Bacardi has unveiled a new spirit distilled entirely from
green tea leaves that can be enjoyed with Chinese food. Priced at around
$250 per bottle, Tang will make its worldwide debut in an exclusive campaign
with top travel retailer DFS at Hong Kong airport which began on March 19 and runs until May, when
it then expands into selected partner restaurants in China. The spirit is made
by blending Chinese green tea with spring water from France, resulting in a
robust taste and distinctive aroma, the company said.
The bottle is designed with a distinctive trapezoidal twist to encapsulate the fusion of Western innovation and Eastern traditions. The bottle also features intricate etchings of tea leaf motifs inspired by the design of traditional Chinese tea caddies. The gold foiling is also designed to echo the hues of green tea.
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| Tang, a new spirit, can be enjoyed with Chinese food |
Exceptional innovation
Mike Birch, managing director of Bacardi Global Travel
Retail, said: “We’re excited to launch this exceptional innovation exclusively
in travel retail. It is a perfect example of Bacardi’s strategic commitment to
inspiring innovation ideas and a focus on travel retail as a key channel for
innovation. Tang is a unique and contemporary development in new drinking
experiences. We are confident that its initial launch is in great hands with
DFS at Hong Kong International airport.”
The name Tang is inspired by the Tang dynasty, China’s
first Golden Age of antiquity and the beginnings of its appreciation for tea. “The
Tang dynasty was a period of great accomplishment marked by a spirit of
innovation that is similarly embodied by Tang,” Bacardi said.
“The distillation process marks a breakthrough in the
world of spirits, conceived by the combined knowledge of multiple scientists and
experts from around the globe,” Bacardi continued. Due to the composition of
tea leaves and the absence of simple sugar, the experts at Bacardi developed a
process that releases complex sugars from tea leaves and transforms them into a
fermentable form, resulting in an aromatic compound that forms the essence of
the spirit. This is then concentrated and blended in different fractions by top
master blenders who retain only the most pleasant and intense flavours. The liquid
is then combined with spring water from France, renowned for its purity. “The result is a deliciously complex spirit
that embodies and expresses the rich flavours of tea,” enthused Bacardi.
Bold and fragrant aroma
Tang has a bold and fragrant aroma. The smooth and bitter-sweet taste of tea creates a long, lingering finish that
leaves behind a line of heat that extends to the belly. The spirit enhances the taste of Cantonese and fusion dishes that are light and flavourful.
Matt Djokovic, innovation director of Bacardi Asia
Pacific, said the product tasted new yet would inspire a nostalgic familiarity
that will intrigue Chinese palates. “Today, the types of spirits that can be
enjoyed with food are fairly limited and Tang now brings a new, contemporary
spirit option to enjoy during Chinese meals. We believe Tang is poised to
deliver a contemporary drink experience that will satisfy consumer appetite for
new and refined experiences in dining and other occasions,” he said.
Produced in the town of Cognac, Tang is made only from
green tea leaves and French spring water and does not contain any additives,
preservatives or sugars.
Tang is recommended to be consumed neat, at room
temperature, without ice, and can be mixed in
cocktails. It is available in a 50cl bottle and retails at HK$1,888
(about $250).
