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Novo Fogo Organic Cachaça Drinkee passion fruit cachaça

August 22, 2023by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Drinkee: Novo Fogo x SOFI TUKKER

Introducing Drinkee, Novo Fogo x SOFI TUKKER

by David Klemt

A month after announcing the reformulation of their award-winning cachaça-forward RTDs, Novo Fogo is proud to announce the launch of Drinkee.

Drinkee, the first Brazilian passion fruit cachaça made for the American market, is a direct result of a new partnership.

Listeners of our Bar Hacks podcast will recall that Novo Fogo founder and CEO Dragos Axinte was our guest for episode 97. It’s on this episode that Axinte discusses Novo Fogo’s partnership with Sophie Hawley-Weld and Tucker Halpern, known globally as SOFI TUKKER.

Axinte shares his thoughts on partnerships and collaboration when talking about teaming up with Hawley-Weld and Halpern. While the partnership “felt right to both sides,” the parties still went through a “complex, long negotiation” before finalizing their deal. The Novo Fogo and SOFI TUKKER teams may have known deep down that the partnership was right but they took the time to prove that feeling was good for business and a long-term relationship.

In addition to SOFI TUKKER serving as global ambassadors for Novo Fogo, Hawley-Weld and Halpern are also co-owners of the Brazilian brand. The dance music duo was heavily involved in the development and launch of Drinkee.

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A post shared by SOFI TUKKER (@sofitukker)

The newest addition to the Novo Fogo lineup is essentially Brazil in a bottle. Start with Novo Fogo Silver, infuse it with authentic Brazilian flavors, and you get Drinkee. This new expression is named for SOFI TUKKER’s debut song of the same name, and delivers notes of Brazilian passion fruit, orange peel, vanilla, pure cane sugar, and oak.

To learn more about Novo Fogo Drinkee, please read the press release below. While we’re eager to spend time with this new bottle, we’re excited for more collaborative Novo Fogo x SOFI TUKKER products to enter the market.

Cheers!

NOVO FOGO ANNOUNCES A PASSION FRUIT CACHAÇA NAMED DRINKEE

Developed with SOFI TUKKER, Drinkee is the first Brazilian Passion Fruit Cachaça made for the American market

SEATTLE, WA (Aug. 21, 2023) – Novo Fogo announces a new product to their lineup of USDA-certified organic Brazilian cachaças: Novo Fogo Passion Fruit Cachaça, fancifully named after SOFI TUKKER’s hit song, “Drinkee.” A first for the American market, this all-natural sugarcane spirit culminates months of product development among the Novo Fogo distillery team in Morretes, Brazil, and the multi-Grammy-nominated dance music superstars SOFI TUKKER, who are co-owners and global brand ambassadors of Novo Fogo.

The partners’ ambition was to share the beloved flavors of Brazil in a bottled, full-proof spirit that drops a beat of fresh tropical flavor into any cocktail. To achieve this, they experimented with various infusions of tropical ingredients to harmoniously complement the rainforest flavors of Novo Fogo Silver Cachaça. The resulting spirit amplifies the beloved notes of Brazilian passion fruit and fresh cane distillate, supported by background rhythms of orange peel, vanilla, pure cane sugar, and oak. Drinkee stands proudly when sipped neat or on the rocks, but it really starts to dance in cocktails of all kinds. Few things match the perfection of a Caipirinha made with the pulp of a fresh passion fruit, sipped under a backdrop of tropical birdsong and Brazilian rainforest, but a Caipirinha simply shaken with Passion Fruit Cachaça, lime, and sugar is a close second, wherever you enjoy it.

Tucker Halpern, half of the eponymous duo SOFI TUKKER, says of this cachaça: “I am beyond proud of where this product ended up. It feels surreal to have been in the Atlantic Rainforest in Brazil testing the different ingredient combinations to make the perfect Passion Fruit Cachaça. It truly tastes the way our song ‘Drinkee’ sounds, and the way Brazil makes us feel. We’re so excited for everyone to try it!”

Novo Fogo Passion Fruit Cachaça was created to be as inclusive as SOFI TUKKER’s music: it is an approachable introduction to cachaça newcomers, and simultaneously an elegant base spirit for bartenders and enthusiasts to supercharge their cocktails with bold tropical flavors. Drinkee will pair perfectly with another upcoming Novo Fogo x SOFI TUKKER collaboration named after their song “Energia.” That future product is inspired by Sophie Hawley-Weld, who enjoys alcohol-free drinks and is passionate about Brazil’s rainforest environment and the plant-based beverages that grow therein.

