Synergy Flavours has developed a range of extracts and flavour solutions for the low and no alcohol category. The products include bitters, fermented notes, gin, pink gin, aperitif and rum flavours, alongside extracts designed to deliver warmth, such as scotch bonnet and peppercorn. The company has also expanded its botanical range with flavours including sloe, dandelion, passionflower, and juniper. The portfolio is aimed to allow manufacturers to layer different flavour notes to mimic the complexity of alcohol alternatives. 

Alongside the range itself, the company has provided analytical pairing charts to show how flavours analytically pair with key compounds in alcohol. The pairing charts focus on tequila, rum, vodka, whiskey and gin. 

Vicky Berry, European Business Development Manager, Synergy Flavours, said: “Using our analysis, we can identify esters as key compounds in rum – these pair well with tropical, fruity profiles like guava and passionfruit. Spice and coffee work particularly well with whiskey, as those pairings share the flavour compound Eugenol. Moreover, tea pairs well with tequila based on Ethyl acetate and Isobutanol. The pairing charts allow low and no beverage manufacturers to tap into flavours proven to work well in alcohol and bring the same level of innovation to alcohol alternatives.” 

The company has also expanded its portfolio of Italian Provenance citrus extracts with more soluble versions of Sicilian Orange and Sicilian Mandarin. Giorgio Ferluga, Technical Manager, Synergy Flavours Italy, said: “Premiumisation is key in the low and no alcohol market and our extracts allow manufacturers to claim provenance, whilst maintaining the desired clarity and flavour impact in their drinks.” 

There is also an addition to its Inspiring Fruits range, with a depictable and declarable natural rhubarb flavour. The rhubarb can be used alongside the low and no solutions or paired with the existing Inspiring Fruits range: blackcurrant, peach, strawberry, raspberry, pear and sour cherry. 

Vicky Berry said: “The low- and no-alcohol market is booming, with consumption expected to grow 31% by 2024, according to the IWSR. Taste and natural positioning are key in developing drinks for this market – consumers are becoming more discerning and more demanding, expecting that alcohol alternatives will taste as good and contain natural ingredients. Our range of flavour solutions can help manufacturers deliver taste without compromise in this very dynamic category. Layering our flavours and extracts for low and no products alongside our depictable flavours or provenance extracts can also help to enhance a brand’s positioning in this increasingly competitive space.”