predominantly with beverages in mind, Synergy’s applications team can help manufacturers use the flavors in different product types. 

Charlie Heath, the company’s applications technologist, further elaborates: “Manufacturers can experiment with our versatile whiskey flavors outside beverages. Adding a bourbon flavor to a savory sticky glaze works well, or using the old-fashioned cocktail flavor in a dairy or plant-based chocolate mousse for notes of orange and oak packs a flavor punch.”

“The innovation opportunities are endless,” Heath observes. 

By Elizabeth Green