Like all Novo Fogo’s handcrafted Brazilian spirits, Passion Fruit Cachaça is an emissary of Brazilian culture and rainforest conservation, and a symbol for the shared values that connected Novo Fogo and SOFI TUKKER in the first place. The duo says of the partnership: “We have a lot in common with Novo Fogo – we share a core love of Brazil, fun, and environmentalism. Cachaça is Tuck’s favorite drink and Soph doesn’t drink alcohol, but she’s still at the same party… both having the best time. This partnership works because Novo Fogo is so much more than cachaça and spirits; they are a powerful rainforest preservation steward, and we’re enthusiastic participants in the reforestation project The Un-Endangered Forest™. So if you do decide to drink, we hope you’ll drink Novo Fogo because you’ll be planting trees in the Brazilian rainforest at the same time! We’re excited to help introduce this classic Brazilian drink to more people around the world.”

Novo Fogo Passion Fruit Cachaça is sold to distributors nationwide by 375 Park Avenue Spirits. It is now available for pre-order on www.novofogo.com.

About Novo Fogo

A passionate advocate for sustainable practices in the spirits industry, Novo Fogo is a carbon-negative company that produces USDA-certified 100% organic cachaças at its zero-waste distillery in the heart of Brazil’s Atlantic Rainforest. Its production methods prioritize human and environmental sustainability; the company is proud of its all-female distiller team and its legacy reforestation project, The Un-Endangered Forest™, which seeks to restore 44 species of threatened native trees. Extending this ethos to its cocktail audience, Novo Fogo has been a trailblazer for sponsoring health and wellness initiatives for spirit industry members. The company’s product line intersects traditional Brazilian culture with modern cocktail trends of healthier drinking, such as low carbs, low ABV, and low calories. Seeking to build a business that can last 100 years, Novo Fogo has partnered with multi-Grammy-nominated global dance music duo SOFI TUKKER to foster increased awareness towards its brand of conscientious capitalism. Find Your Own Brazilian Zen™ by visiting https://www.novofogo.com.

About SOFI TUKKER

SOFI TUKKER – best friends Sophie Hawley-Weld & Tucker Halpern – have a global reputation as the most vibrant, positive and community-driven dance music group out there. The duo met senior year at Brown University, where Tucker was a basketball jock and Sophie studied conflict resolution and Brazilian Portuguese. In 2015 they put out their debut single “Drinkee,” which was nominated for a GRAMMY, followed by a 2nd nomination for their debut album Treehouse. They have since earned Platinum & Gold record sales, several #1 records, over a billion streams, and campaigns for Apple (“Best Friend”), Peloton (“Purple Hat”) and Smartwater (“Wet Tennis”). 2023 saw Tucker & Sophie as the faces of colorful G-Star Raw & Baboon to the Moon collections, and the continuation of their own fashion label, WET TENNIS. Their new single “Jacaré” is a celebration of Brazil and the LGBTQ+ community, with lyrics by the Brazilian poet Chacal. SOFI TUKKER have collaborated with artists around the world, such as Amadou & Mariam, Mahmut Orhan, Bomba Estéreo & Pabllo Vittar. In the first half of 2023, the duo released “Sacrifice” with Kx5 (Kaskade & Deadmau5) and contributed two songs to the debut album from LP Giobbi. Meanwhile their versatility as a live act has them packing festival fields, selling out headline tours and returning to Vegas for their DJ residency. They debuted their immersive new live show at Coachella, followed by Governors Ball, Bonnaroo, Electric Forest, Lollapalooza, Osheaga & more.

Image: Novo Fogo Organic Cachaça

Redesigned and reformulated Novo Fogo ready-to-drink canned cocktails

July 25, 2023by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Novo Fogo Reformulates Brazilian RTDs

Novo Fogo Reformulates and Redesigns Brazilian RTDs

by David Klemt

Just before Tales of the Cocktail kicks off, Novo Fogo Organic Cachaça announces the reformulation of their award-winning ready-to-drink cocktail line.

As founder and CEO Dragos Axinte reveals on episode 97 of the Bar Hacks podcast, the RTD series now features key changes.

For example, the RTDs now come in 12-ounce slim cans rather than their original eight-ounce cans. As you can see, the design is also much more colorful and eye-catching.

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A post shared by Novo Fogo Organic Cachaça (@novofogo)

Of course, the changes aren’t simply cosmetic. Inside the can, each expression represents a new recipe. The last iteration of Novo Fogo RTDs was delicious and showcased their Silver Cachaça brilliantly. However, the new formulation offers even more robust flavor and drops the sweetness a bit.

