Kerry has revealed its Botanicals Collection Zero 2.0, pegged by the company as an enhanced next-generation range of high-quality, authentic botanical extracts – containing 0% ethanol – designed specifically for the global rapid-growth low- and no-alcohol beverage arena.

The range is designed for applications including low- and no-alcohol drinks and mocktails, regular alcoholic beverages, and almost any beverage in which a low level of alcohol or a unique taste experience is desired, says the company.

The portfolio of tastes enables manufacturers to maintain a low (or zero) alcohol content and permits a “0.0%” claim. Compared to other ethanol-free technologies, the Collection Zero 2.0 range is more stable, with no haze, no sedimentation, and a more complex botanical taste and mouthfeel.

Blooming botanicals 
Speaking to FoodIngredientsFirst, Bill Sheridan, senior global marketing director for taste at Kerry, explains botanicals’ versatility in this realm. 

“They can be layered into the product development in many ways to deliver a beautifully complex, signature and sophisticated flavor profile, aid in storytelling and deliver an exciting, great tasting product for the consumer.”

Consumers want the entire drinking experience, the glass, ice, and taste, simply without the alcohol content.Botanicals allow manufacturers to deliver low and no products made with the same high-quality ingredients and bold flavors as artisanal spirits and beers, he continues. 

“For white spirits, this might be bitter botanical notes such as juniper berry, floral profiles such as rose petal and elderflower and refreshing varietal citrus’ such as Sicilian Lemon. For low and no beers – a mix of hops can elevate the craft experience. It’s also crucial for the manufacturer to deliver on the core taste of alcohol – that unmistaken tingle, burn and heat sensation.”

The range of possible distillates in this 2.0 generation includes fruit, floral, and spice and brown tonalities such as passionfruit, rosebud, elderflower, caraway, black pepper, cumin, cocoa and coffee. 

Discussing trends for 2022, Sheridan forecasts that more complex blends of flavorful botanicals will “drive consumer interest one sip at a time next year.”

“2022 will bring new age citrus fruits like calamansi and kumquat, floral favorites like elderflower, rose, and chamomile and an increased mix of herbal and spice botanicals like sage, saffron and ginseng. And of course, consumer interest in bitter flavors is here to stay – watch out for unique hops and authentic aperitif style bitters,” he details. 

Elevating the drinking experience 
With the Botanicals Collection Zero 2.0, beverage product developers now have an extensive range of potential tastes on their creative palettes that meet emerging clean label and authentic-quality requirements. According to Kerry, the result is a premium drinking experience for those seeking to moderate their alcohol consumption. 

Consumers want low and no alcohol NPD to mimic the unmistakable alcohol experience, underscores Sheridan. 

“They want the real thing – sophisticated flavor profiles and an interesting and social drinking experience. But in a drink format that does not compromise their wellness goals.”

This need is increasingly delivered by the growing number of trendy alcohol-free bars and bottle shops across major cities worldwide, serving up seasonal mocktails, craft beers, artisanal spirits and aperitifs, he notes. 

“Further, this bustling demand is mirrored off-trade, as we see more shelf space opening up to low and no alcohol options – space that more established alcohol brands and categories once occupied.”

Untapped potential?
According to Sheridan, there is a lot of uncovered potential in the low and no alcohol sector. “While we have seen a lot of innovation and new product development in the space of white botanical-based spirits, we have yet to see this level of activity in dark spirits (e.g., rum or whisky replacements),” he notes. Botanicals offer so many tangible advantages in this space and are incredibly versatile, says Kerry.

Similarly, there is room for growth in low and alcohol-free beer. 

“Though category awareness is increasing, there is a perception of bad taste in this category due to a history of poor-quality products with diluted taste profiles.” However, Sheridan believes this is changing with both global and local craft brands innovating and delivering consumer-approved alternatives with craft flavor profiles.

“Botanical sources of flavor have great potential in the fast-growth no-alcohol beer markets. It may be that the best tasting low alcohol beer product has not yet been developed,” he points out. 

The COVID-19 effect
Over 65% of consumers have admitted to being more concerned about their health since the pandemic began, reveals Sheridan. 

“Confined to their own homes and increasingly concerned of the effects of food and drink on their minds and bodies, COVID-19 became the perfect incubator for the growth of the low- and no-alcohol consumption.”

Many consumers chose to limit their alcohol intake over this time. Instead, he comments that they turned toward companies that could provide them low and no-alcohol beverage options that align with their personal lifestyle choices. 

This meant that consumers resorted to recreating and drinking their favorite cocktails in the comfort of their own homes. “Bartending skills were refined, and more products were launched to assist in recreating the classics at home – both with and without alcohol,” Sheridan elaborates. 

Kerry forecasts that this will continue as consumers have become more confident and invested in their skills. 

“Consumers will continue to be at-home mixologists – seeking out natural, tasty and exotic cocktail offerings that they can consume at home.”

Advanced distillation process
The new generation uses a proprietary extraction and distillation processing technique, delivering significant benefits (such as being preservative-free) while developing intense and amazingly complex aromatic profiles. 

There is a rapidly growing global trend to moderate and control alcohol intake, Kerry underscores.Zero 2.0 complements and expands Kerry’s first-generation Collection Zero, which was announced in 2020. 

Kerry’s knowledge in natural extraction also fosters innovative “fusion distillates” based on a proprietary capability to blend natural botanicals (leaves, flowers, seeds, etc.) and then magnifies taste by running a distillate following a period of slow maturation. 

The company reveals that this produces tailored extracts or blends that can be made to suit specific local and regional tastes and other requirements. 

Recently, flavor players have been experimenting in the alcohol-free arena. 

Last month, Sweegen introduced a series of sweet concepts free of sugar and containing added wellness functionalities, addressing consumer demand for these reformulation strategies. FoodIngredientsFirst attended a webinar that spotlighted a stevia-infused non-alcoholic mojito mocktail and a peach tea promoting stress relief.

Givaudan also unveiled research on “mindful drinking,” offering manufacturers critical insights into what consumers are looking for in low- and no-alcohol drinks and enabling them to create more appealing experiences.