Endless Summer Flavor – that’s what this year’s limited-time seasonal flavors are all about. We have taken flavor artistry to a whole new level with our All Day Rosé, Pi-Ño Colada and Mojito Mocktail. Our Innovation team layered aromas and flavors to deliver all of the flavor of these classic summertime drinks, without the alcohol. Here’s a behind-the-scenes peek at our flavor artistry …
Pi-Ño Colada – Bright and Beachy Anytime
The pina colada is a nostalgic, beloved summertime cocktail – the flavor takes you straight to a sunny island beach with a salty breeze on your skin. The drink itself, though, can be cloyingly sweet and leave you feeling weighed down. Enter Waterloo Pi-Ño Colada! All the flavor and fun memories, without the alcohol and sugar.
We Need to Do What?
We had our work cut out for us from a flavor standpoint. Our blend had to deliver on the sweetness and richness of a cocktail that is normally frozen and often topped with whipped cream… all in a sparkling water. Would it be creamy enough? Sweet enough, but not too sweet? Could we get there? Would it be sunscreen-y?
To mix this tropical mocktail, we started with pineapple. We landed on a blend of pineapple flavors that gave us a great base of sweetness to build from. It was juicy and bright, ripe and golden. Next, coconut. We tried a variety of coconuts – from sweet and creamy to nutty and complex. The winner was a toasted variety that carried its own hint of sweetness and provided a balanced back end to the overall profile.
Persistence Pays Off
This is where another group might stop. We had pineapple, we had coconut, it was balanced… But that’s not how we roll. Our Innovation team wanted to truly land this. Obviously, we had to blend up some pina coladas and taste for ourselves. We wanted those undertones of rum and that sweet finish, the up-front fresh hit of pineapple balanced by rich coconut.
Fast forward through a couple more months of experimenting in the lab and we had our winner. On the nose, our Pi-Ño Colada is dominantly ripe, fresh pineapple with a hint of soft coconut. When you taste, it’s juicy, sweet pineapple with creamy, toasted coconut and subtle notes of earthy spirits to follow. The finish is sweet and tropical. And, perfect – All the flavor, none of the alcohol.
Mixologist Tip: Serve chilled on its own or with Rum
Mojito Mocktail – Summer Straight Up
Mojito was on our short list. Our research showed strong consumer demand for a non-alcoholic version of this popular and refreshing, traditional summertime cocktail. It is flavorful but simple, created more with quality ingredients and a good recipe than with fancy mixology. Plus, it is normally made with carbonated water – a natural fit for Waterloo! We set out to mix our Waterloo Mojito Mocktail like a craft cocktail.
Mint First
The base of a mojito is vibrant mint leaves, muddled to release the oils. We needed to ensure this garden mint quality and to avoid anything too sharp or spearmint-like. The mint we settled on is fresh and slightly herbal – the perfect start to layer on the rest of our mocktail.
Next up, lime! We chose a lime varietal that is naturally a little sweeter than your everyday lime and not quite as acidic. The balanced, bright lime added just the right tartness and lift, while blending perfectly to bring out the nuances in our mint.
The Full Experience
The final ingredients in a mojito are sugar, rum, and sparkling water. We had the last one covered – for sure. But without the sweetness and boozy complexity, we knew our mojito was not complete. So, for months, we did testing with different flavors to add the subtle rum and sweetness notes until we had crafted a blend that we felt captured the experience of sipping a freshly made mojito under the summer sun.
Waterloo Mojito Mocktail is delightfully impactful with zesty lime and fresh muddled mint, balanced on the back end with notes of earthy rum and just-right sweetness. This summertime flavor is ultra-refreshing, a mocktail experience unlike any other! All the flavor, none of the alcohol.
Mixologist Tip: Serve chilled on its own or with Rum
