Italian premium coffee company lllycaffè (Illy) has released a range of rum infused iced coffee cocktails, in collaboration with SelvaRey Rum, a North American boutique spirits company founded by singer Bruno Mars. The ready-to-drink (RTD) beverages feature SelvaRey Rum’s acclaimed, award-winning chocolate-infused rum and come in the flavors Spiked Iced Coffee and Spiked Iced Caramel. SelvaRey and Illy’s activities officially launched last weekend and the cocktails will be available across US bars, restaurants, special events and music venues, for the duration of the summer.

Innova Market Insights has tipped coffee as one of the top trending flavors of 2019. Mainly due to its sophisticated flavor profile, industry is seeing coffee-related NPD that spans from beverages to confectionery. 

The two iced drinks flavors were created by Illy’s master barista, Giorgio Milos and SelvaRey’s world-renowned mixologist Brian Klemm. The Spiked Iced Coffee and Spiked Iced Caramel will also be featured at stand-alone coffee cocktail carts at festive locations from Shoreline Amphitheater, CA to Jones Beach, NY. 

“The smooth, balanced flavor of SelvaRey Cacao combined with the smooth, high-quality illy RTD, makes for the ideal coffee cocktail,” says SelvaRey’s Mixologist Brian Klemm. “You can simply mix SelvaRey Cacao with Illy’s sweetened caffè ready-to-drink for a perfect combination and it will also go well with the addition of mint, caramel, or vanilla.”

“Illy coffee is recognized as a point of reference for coffee culture so we are passionate when it comes to inspiring coffee lovers,” adds Gorgio Milos. “This SelvaRey collaboration is exciting as it can cultivate new ways to enjoy coffee and more interest in coffee cocktails.”

Illy’s RTD beverage is 100 percent Arabica coffee and delivers the taste of Illy coffee known around the world. The all-natural product has no preservatives, added colors or flavors and is sweetened with non-GMO beet sugar. The Illy RTD Cappuccino, Caffè Latte and Mochaccino coffees use hormone-free milk and have fewer calories per serving than other popular ready to drink coffees on the market. One of the most popular, the Unsweetened Caffè, contains only five calories for a 6.8 o.z. Can, according to the company. 

Illy strives to remain ahead of the curve and continue innovating in the coffee arena. Earlier this year, the company launched what it claims to be the first-ever system for coffee that infuses ambient air into cold brew to create a nitro-effect without the use of kegs or nitrogen tanks. The long-established Italian coffee company behind global game-changing sustainable and convenient innovations has now pioneered a new system called Cold Brew Aria.

Moreover, Illy has been recognized for the past seven years, as one of only three honorees in the Food, Beverage & Agriculture industry, and the only company from Italy to receive the distinction of The 2019 World’s Most Ethical Companies by Ethisphere. Ethics are a core value for the company, which focuses on creating and sharing superior stakeholder value over time through its commitment to improvement, transparency, sustainability, and people development.

Coffee flavors on the rise?
Several F&B companies have tipped coffee as a flavor trend with potential, not only for its distinct flavor but also for its energy boosting properties. Tapping into the coffee flavor trend, US active nutrition start-up No Cow has launched No Cow Energy Bars, following a partnership with General Mills. The energy bars are low in sugar (one gram) and contain 45mg of Coffee Bean Flour, an innovative, patented caffeine source that provides sustainable energy that is the equivalent of half a cup of coffee.

On the supplier front, Australian-based dairy supplier Maxum Foods has pegged gourmet cheese coffee as a key dairy trend for 2019, while Symrise has offered a collection of specialty flavors designed to deliver the popular tastes of coffee and tea to dairy products, including milkshakes, yogurts and ice cream.