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A post shared by Dragoș Axinte (@treerestrial)

Most importantly, the new RTDs are truly a pioneering beverage. Novo Fogo’s new canned cocktails are the first RTDs made with Brazilian cachaça ever to achieve USDA Organic certification.

This means that Novo Fogo’s entire lineup, from core expressions to special releases, is USDA-certified 100-percent organic. That’s a huge win for the company, for operators who feature their products, and for operators’ guests.

Operators will be able to introduce these new 12-ounce, nine-percent ABV RTDs to their guests shortly. They’re perfect as a refreshing summer cocktail, served on ice in buckets with limes for garnish.

NOVO FOGO ANNOUNCES NEW BRAZILIAN ORGANIC COCKTAIL

RTD Line Sets Industry Standard as the First-Ever USDA-Certified Organic Canned Cocktail Made with Brazilian Cachaça

SEATTLE, WA—Novo Fogo Organic Cachaça today announces that they have completely redesigned and reformulated their popular line of award-winning Brazilian canned cocktails, offering consumers a fresh way to experience their carbonated twist on Brazil’s national cocktail, the Caipirinha. Novo Fogo Brazilian Organic Cocktails come in three tropical flavors and are USDA-certified organic.

The award-winning, sustainability-oriented cachaça producer makes handcrafted cachaça from estate-grown sugarcane in Brazil’s Atlantic Rainforest and is a pioneer in spirit-based ready-to-drink (RTD) beverages. For over six years, Novo Fogo’s canned cocktails have introduced North American drinkers to Brazilian cachaça in an approachable, convenient, and delicious format. The current product evolution represents a giant leap forward in organic ingredient certification, packaging design, and flavor.

Novo Fogo’s Brazilian Organic Cocktails highlight three traditional Brazilian flavors—Lime, Passion Fruit, and Mango—that complement the base spirit of Novo Fogo Silver Cachaça, beloved by bartenders across the globe. The 100% natural ingredients have been reformulated to create a cocktail that is now certified organic by the USDA, a first for any cachaça-based RTD and a big win for Mother Earth. This breakthrough now makes Novo Fogo’s entire product line USDA-certified organic.

The colorful design of the 12 oz sleek cans evokes Novo Fogo’s origins in the Brazilian rainforest and emerged in collaboration with multi-Grammy-nominated dance music duo, SOFI TUKKER, who became co-owners and global ambassadors of Novo Fogo in October 2022. SOFI TUKKER’s vibrant, inclusive, and global perspective on electronic music has attracted legions of adoring fans worldwide, and Novo Fogo’s Brazilian Organic Cocktails are poised to accompany SOFI TUKKER’s music as the perfect concert cocktail.

Novo Fogo Brazilian Organic Cocktails feature new recipes that are full-flavored and not too sweet, each at 9% ABV with 150 calories and 12 grams of carbohydrates per serving. The aluminum cans have grown to 12 oz in volume, with 1.8 proper cocktail servings per can. Although they are new in every way, these updated cocktails continue to combine freshness, deliciousness, and shelf stability by virtue of their organic-certified ingredients that harmonize as balanced, carbonated drinks. Drink ‘em how you like ‘em, as long as they’re cold: straight from the chilled can, over ice in a glass, and with or without an extra squeeze of lime.

Novo Fogo is an award-winning Brazilian cachaça producer that handcrafts their spirits at their zero-waste distillery at the edge of the Atlantic Forest in Brazil’s southern state of Paraná. The purest representation of USDA-certified 100% organic sugarcane, Novo Fogo’s Silver Cachaça is the result of single pot distillation in small batches to maximize the flavors of local terroir in the finished spirit. Silver Cachaça is the base spirit for all three Brazilian Organic Cocktails.

“We have always been committed to genuinely reflect Brazilian culture in our brand persona, while also observing and respecting North American consumer trends. These new organic cocktails are a natural evolution of our understanding of the world and incorporate the positive, colorful, and vivid inspiration that SOFI TUKKER brought to the brand. As with everything we do these days, our new Brazilian Organic Cocktails represent the intersection of integrity and joy,” says Novo Fogo’s founder and CEO, Dragos Axinte.

Novo Fogo Brazilian canned cocktails are sold to distributors nationwide by 375 Park Avenue Spirits and online with a suggested retail price of $3.75 per can and $14.99 for a four-pack. To learn more about Novo Fogo products, please visit www.novofogo.com.

