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Australian Tea Startup East Forged Beats Coca-Cola and Pepsi to a Global Award

East Forged, a Brisbane company founded in 2020 by Kym Cooper and Tania Stacey, has won the “Best Drink Innovation” award at the 2026 World Food Innovation Awards in London, beating out more than 100 entries from 28 countries — including giants like The Coca-Cola Company and PepsiCo.

The brand makes nitrogen-infused cold-brew tea drinks with no added sugar or other additives, and judges praised the way the company reimagined how tea is made and consumed, achieving a smooth, textured drink through a process completely different from classic brewing methods. Co-founder Tania Stacey said: “We didn’t think we’d win against the big guys.”

The company, which has already shipped over 500,000 cans and is stocked in more than 200 locations across Australia, saw production grow 140% year-on-year and is now expanding into Southeast Asia. It’s a clear example of how tea innovation can compete head-to-head with major soft drink brands.

Source: SmartCompany

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Specialty Coffee Hits Record Consumption Levels in 2026

The latest National Coffee Data Trends report, produced by the National Coffee Association and the Specialty Coffee Association based on research from Dig Insights, shows that specialty coffee consumption in the United States has reached a historic high: 47% of adults drank at least one specialty coffee the previous day, surpassing traditional coffee consumption (42%) for the first time.

The 25-39 age group is the most active, with 69% of respondents saying they drink specialty coffee at least once a week — the highest rate of any age group. Preferences remain largely classic: 76% choose hot coffee, while 60% also drink cold options. Flavor, however, plays an increasingly important role — 35% of consumers say taste is the defining trait of specialty coffee, with chocolate, caramel, brown sugar and vanilla among the most sought-after notes.

The data confirms a global trend: quality coffee is no longer a niche choice but the default pick for a growing number of consumers. Discover the coffee range available at Mister Tabaco.

Source: Specialty Coffee Association

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726 Medals Awarded at the International Spirits Challenge 2026

The 2026 edition of the International Spirits Challenge (ISC), now in its 31st year, handed out 726 medals in the whisky category alone, spread across six sections: American, Canadian, Irish, Japanese, Scotch and Worldwide. The judging panel — made up of distillers, blenders and industry buyers — tastes every entry completely blind, without knowing the brand, precisely so the liquid is judged ahead of the label’s reputation.

The competition’s top honor, Double Gold, went to eleven whiskies, including three Japanese expressions from Suntory (Yamazaki 25 Year Old, Hakushu Peated 18 Year Old and Hakushu 25 Year Old), Scotch whiskies such as Scapa 10 Year Old and Rosebank Remarkable Cask Release One, and Irish whiskeys Redbreast 27 Year Old and Jameson 18 Year Old.

The results confirm both the growing strength of Japanese whisky on the world stage and the consistency of established Scotch and Irish houses. Discover the spirits selection available at Mister Tabaco.

Source: The Whiskey Wash

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Tradecraft Launches the Gladius Box Press Cigar

Boutique American cigar maker Tradecraft Cigars has unveiled its newest release, the Gladius Box Press, on sale since August 22, 2026 at a select group of partner retailers, with distribution expanding to the rest of the brand’s retail network by late September or early October.

The name “Gladius” nods to the short sword carried by Roman legionaries, while the box-pressed shape — square-edged rather than round — has become increasingly popular among small makers looking to stand out on specialty shop shelves. Tradecraft is part of a new wave of American artisan cigar brands betting on limited batches and carefully staged releases to build demand ahead of wider availability.

For anyone following the boutique cigar scene, Gladius Box Press is a name worth remembering for fall 2026. Explore the cigar range available at Mister Tabaco.

Source: halfwheel

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Creekside Launches Queen of the West, a New Cigar Brand

American cigar retailer Creekside Cigar Co., based in Cincinnati, has moved from selling cigars to making its own, launching a new brand called Queen of the West on August 17, 2026. The debut release, Queen of the West Bel D’oro, is available for now in a single toro vitola (6×48) and pairs an Ecuadorian Connecticut-seed desflorado wrapper with a Connecticut broadleaf binder, filled with tobaccos from the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua and the United States.

Specialty retailers turning into cigar makers with their own lineup is an increasingly common move in the US market, as smaller brands look to stand out with an exclusive blend that can’t be found anywhere else. For premium cigar enthusiasts, launches like this confirm the market’s appetite for refined flavor profiles and unusual tobacco combinations.

