All-natural ‘healthy’ blueberry fruit cola

The Juice Shed Company, maker of Juicy Fuel Cola, claims to have made a ‘healthy’ range of colas under its Juicy Fuel Cola brand, which provide one of your five-a-day and are made using only natural ingredients.

Currently there are two variants in the range – original and cherry – while The Morning Advertiser can exclusively reveal a blueberry-flavoured liquid will be launched in October.

Juicy Fuel is currently listed with health food wholesaler Tree of Life. Operators can also buy the 250ml cans in packs of 24 direct from the Juice Shed, which claims to be the smallest cola company in the world.

Little is yet known about the flavour profile of the blueberry cola, as it is so new, but the cherry variant is made with malt barley, kola nut extract, grape, cherry and lemon juice. Lemon juice is used in the drinks as an alternative to ascorbic and citric acid.

As well as being made with natural ingredients, the drinks are school-compliant and so could be an ideal addition to a children’s menu.

Of course, our attention turned to the new softs’ compatibility with spirits, with each of the variants pairing well with vodka. However, mixing the cherry cola with amaretto in a long glass with ice gives a cherry Bakewell-flavoured drink and adding a Morello cherry garnish finishes it off nicely.

Try the blueberry cola with bourbon for an interesting twist on the classic bourbon and cola serve, but finish with blueberries and a sprig of mint for the perfect serve.

Operator's view:

Owner of Spoken, Exmouth, George Nightingale:​

This quirky brand of cola really stands out on the shelf and would suit almost any operation, from delis right through to the traditional pub market. An alternative to regular Colas will certainly appeal to establishments who are keen offer something that little bit different in the growing soft drinks sector.

As a stand alone product that seems to be aimed at children, for the licensed trade a sensible price would be £2.00–£2.50.

Another great soft drink offering taking on the holy grail of the market – cola! Whether this is possible remains to be seen, but for establishments who want something to talk about, this could be a simple and quick win.

OR YOU COULD TRY: Cherry cola​

Northumberland-based Fentiman’s has an extensive range of flavoured botanical-brewed soft drinks, including cherry, mandarin & Seville orange jigger, lime & jasmine, and more.

The softs come in 275ml bottles and can be bought from a range of wholesalers and suppliers and are already popular in the on-trade.

It is suggested each of the drinks are served in tall glasses over ice with complementary garnishes, such as cherries for the cherry cola, strands of orange zest for the jigger and a wedge of lime for the lime and jasmine drink.

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