The fusion of the authentic Jamaican Christmas drink with the island’s signature lager is being hailed as a first for the alcoholic beverage industry in Jamaica and will introduce “an unexpected combination of beer, sorrel and ginger extracts, infused with exotic spices to deliver an unforgettable taste experience”, Red Stripe Brand Manager Erin Mitchell told the Jamaica Observer.

The new beer, which will be available on shelves tomorrow, comes on the heels of a long line of firsts by the Diageo-owned company, with next week’s introduction accounting for Red Stripe’s third innovation over the last seven months.

Two months after introducing the one-litre Red Stripe to the market in June this year, Red Stripe followed up with a 473ml canned version.

The innovations, Mitchell said, will be a consistent feature in the brand’s approach going forward.

In 2012, the company started production of Red Stripe Light in three flavours — Apple, Ginger and Lime, and introduced Tallawah beer in celebration of Jamaica’s 50th anniversary of Independence. The following year the firm placed the raspberry-flavoured Red Stripe Burst on the market.

While Red Stripe has since ceased production of the raspberry-flavoured ‘Burst’ and the light flavours, the company says it is committed to making the new sorrel blend a Christmas staple.

“Every Christmas going forward, consumers can look forward to enjoying Red Stripe Sorrel,” Mitchell said.

Red Stripe is also not ruling out the possibility of making the product available throughout the year if the demand is there to support production.

Jamaicans in the diaspora will, however, miss out on the new blend because the product will only be sold on the local market.

Red Stripe enjoys some amount of prominence in Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom, which the company lists as its largest export markets, due to the large number of people with Jamaican heritage who live in these areas.

Early last month, Red Stripe won the Manufacturer of the Year award at the Jamaica Manufacturers’ Association 46th annual banquet, following which the company copped the National Quality Awards, hosted by the Bureau of Standards Jamaica.