Grand Mayan Tequila, Emma Waig
The highly esteemed Grand Mayan tequila brand from Mexico has made its way to Israel, courtesy of Emma Waig Company, expanding the shelves in a category that's steadily gaining popularity here, and rightfully so.
The distillery, established almost two decades ago in the state of Jalisco in Mexico, maintains traditional production methods and insists on using 100% pure blue agave. It undergoes slow cooking in stone ovens and double distillation, then ages in American-French oak barrels and Cognac barrels from France.
This process culminates in an exceptionally beautiful bottle, a handcrafted ceramic decanter, intricately numbered and hand-painted by local artists in Mexico City.
The lineup, for now, includes four types of tequila, in various sizes - Grand Mayan Blanco (Silver) rich and deep with fruity and spicy notes (NIS 245-1,000), Grand Mayan Reposado smooth with vanilla-caramel emphasis (NIS 360-1,700), Grand Mayan Ultra Aged a pinnacle of the brand's qualities, produced in a limited annual edition (NIS 1,850 per 750ml bottle), and Grand Mayan Extra Anejo.
The latter, sent for tasting, also relies on 100% blue agave and undergoes double distillation and slow cooking, followed by a five-year aging process in American-French barrels. The result is a testament to this commitment, with a very smooth texture, a wonderful aroma, almost wintry, and an excellent tequila taste, indeed. Price: NIS 289-1,850.
Protein-rich strawberry and white chocolate milk, Mekupelet chocolate, and sugar-free iced coffee, Yotvata
The southern dairy from Strauss expands refrigerator shelves and introduces three new products, no less.
The first is a special edition of sugar-free protein drink, with a taste of strawberry and white chocolate.
The beverage, joining a series already comprising coffee and chocolate-hazelnut flavors, provides 25 grams of protein and 140 calories per individual bottle (350ml). It delivers, as expected, rich creaminess, relatively balanced sweetness, and indulgent flavors.
The second launch adds to Yotvata's lineup of iced coffee cups, offering a sugar-free version (1.8% fat, 57 calories per 230ml) with good coffee taste, light creaminess, and a to-go option that seals with a coffee-flavored lid.
The third revelation comes in the form of a special edition of Mekupelet chocolate milk.
The drink, marrying Yotvata's chocolate with the legendary chocolate snack, comes in a family-sized liter bottle, an individual bottle (350ml), and a pack of six individual pouches (225ml) - all maintaining a luxurious and creamy texture, good creaminess, and a moderate sweetness that complements the chocolate sensation well.
Brazilian capsules, Landwer coffee
The local coffee chain's capsule series expands with a blend of Israeli and South American excellence.
These are Brazilian Santos Fancy Astrid capsules, a single-origin coffee based on 100% Arabica beans. It carries a strength rating of 14 and offers in return a beautiful and invigorating intensity, not overwhelming, with only mild acidity and a sweet aroma with hints of caramel. Price: NIS 15-18.
Petit Beurre Tiramisu, Nestle
With coffee and beverages, a promise of indulgence that truly delivers.
It's a highly successful series from the giant of Israeli food, now expanding its offerings with a tiramisu-flavored edition - a sort of petit four sandwich with a coffee-flavored center embraced by vanilla and mascarpone cream. Bittersweet, creamy-crispy, and mainly, exactly what we need right now.
Salted Caramel Cornies, Sides
The leading cereal snack brand expands shelves and adds a salted caramel version to its colorful lineup.
The snack (23 grams, 97 calories), based on whole grains with a salted caramel flavor, features a bottom layer of milk chocolate and manages to maintain a relatively balanced balance between sweet and salty, and an overall feeling of indulgence. Price: NIS 12.90.
Barbecue sauce, Hunt's
One of America's popular brands arrives in the country through Leiman Schlisel Company, breaking into the category and shelves with a bang.
Hunt's lineup currently includes three flavors - barbecue sauce, smoky barbecue sauce, and honey mustard barbecue sauce. Their consistency is ideal as a dip for chips and onion rings, for example, but also as a spread with a bit of kick and depth in a sandwich. Simultaneously, they function excellently as a tangy-spicy-smoky marinade for chicken and vegetable skewers awaiting the grill, and they enhance stews, bubbling pots on the stove, pasta sauces yet to be named, and much more than that.
