Top Note Tonic Earns New Product sofi™

Milwaukee (April 25, 2017) – Top Note Tonic, a Milwaukee-based beverage start-up launched by a female veteran of the craft brewing industry, has won a coveted sofi New Product Award for its innovative Indian Tonic Water. Right on the heels of releasing its new line of sparkling mixers in 4-packs, the company received top recognition from the Specialty Food Association’s 2017 sofi™ Awards competition in the Cold Beverage – Drink and Cocktail Mixer category.

A sofi is the highest honor in the $127 billion specialty food industry. "sofi” stands for Specialty Outstanding Food Innovation and represents the best of the best from members of the Specialty Food Association.

"From the beginning, our goal has been to change the way consumers think about tonic water. It shouldn't be seen as a poorly tasting commodity product that waters down gin. Traditionally, tonic brought some herbal benefits to a drink and also balanced an overly sweet spirit. I sought to craft a tonic water that could build a variety of mixed drinks, including traditional highballs, but also more innovative cocktails, and even beer-based radlers, coffee-based "black tonics," and wine-based spritzers,” says Mary Pellettieri, co-founder of Top Note Tonic and a 20-year veteran of the brewing industry. "This award is like winning an Oscar in innovation for a beverage. We are floored by the recognition so early in our journey. We can now say we are the country's best new cocktail mixer, quite an honor."

Top Note’s Indian Tonic Water was selected by a national panel of specialty food experts. Every entry is carefully assessed by passionate and knowledgeable professionals, including chefs, culinary experts, academics, food writers and category buyers. Products are judged on taste, ingredient quality and innovation.

Top Note’s line of all-natural, non-alcoholic, craft mixers feature bold, notably complex flavors. Its Indian Tonic Water is like the IPA of tonics. It has an overall dry and refreshing taste with top notes of citrus peel and fresh grass. The complete line includes Indian Tonic Water, Bitter Lemon and Ginger Beer.

"A sofi means a product, and the people behind it, have arrived,” says Phil Kafarakis, president, Specialty Food Association. "This year’s winners represent a devotion to excellence and innovation in specialty food that continues to fuel our industry, excite consumers and expand retail offerings around the world.”

Top Note Tonic uses the highest quality, non-GMO ingredients. Each Top Note flavor is made from a combination of all-natural roots, fruits, herbs, spices and real cane sugar. No artificial colors or preservatives are used, all varieties are gluten free and contain half the sugar of standard mixers.

Top Note Tonic is available in 4-packs of 8.5 oz. bottles with a suggested retail price of $6.99-7.99. Each bottle delivers approximately 2 servings per cocktail.

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Founded in 2014 and based in Milwaukee, Wis., Top Note Tonic is an all-natural line of mixers for beverage and cocktail enthusiasts who appreciate a bold flavor profile. Top Note Tonic offers three ready-to-drink flavors – Indian Tonic Water, Bitter Lemon and Ginger Beer. There are also five varieties of concentrates – Bitter Orange, Bitter Lemon, Gentian Lime, Indian Tonic and Ginger Beer. The Top Note Tonic name comes from the field of sensory science since top notes are the ephemeral aromas found in beer, wine and spirits that produce a multi-sensory experience. For more information, visit topnotetonic.com.

The sofi Awards are open to members of the Specialty Food Association, a not-for-profit trade association established in 1952 for food artisans, importers and entrepreneurs with more than 3,400 members in the U.S. and abroad. For more information on the association and its Fancy Food Shows, go to specialtyfood.com. Learn more about the sofi Awards at specialtyfood.com/sofi.

Top Note Tonic Media Contact:
Monica Baer, 262-522-9687, mbaer@baercarlson.com

Specialty Food Association Media Contact:
PR Department, 646-878-0130, press@specialtyfood.com