SIGNATURE SPIRITS NEUTRAL ALCOHOL CREAM PROGRAM
Why consider Signature Spirits as a supplier?
Special Order
Special order, or non-stock products, are custom quoted in price as well as delivery time.
Specification Sheets
All products are tested against published specification sheets.
Transfer in Bond
Sales are “Transfer in Bond” transactions. TTB paperwork and shipping are handled by Ultra Pure, LLC.
Product Description
Combining cream and alcohol is a delicate and challenging process. Signature Spirits’ partnership with Galloway Company has developed a proprietary method for creating stable cream liqueur and wine cream bases. The characteristics of our beverage bases vary in fat, alcohol and sugar content; controlling these features allows us to create a wide variety of custom bases.
Formulation Guidelines
When adding ingredients to neutral alcoholic cream bases, Signature Spirits recommends the following:
- Adding high-proof alcohol to a cream base can cause the emulsion to become unstable. Recommendation: 50% ABV (100 proof) or lower.
- Adding acidic ingredients to a neutral pH cream base can cause it to become unstable. Many flavors and colors are acidic in nature and should be neutralized before addition.
- Final pH of the finished product should not exceed 7.5.
- Salt (NaCl) can be detrimental to the long-term stability of cream bases.
- The alcohol content of a finished cream liqueur product should not exceed 20% ABV (40 proof) for stability purposes. The minimum alcohol content is 12.5% ABV (25 proof) for food safety.
- Using less cream base generally causes a decrease in viscosity and less creamy mouth feel. Thickness and cling can be increased by incorporating maltodextrin into the finished product.
- Additional pasteurization or homogenization of the finished product is not necessary to keep the emulsion stable.
- High shear mixing is not needed for cream bases. Whenever possible, avoid incorporation of air during mixing to minimize potential foaming and oxidation.
- General mixing recommendation is listed below:
- Pre-blend non-base ingredients (water, sugar, maltodextrin, additional alcohol, flavors, colors, etc.), making sure all solids are dissolved.
- Adjust the pH of this blend with 5% NaOH to 7.0-7.3.
- Slowly add the pre-blend to the cream base while stirring.
- Check pH of the final product. Adjust with 5% NaOH if necessary to 7.3 ± 0.2.
- Package in containers/bottles that will protect the cream liqueur from light and oxygen.
Shipping and Storage
To ensure the highest possible quality of the cream base and finished product, we recommend the following:
- Always store product in clean, sanitized, food-grade containers.
- Avoid extreme temperatures. The preferred storage temperature range is 35-75°F. Temperatures over 75°F can compromise emulsion stability.
- We strongly suggest printing the recommended storage conditions on the Case Pack Exterior.
- Storage recommendations should also be printed on the finished package for consumer guidance.
- Finished product quality and flavor is best preserved when stored at refrigerated temperatures. We suggest a statement on the finished product label such as: “For best quality, refrigerate after opening”.
- Avoid exposure to light for extended periods of time. UV light can cause oxidation of cream, causing off flavors.
- Keep the product in tightly closed or sealed containers with minimum headspace in the container. This will help prevent oxidation off flavors and evaporation of alcohol.
Shelf Life
In general, the cream liqueur and wine cream bases have up to a twelve month shelf life. Some of our products do vary from this rule of thumb; please refer to the product specification for more details. Because of the natural shelf life limitations of dairy products, we recommend that the cream base is used and/or bottled as soon as possible after receipt. Shelf life of the finished, bottled product can be impacted by added ingredients, therefore this needs to be determined by the bottler.
Testing Alcohol Content (Proofing)
The Bill of Lading or Certificate of Analysis document(s) that accompany the shipment provide the wine gallons and proof (% ABV) of the product shipped. This information is used to calculate the FET taxes transferred. Our test method uses steam injection rather than a heating mantle to distill off the alcohol from the sample; this is a permissible method when the solids of the product exceed 0.6%. Our experience has shown that steam injection will yield a proof value 0.1-0.2 higher than the direct heat method. Confirmation testing at a facility with a similar testing method is suggested. A hydrometer will not accurately measure proof of a cream liqueur finished product.
Allergen Information
ALLERGEN (or its derivatives) | PRODUCT CONTAINS ALLERGEN LISTED | PRODUCT PRODUCED ON SAME EQUIPMENT AS THESE ALLERGENS | PRODUCT PRODUCED IN SAME FACILITY WHERE ALLERGENS ARE PRESENT |
---|---|---|---|
PEANUTS | NO | NO | NO |
TREE NUTS | NO | NO | NO |
MILK | YES | YES | YES |
EGGS | NO | NO | YES |
WHEAT/GLUTEN | NO | NO | YES |
SOY | YES | YES | YES |
FISH | NO | NO | NO |
SHELLFISH | NO | NO | NO |
FOOD COLOR | NO | NO | YES |
SULFITES* | NO | NO | NO |
*Sulfites are not allergens, and do not need to be handled in the same manner. They must be labeled if they are in the product at higher than 10 ppm.
At the present time, the TTB does not require the disclosure of allergenic ingredients on the labels of spirits products. The regulations around Voluntary Allergen Labeling are detailed in T.D. TTB-53, published in the Federal Register in July 2006 (http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2006/pdf/E6-11872.pdf). There are ongoing discussions at the TTB regarding this issue. It is our opinion that at some point their position on allergen disclosure will change.
100% of the bases produced by Galloway contain dairy protein, even those considered “non-dairy”. Products that meet the TTB/Distilled Spirits BAM standard for Egg Nog contain both dairy and egg allergens. We would suggest that as you move forward with label changes for products that contain bases from Galloway to include a declaration that the product contains milk/egg allergens for the benefit of the consumers that are sensitive to these ingredients.
Additional Information
Galloway Company has taken the necessary steps to gain expertise in development, evaluation and production of cream liqueur and wine cream bases. We invite you to take advantage of our experience during the development of your finished alcoholic cream product. The guidelines listed here may not answer every question that surfaces during your development and production, so we encourage you to contact our team for technical support or additional information as necessary.