Everleaf has introduced Forest Chipotle Hot Honey, a limited-edition non-alcoholic apéritif created in partnership with JD’s Hot Honey and sold in 500ml bottles. It blends Everleaf’s bittersweet Forest base with saffron, Madagascan vanilla and honeyed orange blossom, with added smoked chipotle peppers and hot honey for heat.
The apéritif is aimed at bartenders and cocktail enthusiasts and ships with a signature serve called the Picante Spritz: one part Chipotle Hot Honey to three parts soda or lemonade, served over ice with an orange slice and a jalapeño garnish. Suggested serves also include Campfire Negroni, Smoky Sour and Chipotle Espresso Martini. The bottle retails at £25 (US$34) and is available for a limited time, with wider rollout dates specified by the brand.
The expression offers a way to add smoky-sweet heat to non-alcoholic cocktails and experiment with savory-sweet profiles. Its cocktail-first design underscores the demand for bold, drinkable NA options and gives bartenders a ready-made spicy-sweet ingredient to expand menus.
Image Credit: The Spirits Business
What's Driving This Trend
- Spicy Non-alcoholic Aperitifs
- Bold heat cues like chipotle and hot honey are expanding adult-oriented alcohol alternatives into more complex, cocktail-ready flavor territories.
- Savory-sweet Cocktail Profiles
- Combinations of smoke, spice, honey and botanicals create room for premium beverages that move beyond traditional fruit-forward mocktails.
- Limited-edition Beverage Collaborations
- Partnership-led releases between drink brands and condiment makers can generate novelty, scarcity and cross-category appeal for adventurous consumers.
Who This Affects Most
- Non-alcoholic Beverages
- Premium NA products with layered botanical and culinary flavors are reshaping expectations for sophisticated drinking occasions.
- Cocktail and Bar Services
- Ready-made spicy-sweet modifiers give bartenders efficient ways to diversify low- and no-alcohol menus with distinctive signature serves.
- Condiments and Flavorings
- Hot honey and chili-based flavor systems are finding new commercial relevance as branded ingredients in beverages and hospitality formats.
