Red Stripe's Sorrel Beer - Opens up the Possibility of a Jamaican Fruit Tree of Beer Flavours

“While Red Stripe Sorrel will be introduced in time for the upcoming Christmas season, it will by no means be available for a limited time only. Every Christmas going forward, consumers can look forward to enjoying the refreshingly sweet and spicy taste of a long-time tradition now with a new twist to complement every celebration”

Red Stripe Brand Manager Erin Mitchell commenting on the introduction of Sorrel Red Stripe Beer for Christmas 2014

Red Stripe has done it again with yet another product Red Stripe Sorrel Beer, being added to their lineup of exotic Beer Flavours as shown below.

This time its Sorrel Beer was introduced on Monday November 17^th 2014 just in time for the festive season as stated in the article “Red Stripe brings a cooler vibe with sorrel”, Published Thursday November 13, 2014, The Jamaica Gleaner.

This is a follow on from the introduction of the 1 Litre Red Stripe Beer as well as other Beer Flavours at their inaugural Red Stripe Beer Festival as I'd reported in my blog article entitled “Red Stripe Beer Festival in the Middle of May 2014 a success – Beer Festival an Annual Event to stave off Sweet Palcohol”. 

Those other flavours as shown in the image were introduced in 2012 as explained in the article “And now… Red Stripe gives you Sorrel Beer”, published Sunday, November 16, 2014 BY TERRON DEWAR Business reporter, the Jamaica Observer and are as follows:

1. Apple
2. Ginger
3. Lime
4. Tallawah
5. Raspberry

Tallawah Beer was introduced during the Jamaica 50 Celebration in November 2013 as stated in the article “Red Stripe Adds Ginger Beer To Tallawah Portfolio”, published Sunday November 24, 2013 by Richard Browne, Business Reporter, The Jamaica Gleaner and is really just Red Stripe with essence of Ginger in a different bottle.

Raspberry Beer was introduced at the same time in November 2013 as stated in “Red Stripe Creates Raspberry Beer For Young Drinkers”, published Wednesday November 6, 2013, The Jamaica Gleaner as Millennial interest in Beers waned, demanding something with a more modern twist and some sweetness.

Both these unique flavours, Tallawah Ginger and Raspberry Red Stripe had been on the market for some time, but Red Stripe felt it necessary to make sure that they made their debut at the inaugural Red Stripe Beer Festival in May 2014 as stated in the article “Red Stripe To Launch Two New Beer Flavours”, published Sunday May 18, 2014, by Avia Collander, The Jamaica Gleaner.

However, due to a decline in popularity, it was later removed from their Beer lineup in 2014; apparently the new Red Stripe Sorrel is the replacement! So effectively, the Raspberry flavor was only on the market for approximately seven (7) months!

I suspect too, due to that failure, Red Stripe later introduce the Red Stripe Beer Festival in May 2014 even as Palcohol was knocking on the Jamaican Beer Market’s Door as noted in my blog article entitled “Red Stripe Beer Festival in the Middle of May 2014 – Weirdness Level off the Chart means Palcohol has Red Stripe sweating but Long Hair Hide it”.

Red Stripe Sorrel Beer - Open up the Possibility of a Fruit Tree of Beer Flavours to suit any palate

So now we have Sorrel Beer every Christmas from here on out to replace Raspberry. The question begs though; what took Red Stripe so long to realize this was possible?

Maybe because a steady supply of Sorrel just opened up with the Bethel Town Agricultural Cooperative Society in collaboration with the JSIF (Jamaica Social Investment Fund) having opened a new Sorrel Drink Processing Plant in Bethel Town, Westmoreland as reported in my blog article entitled “How to make Jamaican Sorrel Wine – JA$2500 for 5 1 Liter Bottles of Sorrel Wine goes well with Chocolate Christmas Cake”.

I'm personally hoping that Red Stripe Beer cribs Journey's End Wine Company's Noni Wine as described in my blog article entitled “Noni Wine from Journey's End Wine Company by November 2014 - Panacea among the Flavours of the Past an @ackeewine success this Christmas 2014” and also introduce the following Beer flavours:

1.      Ackee

2.      Coffee

3.      Ginger

4.      Noni

5.      Pimento berry

6.      Sorrel

After all, they are natural Jamaican flavours. But why stop there?

In partnership with RADA's National Fruit-Tree Crop Project as described in my blog article entitled “Breadfruit and Fruit Tree Revival coming under RADA's National Fruit-Tree Crop Project - Red Stripe and Agro-Investment Corporation an example of how Agriculture benefits both Farmer and GO”, Red Stripe could also introduce Beers of the following fruit flavours:

1.      Ackee

2.      Avocado

3.      BreadFruit

4.      Cashew

5.      Cassava

6.      Custard apple

7.      Guava

8.      Guinep

9.      Jack Fruit

10.  June plum

11.  Lychee

12.  Mango

13.  Naseberry

14.  Nutmeg

15.  Otaheiti apple

16.  Pineapple

17.  Soursop

I'd especially love to see and sample Cassava (Manihot esculenta) Beer, being as Red Stripe under their Project Grow is Training some 2,400 Cassava Farmers to Grow Cassava (Manihot esculenta) over the next Five years as explained in my blog article entitled “US$10 million Red Stripe’s Project Grow for African Exports – 2,400 Cassava Farmers for Beer, Bread, Wine and HFCS from Sorghum in Five years”.

So Red Stripe, what of it? Mango Beer Anyone?