Riga Black Balsam launches in the US

Herbal liqueur Riga Black Balsam launched in the US with a presentation night in New York.

The Latvian herbal bitter will first be available in New York, before being made available in Texas, Florida, San Francisco and Illinois over the next year. Riga Black Balsam global brand director Maris Kalnins said: “We gave the brand a high profile launch to the US market and were delighted that media experts and many professional bloggers came to Riga Black Balsam’s launch. We were also incredibly pleased to see so many of New York’s leading bartenders attending the event as well.” The presentation night took place in The Wooly, based in the Woolworth Building in New York. Kalnins added: “We want people to know that Riga Black Balsam is proud of its Latvian origins. To accomplish our goals we will focus on brand awareness and participation in the most important industry trade fairs. "For 2018 our priority is product availability in premium bars across New York and other target markets.” Currently, consumers in the US market can sample two expressions of Riga Black Balsam, Original and Riga Black Balsam Currant, with a new black cherry expression due to arrive in the market next year. The brand was launched on the US market in collaboration with New York-based drinks distribution company Aligned Beverage Solutions LLC, which was appointed to represent the company in the US earlier this year. With a history dating back over 265 years, Riga Black Balsam is one of the oldest brands in the world in its category. The Latvian herbal bitter is currently sold in over 30 countries, with more than four million bottles produced every year.