Palm Beach dining: New Leopard Lounge cocktails are fruity and refreshing for summertime
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M.M. Cloutier
Special to the Daily News
The Chesterfield’s Leopard Lounge & Restaurant has introduced a new summer menu of fruit-infused cocktails.
Pineapple, orange, lemon, watermelon and more are adding zing to seven new drinks, which are priced from $14 to $18. Herbs also play a role in the new libations at the Leopard Lounge, 363 Cocoanut Row.
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Among the new cocktails: Coco Loco Mojito — with coconut rum, muddled pineapple and mint, simple syrup and club soda — and Watermelon Ginger Margarita, a blend of tequila, orange liqueur, muddled watermelon, fresh lime juice, ginger, simple syrup and a “sweet-and-sour top.”
The Kissed by a Rose cocktail features Monkey 47 Gin, fresh lemon juice, rose-infused simple syrup, a splash of sparkling wine and a lemon twist.
The Fruit Basket cocktail combines pineapple-infused vodka with agave syrup, muddled cantaloupe, fresh lemon juice, lime and orange slices, and a splash of Prosecco.
Bourbon, lemon juice, ginger beer, orange bitters, orange-flavored syrup and an orange slice comprise the Florida Orange Twist.
The new cocktails add to a drink lineup at the Leopard Lounge that ranges from classic concoctions to 10 different martinis with a twist.
For more information, call The Chesterfield at 561-659-5800 or visit www.chesterfieldpb.com.
Liqueurs Brand Champion 2021: Malibu
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21st June, 2021 by admin
The pandemic helped boost demand for homemade cocktails as consumers were forced to stay indoors and recreate the bar experience at home. As such, interest in liqueurs has risen, and consumers have stocked up their home bars with different ingredients.
One bright star of the category was Pernod Ricard’s rum liqueur Malibu, which walked away with the title of Liqueurs Brand Champion 2021. The brand continued its upward trajectory, recording 14.3% growth to 4.4 million cases in 2020.
Malibu’s ‘spirit of summer’ positioning has helped brighten the mood for consumers during the pandemic, according to Monica Jungbeck, Malibu’s head of brand creative. The brand unveiled engaging social media campaigns, including the influencer‐driven #CoconutChallenge, which asked consumers to create dance videos on visual platforms such as Instagram.
“Malibu brought a bit of sunshine to consumers and gave them a platform to experience and share summer vibes, even if they had to be shared virtually,” says Jungbeck.
Furthermore, the brand’s redesign in 2019 helped build momentum. “Our unique and distinctive white bottle and palm tree logotype are two of the most recognisable visual assets in the drinks category,” says Johan Radojewski, Malibu’s vice‐president of marketing.
“Our redesign was aimed at strengthening those to ensure better standout on shelf and, of course, building on the consistency that has been critical for Malibu’s design from its inception in the late 1970s.”
Radojewski also notes that the brand’s recipes on the redesigned label helped position Malibu “in line with recent trends towards lighter and more refreshing drinks and cocktails”.
While the UK and the US remain Malibu’s key markets, the brand has also seen “encouraging” results in South Korea and Brazil.
Malibu will also release its latest flavour, watermelon, in the UK following its debut in the US.
In addition, the brand has moved quickly to develop its presence in the burgeoning ready‐to‐drink sector, says Arnaud Malinconi, Malibu’s brand director. “We have accelerated in recent years, with innovations and range extensions like Malibu Piña Colada across Europe and the launch of Malibu Splash in the US last year.”
Malinconi adds: “We are confident that we have the recipe for success from a brand, communication, portfolio and innovation standpoint to continue building on the momentum we have.”
Looking across the rest of the category, the only other brand to report a double‐digit increase was Stock Spirits’ Żołądkowa Gorzka. The brand rose by 19.3% to 1.8m cases, its third year of growth.
Diageo’s cream liqueur brand Baileys saw its sales decline for the first time in five years, dropping by 4.6% to 7.1m cases. Meanwhile, orange-flavoured liqueur Cointreau slipped by 7.8%, and Pernod Ricard‐owned coffee liqueur Kahl.a rose by 3.2%.