About Novo Fogo

About 375 Park Avenue Spirits

375 Park Avenue Spirits specializes in the premium- to luxury-spirit categories and their portfolio includes numerous expressions from leading international producers. Founded as Luctor International, LLC in 1981, 375 Park Avenue Spirits joined the Sazerac Company in early 2015 to act as an independent, yet fully integrated sales and marketing affiliate. The company is known today for creating an environment of growth for supplier partners in the domestic market for renown brands like Van Gogh Vodka from Holland, Sobieski Vodka from Poland, Cutty Sark Blended Scotch, J.P. Wiser’s Canadian Whisky, Paul John Single Malt Whisky from India, Scapegrace Gin from New Zealand, Novo Fogo Cachaça and many others. For more information on 375 Park Avenue Spirits, please visit www.375park.com.

Images courtesy of Novo Fogo Organic Cachaça

Novo Fogo Bar Strength Silver Cachaça bottle

July 9, 2021by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

First-ever Carbon-neutral Distilled Spirit

Novo Fogo Releases First-ever Carbon-neutral Distilled Spirit

by David Klemt

Novo Fogo is releasing their Silver Cachaça in a one-liter bottle with a fresh new design, strength and trade industry focus.

Clearly, the Brazilian distiller is concentrating on bar owners and bartenders for 2021.

Of course, Novo Fogo is also focusing on their relationship with the planet.

Reducing Environmental Impact

The Novo Fogo distillery calls the Floresta Atlântica home. And the brand is fiercely protective of this location.

Also known as the Atlantic Rainforest, the distillery operates within the second-largest UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.

Novo Fogo’s home is pristine, surrounded by untouched nature—there’s no pollution. Operating in harmony, Novo Fogo goes to great lengths to impact their surroundings—and the planet—as little as possible.

Fans of the distillery’s handcrafted, small-batch cachaça will attest to the liquid’s terroir. Tasting Novo Fogo is like standing in Floresta Atlântica and breathing in its pristine nature.

The company is carbon negative (absorb more carbon dioxide than they emit); uses minimal water; utilizes organic production methods; and manages reforestation efforts.

World First Spirit

Novo Fogo’s mission includes a relentless, meticulous approach to saving the Amazon rainforest. The reasoning is obvious—sixty percent of Brazil is rainforest.

Also, rainforests absorb carbon dioxide; release oxygen and water into the atmosphere; are home to indigenous people; and are habitats full of animal and plant life.

So, it’s with great pride that Novo Fogo Bar Strength Silver Cachaça is the world’s first carbon-neutral distilled spirit.

This accomplishment is no small feat. To achieve this goal, Novo Fogo had to take into account the impact of their partners.

That means the brand calculated:

production of their glass bottles (recycled glass, neck wraps made from plastics found on the streets of São Paulo), corks, labels, and cases;
utilities and fuel used by their distributor’s warehouses;
the resources used by land and sea freight partners; and
the impact of sales and delivery efforts.

After calculating the entirety of Bar Strength Silver Cachaça’s impact on the Earth, Novo Fogo purchased carbon offsets through Native. The offsets will save trees by providing 2,000 families in Honduras that produce coffee with water filters. Ultimately, this will save trees as the families won’t need to cut any down to boil water.

Bar Owner and Bartender Friendly

While things are improving, it can still be cost-prohibitive for people to choose products that are good for our planet.

To that end, Novo Fogo also aims to reduce the financial impact for bar owners who purchase Bar Strength Silver Cachaça.

Per the brand, the average wholesale cost of the new one-liter expression is $24. That translates to 22 1.5-ounce pours, a cost per ounce of $0.71, and a cost per cocktail of $1.06.

However, this new expression also takes the practical into mind.

Bartenders will appreciate Novo Fogo’s new bottle design:

The neck is taller while the midsection is has been slimmed down.
Regarding the footprint, the bottom of the bottle is now circular.
Novo Fogo shrunk the bottle’s footprint.

Ultimately, the redesign results in a one-liter bottle that’s easier to handle and fits better in a well.

Of course, boosting the ABV from 40 percent to 43 percent means this cachaça’s flavors are more intense. Obviously, that makes for a bolder drinking and guest experience.

Consumers are growing increasingly concerned about the health of our planet. Many seek out brewers, vintners and distillers who operate responsibly. The same goes for the restaurants, bars and hotels they’ll support.

Novo Fogo just made it that much easier to make cocktails that are better for the planet.

Image: Novo Fogo