Glow in the dark
Heineken, New York, launched its limited-edition STR Bottle, an aluminum bottle that illuminates under a black light to reveal stars and trails, the company says. The 16-ounce bottle is based on a European design that reflects an upscale style and attitude that the company says is inherent to Heineken consumers. The new package will be available in high-end establishments in select U.S. markets.

Value-added packaging
Pernod Ricard USA, New York, released its 2010 holiday season value-added pack, which was designed to give retailers a distinctive, premium and convenient gift giving option for consumers. The company launched value-added packs for Absolut Vodka, Jameson Irish Whiskey, The Glenlivet, Chivas Regal, Kahlúa, Beefeater, Martell Cognac, Presidente Brandy, Champagne Perrier-Jouët, G.H. Mumm, and Sandeman port. Some of the beverages will feature special holiday packaging, such as Absolut Vodka’s Glimmer Bottle, while others will be available in packages with other merchandise, such as glasses and T-shirts.

Certificate of origin label
Russian Standard Vodka has added a special label to certify its 100 percent Russian provenance and adherence to traditional vodka production methods, the company says. The label is part of a certification process conducted by the Russian Federation government to help consumers identify genuine Russian vodka. Each bottle will have a number assigned by the Russian government. The certificate of origin is being applied to bottles at the company’s distillery in St. Petersburg, Russia, and bottles with the label will hit U.S. shelves this month.

Holiday bottle
Rémy Martin, Cognac, France, launched its VSOP Hot Holiday bottle, a celebratory, limited-edition bottle for end-of-the-year celebrations. The company chose to produce the bottle in red because the color is “synonymous with all things celebratory and conjures up familiar associations of joyful year-end festivities,” it says.

Canned craft beer
The Famous Narragansett Beer, Providence, R.I., released its first canned craft beer with its Oktoberfest brew, which is available throughout the 2010 fall season. The craft beer is packaged in golden-orange, 16-ounce cans and is available on draft as well, the company says. The package features King Gambrinus, the patron saint of beer, in a 1940s-style classic fest packaging. On the back of the can, the company offers the beer as a tribute to Gambrinus and explains that a statue of the patron saint of beer stood outside its brewery for decades.

Panel-less package
Highland Park, Ill.-based Greater>Than released an all-natural sports and hydration beverage of the same name based in coconut water, launched in the first 20-ounce stock PowerFlex PET container from Amcor Rigid Plastics. The long-neck, panel-less packaging is hot filled and features a smooth, ribless label panel and screw top cap. Amcor says the PowerFlex bottles are easier to label because they do not have sidewall vacuum panels.

Smaller package
Bain’s Cape Mountain Whisky, South Africa, launched in 50-ml. packages made from recycled PET. The bottle keeps the distinctive square shape of the larger 750-ml. design. The company says that Bain’s Cape Mountain Whisky is the only South African whisky available in a 50-ml. bottle. The bottle is suited for hotel and lodge rooms and for use on airplanes, the company says. For in-store consumers, the bottle provides an opportunity to try the brand for the first time.

Gift set
Lucas Bols USA, New York, launched a holiday gift set that includes a 750-ml. bottle of Bols Genever and two tulip glasses. The set allows consumers to engage in the “Kopstootje” Dutch ritual, which is the combination of a beer and a shot sipped from a tulip glass. The set is packaged in a crate with writing about the company on its panels.

Bio-degradable caps
Norland International Inc., Lincoln, Neb., introduced its Earth Cap, an oxo-biodegradable cap for 5-gallon water bottles. The caps contain an additive that accelerates degradation, with full degradation reached in five to 10 years, the company says. The cap, which is injection molded, features a biodegradable non-adhesive tamper-evident label and 2-mm. foam seal, and it has a shelf life of two years. Using a unique mixing and drying system, the additive is blended into the LDPA used to make the cap. After the cap is disposed and exposed to UV light, heat and moisture, it will begin to break down, the company says.

Craft in cans
The SanTan Brewing Co., Chandler, Ariz., has made two of its craft beers, Hop Shock IPA and Hefeweizen, available in cans. The addition was summed up by Anthony Canecchia, owner and head brew master of SanTan Brewing Co. as “Canned beer is better. Craft cans are best.” The new cans are available year-round in six-packs at select retail locations in Arizona with expanded distribution expected throughout the year.

Fashionable edition
White Plains, N.Y.-based Danone Waters of America Inc.’s Evian Natural Spring Water brand partnered with fashion icon Issey Miyake for its fourth annual limited-edition designer bottle. Miyake is known for his minimalist style and the bottle features a shimmering flower that was inspired by the designer’s Pleats Please line, the company says. The flower also embodies Evian’s “Live Young” tagline, the company says.

Smart and upscale
Glaceau, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Coca-Cola Co., Atlanta, introduced a 1-liter glass bottle of Smartwater for restaurant, hotel and lounge distribution. The new package has a sophisticated look and contains Smartwater’s signature vapor distilled water enhanced with electrolytes. The Smartwater 1-liter glass bottle is available in select locations in Atlanta, Los Angeles and Las Vegas.