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Leftovers is a showcase of some of the product ideas we’ve seen popping up around the place. Some are interesting, some are great, and some are things we’d never dreamed of. We can’t write about everything that’s been suggested, so here are some leftovers culled from our inbox.
Bacardi is drunk
Bacardi is keeping you cool this summer through a collaboration with Tipsy Scoop.
The alcoholic ice cream brand has developed a limited-edition sorbet, Bacardi Ocho Guava Daiquiri flavor, to celebrate Rum Month and be available in August. The product will be available at all Tipsy Scoop locations and shipped nationwide by Goldberry. The product reportedly combines the tropical sweetness of Bacardi and guava.
The brand says the collaboration not only celebrates Rum Month, but also highlights Bacardi’s versatility and creativity by offering fun and innovative ways to enjoy its libations.
“By incorporating our most beloved aged rum, BACARDI Reserva Ocho, into a classic guava-infused Daiquiri cocktail recipe, we’re giving it the perfect summer twist, celebrating Rum Month in a fun and innovative way,” Lisa Fenning, vice president of BACARDI North America, said in a statement.
“This collaboration not only showcases the diversity and rich heritage of Bacardi Reserva Ocho, but also provides an opportunity to engage with consumers in a fun and fresh way,” she said.
Frozen meals have proven an attractive way for brands to enter new categories outside of traditional liquids while still maintaining the allure of alcohol (which is why many people drink it in the first place).
Bacardi isn’t the first big alcohol brand to bring its products into the frozen food space. This year alone, Molson Coors’ Blue Moon and Diageo-owned Guinness have entered the ice cream space, the latter in collaboration with Tipsy Scoop. And in 2021, Dogfish Head released a dairy-free oat milk ice cream infused with Hazy Au Brew in collaboration with Tipsy Scoop.
— Christopher Dowling
Utz launches new Zapps flavour
Snack food brand Utz believes its new product will bring a unique boldness to its festive Zapp’s range, aiming to replicate the zesty flavours of its native New Orleans.
The company introduced two new products: Big Cheese Chips, made with cheddar cheese, sour cream and Cajun seasoning, and Sweet Cinnamon & Sugar Pretzel Sticks.
“We’ve put a twist on classic pretzels and chips the only way we know how, with unique New Orleans flavors that are packed with great flavor,” Stacey Schultz, senior vice president of marketing at Utz, said in a statement. “Whether it’s the flavorful, complex crunch that Big Cheesy brings or the combination of salty and sweet that Sweet Cinnamon & Sugar adds to our Sinful Seasonings Pretzel Sticks line, we aim to spark curiosity and deliver the unique snacks that Zapps are known for.”
The snacks are available for purchase on the Utz website, as well as at grocery and convenience stores nationwide.
Zapp’s New Orleans Kettle Style Potato Chips were introduced in 1985 and were sold to Pennsylvania-based Utz in 2011. The company’s other chip flavors include Spicy Cajun Craw-Tator, Hotter and Hot Jalapeño and Voodoo Heat.
Utz has maintained a loyal customer base for decades, but now faces competition from healthier options in the snack food category, including Popchips, which is owned by the same company from which Utz sold two brands earlier this year.
Other snack brands are also innovating by incorporating quirky, trendy flavors: In April, Kettle brand chips launched a flavor based on gochujang, a sweet and spicy fermented tomato condiment popular in South Korea.
— Chris Casey
Bob’s Red Mill expands pancake and waffle blends
Bob’s Red Mill is expanding its pancake and waffle mix line with new specialty blends.
The new flavors, Homestyle Buttermilk, Chocolate Chip & Banana, and White Chocolate & Strawberry, are all available now. The Buttermilk flavor is available at local retailers, while the Chocolate Chip & Banana and White Chocolate & Strawberry are available exclusively at Walmart.
The mixes require consumers to simply add water. “Like all of our products, each mix is made with high-quality ingredients and free of unnecessary additives,” Blake Isaac, director of innovation and marketing, said in a statement.
The company says innovation has been the key to its growth since its founding.
When Bob Moore and his wife Charlie founded Bob’s Red Mill in 1978, their focus was on providing wholesome, whole grain ingredients to the masses.
At the start of 2023, the company hired Porter Long, a veteran who was a major influence on Chobani’s “flip program,” as head of research and development.
The company is also benefiting from changing consumer demand for more whole food ingredients, including whole grains.
“73% of home cooks prefer recipes with fewer ingredient lists, [the blends] “It’s an essential shortcut to easy, convenient breakfast that delivers homemade quality taste in every bite,” the company said in a statement.
Ingredients include a wheat and barley flour blend, as well as tapioca flour, sugar buttermilk powder, baking soda and sea salt.
— Elizabeth Flood