Artisan Spirits is ending the year with the launch of three new products: STANHOPE Whiskey, ALIDA Tequila and CUCELO Savoury Dry. The new vermouth, developed in collaboration with award-winning bartenders from Malaysia, Scotland and Bulgaria, debuts as the first release in CUCELO’s Bartender Series and is limited to 2,800 bottles.
Artisan Spirits is closing out the year with an ambitious expansion of its premium drinks portfolio, unveiling three new products that reflect both craftsmanship and international collaboration: STANHOPE Whiskey, ALIDA Tequila and CUCELO Savoury Dry.
The launches mark a significant move for the company as it broadens its offering across multiple categories, from whiskey and tequila to vermouth. While each product has been created to occupy a distinct place in the market, CUCELO Savoury Dry stands out as a particularly innovative addition, bringing together some of the hospitality industry’s most creative bartending talent.
The new expression is the first release in CUCELO’s Bartender Series, a programme designed to place leading bartenders at the heart of product development. Savoury Dry was created through a collaboration involving Gary Aw Jhing Hoong of Good Friends Club in Malaysia, Benjamin Wilson of The Last Bookstore in Scotland and Atanas Tsonkov of Public Bar in Bulgaria. Working alongside Brand Ambassador Luca Celardo, the trio helped shape a vermouth intended to meet the evolving demands of contemporary cocktail culture.
The project emerged from the Art of Vermouth competition, with the three bartenders earning the opportunity to contribute directly to the final liquid. Their collective vision resulted in a vermouth that balances Mediterranean herbal characteristics with bright citrus notes, before delivering a distinctly dry and saline finish.
Designed with Martini serves in mind, Savoury Dry reflects the growing popularity of savoury flavour profiles in bars around the world. The expression aims to provide bartenders with a versatile ingredient capable of adding complexity and structure to classic cocktails while also supporting experimentation in modern drinks programmes.
The international nature of the collaboration was central to the development process. By drawing on perspectives from three different markets and cocktail cultures, Artisan Spirits has sought to create a product with broad appeal while maintaining a clear identity. The company believes the result demonstrates how bartenders can play a pivotal role in driving category innovation, moving beyond serving drinks to actively influencing the products that shape the industry.
To reinforce its exclusivity, the initial release of CUCELO Savoury Dry has been limited to just 2,800 individually numbered bottles. The restricted production run is expected to attract interest from both cocktail enthusiasts and collectors seeking unique and small-batch releases.
The launches of STANHOPE Whiskey, ALIDA Tequila and CUCELO Savoury Dry underline Artisan Spirits’ commitment to diversification and premiumisation at a time when consumers are increasingly seeking distinctive drinking experiences. While the whiskey and tequila introduce new dimensions to the company’s portfolio, CUCELO Savoury Dry offers a clear statement of intent, highlighting the value of collaboration, creativity and bartender-led innovation.
As the year draws to a close, Artisan Spirits is betting that consumers and the trade alike will embrace a new generation of premium spirits and fortified wines, led by products that blend authenticity, expertise and international influences.
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