Explore the cigar selection available at Mister Tabaco.

Source: halfwheel

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CHAGEE Launches a Lychee Rose Black Tea Series in Thailand

International tea chain CHAGEE launched a new series in Thailand on August 7, 2026, under the “Flavour in Harmony” concept: Lychee Rose Black Milk Tea and Lychee Rose Black Brewed Tea, pairing premium black tea with the sweetness of lychee and floral rose notes.

The launch is backed by a dedicated event on August 19, featuring guests and tastings for a select group of attendees. CHAGEE is part of a wider wave of Asian tea brands experimenting with fruity and floral combinations, a trend that is also gaining ground in Western markets alongside functional teas enriched with adaptogenic ingredients.

The global tea segment continues to diversify quickly, as brands compete to reach younger audiences drawn to new sensory experiences. Discover more beverage news on the Mister Tabaco blog.

Source: The Reporter Asia

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Best of Panama 2026: The Geisha Coffee Champions, at the 30th Edition

The Best of Panama competition reached its 30th edition in 2026, reaffirming Panama’s status as one of the most sought-after origins for Geisha coffee. In the Washed Geisha category, Lamastus Family Estates (Elida farm) took the top score of 96.25 points, while in Natural Geisha, Finca Lérida, owned by María Antonela Amoruso, placed first with 95.63 points.

In the Varietals category, the Altieri family’s Altieri Specialty Coffee won with a score of 93.63 points. Organized by the Specialty Coffee Association of Panama, the competition remains one of the most exclusive coffee auctions in the world, with Geisha lots regularly fetching prices in the thousands of dollars per kilogram at the auction that follows.

Coffee lovers can discover the coffee selection available at Mister Tabaco.

Source: Newsroom Panama

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Garrison Brothers Releases the 2026 Laguna Madre Bourbon

Garrison Brothers, the first legal whiskey distillery in Texas, released the latest edition of its Laguna Madre Texas Straight Bourbon on August 8, 2026, at the distillery gates in Hye, Texas. This is the seventh edition of the series, and this year also brings a first: a Cask Strength Single Barrel Laguna Madre, bottled at 135.4 proof for collectors.

The standard bourbon spends four years in hand-selected white American oak barrels, then another four years in rare French Limousin oak casks, prized for their rich vanilla character. The result, bottled at 101 proof, offers notes of vanilla, hazelnut, salted caramel and milk chocolate. The 2026 release yielded 3,000 bottles total, with the first 1,000 available at the launch event itself.

Spirits enthusiasts can explore the alcohol selection at Mister Tabaco.

Source: The Whiskey Wash

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Kavalan Wins Best in Show at the World Whisky Masters 2026

Taiwanese distillery Kavalan has won the World Whisky Taste Master 2026 title with its Podium Single Malt expression, at the competition organized by British trade publication The Spirits Business. Entries are judged entirely blind, based solely on liquid quality, which makes the title especially meaningful for consumers.

This year’s results confirm the continued rise of Asian whisky on the world stage. Other standout distilleries included Australia’s Lark Distilling, which picked up nine medals (three Master and six Gold) across its range, and India’s Godawan, which won one Master and two Gold medals for its artisanal single malt. The results point to an increasingly global category, where relatively new whisky-producing regions such as Asia and Australia now rival traditional Scottish and Irish territory.

Whisky and spirits lovers can browse the selection at Mister Tabaco.

Source: The Spirits Business

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Room101 Marks 17 Years With an Anniversary Release Made by AJ Fernandez

Room101, the brand founded by Matt Booth in 2009, is celebrating its 17th anniversary with a new release made entirely from Nicaraguan tobacco at AJ Fernandez’s factory. The cigar, offered in a single 6×52 toro vitola, opens with pepper and spice before moving into notes of dark chocolate, roasted espresso and earth.

The collaboration between Room101 and AJ Fernandez continues a long-standing relationship in the industry, with the factory known for complex, well-balanced blends. Anniversary releases don’t happen every year — there was no 16th Anniversary cigar in 2025 — which makes this kind of release especially anticipated by collectors. Boxes of 20 cigars started arriving at retailers in August 2026.

Premium cigar lovers in Moldova can explore the full range at Mister Tabaco.

Source: halfwheel