South African drinks group Distell declined to provide 2020 figures for Amarula liqueur, which saw its sales drop by 13.5% to 1m in 2019. The firm was affected by multiple alcohol bans in its home market.
Liqueurs (figures: million 9l-case sales)
BRAND OWNER 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 %+/- Baileys Diageo 6.5 6.9 7.1 7.4 7.1 -4.6% Malibu Pernod Ricard 3.6 3.7 3.7 3.9 4.4 14.3% De Kuyper Beam Suntory/De Kuyper 3.6 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.3 -4.7% Lubelska Stock Spirits Group 1.3 1.5 1.5 1.9 1.9 -2.5% Żołądkowa Gorzka Stock Spirits Group 1.5 1.4 1.3 1.5 1.8 19.3% Kahlúa Pernod Ricard 1.5 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.6 3.2% Choya Choya Umeshu 1.2 1.2 1.3 1.2 1.3 7.3% Cointreau Rémy Cointreau 1.1 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.1 -7.8%
Whiskey Review: Jim Beam Orange
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Editor’s Note: This whiskey was provided to us as a review sample by Jim Beam. This in no way, per our editorial policies, influenced the final outcome of this review. It should also be noted that by clicking the buy link towards the bottom of this review our site receives a small referral payment which helps to support, but not influence, our editorial and other costs.
Happy Summer to everyone. That feels really good to say. As well as looking forward to warmer temperatures, longer daylight hours, and fun in the outdoors, the air seems to also teem with an optimistic sense of great times to come as we cautiously return to a social lifestyle. All of the cooking techniques and grilling recipes we learned while being locked down are just waiting to be shared with some company. That also means that our libation focus tends to shift towards “crushable,” easy to drink, light alcoholic beverages.
Walking down the beverage aisle definitely has some colorful fanfare in the summertime. You can’t help but notice the cases of hard seltzer and ready-to-drink canned cocktails filling your fellow shoppers’ carts. You may even begin to wonder, “Is there a place for the whiskey drinker in the carbonated sunshine?”
The answer, of course, is yes. It is always whiskey season. But that doesn’t mean that there isn’t an opportunity to expand our repertoire. One aspect of the trade that is showing huge growth is flavored whiskey. While many of these are technically liqueurs, whiskey makers are and have been taking notice.
Jim Beam’s latest addition to their flavored line up, Jim Beam Orange, also comes with specific suggestions on how to best enjoy it, including a targeted campaign to offer “bored beer fans” an alternative by making a highball. As with most cocktail lore, the best we can do is come up with some pretty good guesses as to where the name came from, but we can all agree as to what makes a highball: spirit served in a tall glass over ice and then topped with a carbonated beverage.
The recipe that they suggest for their highball is one part Jim Beam Orange to four parts premium soda water. They suggest building the drink over ice in a highball glass, and garnishing with an orange wedge. I would like to suggest procuring some better ice, as well. It is worth it. While the modern miracle of an in-home ice maker is something we can hardly imagine living without, those convenient crescents trap aromas that are present in your freezer and will make themselves known as they chill in your beverage. You don’t have to go overboard. A bag of ice from the supermarket will make a huge difference in your presentation, especially when company is finally coming over.
Tasting for a Whiskey Wash review is typically done with the spirit straight. However, Jim Beam also suggests serving this one chilled as well as in a highball. I will be tasting it all three ways, and reviewing accordingly.
Tasting Notes: Jim Beam Orange
Vital Stats: Orange Liqueur infused with Jim Beam Kentucky Straight Bourbon. 65 proof (32.5% ABV). Suggested retail price of $15.99 for 750ml.
Appearance: Mellow golden uniformity in the glass, yet still bright and clear.
Nose: Candied orange and vanilla mix with honeysuckle and oak. There’s a hint of citrus oil and orange cream soda.
Palate (straight): Strong saccharin sweetness right out of the gate. The citrus oil and orange candy flavors continue, and it has an almost waxy mouthfeel. Slightly bitter orange rind aftertaste.
Palate (chilled): Chilling the drink definitely tones down some of the stronger sweetness and orange; however, the strong candy flavors remain.
Palate (as a highball): Adding the seltzer makes it taste just like an orange cream soda, while adding the slice of fresh orange gives it a nice dimension and texture.