Limited Edition Foods

Dum Dum has released two special packaging bags with their little Dum Dum pops. The packaging seems to be just the outside big bag that the little lollipops are in. The lollipops inside I believe have just the normal flavor packaging wrappers. The outside bag packaging it pretty interesting, though. They are plays on popular pieces of art. One is a play on the Mona Lisa and has the Mona Lisa holding a Dum Dum and has a thought bubble implying she is thinking about the Dum Dum mascot or perhaps just Dum Dums in general. The other is a play on the American Gothic painting and has he Dum Dum Drum mascot next to the woman instead of the normal farmer man. Each bag has 32 ounces of Dum Dum pops.

The Limited Edition Dum Dum Pop Art packages can be purchased at a variety of retailers including Walgreens, Safeway, Kroger, and Lowes. You can see the full retailer list here. If the locations in your area do not have them or you do not want to go through the hassle of trying to find them locally, then you can buy them directly from the company in their online store here. Online the bags cost $5.50 each and I assume there is also shipping added. I imagine you can probably get them cheaper if you can find them in a local store.

They also have special Dum Dum Pop Art Save Wraps For Stuff that you can get with a UPC from the bag plus $6 or $12 and $2 for shipping and handling. The $6 items include mugs and posters and the $12 items are t-shirts.

Krispy Kreme has released a variety of heart doughnuts around the world to celebrate Valentine’s Day coming up this weekend. In the United States participating locations have heart shaped doughnuts with white colored frosting and red and pink sprinkles. I also read that Krispy Kreme has released some doughnuts in Japan. In Japan they released two different heart shaped doughnuts. One is called the Choco Moka Heart, which is filled with coffee flavored cream and chocolate and topped with chocolate crunch. The other one is a Strawberry Double Heart. This heart shaped doughnut is topped with freeze dried strawberries and a white chocolate heart. These ones in Japan are expected to be available until March 14, while the United States ones are only supposed to be available through Valentine’s Day.

Since I learned about these two doughnuts I started browsing the company’s other country websites and found some more Valentine doughnuts. In Australia they have special heart shaped doughnuts with pink icing and heart shaped sprinkles. In Korea that have Deep Love and Pure Love doughnuts that appear to be chocolate covered doughnuts with the deep love one having milk or dark chocolate and the pure love one having white chocolate or frosting. It appears the United States ones are also being released in Mexico. In the Philippines they have released a variety of chocolate heart shaped doughnuts. In the United Kingdom they have released a Strawberry Kiss doughnut with strawberry sauce, dipped in glaze, and covered with pink curls. It seems besides Japan they are available only through Valentines. The ones in Japan are released longing because of a holiday called White Day in Japan.

In honor of Valentine’s Day, Bigelow Tea has released two limited edition flavors of tea. The two flavors are called White Chocolate Kisses and Sweetheart Cinnamon. The White Chocolate Kisses tea is a black tea base with a taste of chocolate. It is even a zero calorie tea despite its sweet chocolate flavor. The Sweetheart Cinnamon is a herbal tea (i.e. fake tea in my mind). The tea is made with cinnamon and apple and is also a zero calorie tea as well as being a caffeine free tea variety. The two tea varieties are only available during the Valentine’s season. The varieties are said to be sold in stores, although I certainly have not seen them in my area. If you cannot find them in your area and you want to try them you can get them on their website here.

In February 2009 McCoy’s released their latest limited edition flavor (I posted about their Winter Warmer limited edition flavors a few months ago). This new flavor is called McCoy’s Twisted. The flavor is based on the classic salt and malt vinegar flavor with a hint of chili added. This pub flavor is the company’s attempt to capitalize on the trend of customers looking for more unique flavors of chips (I mean crips or at least that is what they are known as in the United Kingdom). As with the other McCoy’s crisps these chips are only available in the United Kingdom and the one article I read seems that they are mostly marketing these towards pubs. This limited edition release comes at about the same time as the release of their new flavor called Sizzling King Prawn.

Fukujuen is one of the top tea suppliers in Japan. For Valentines Day they are releasing a special macha chocolate set. The chocolates are made using some of their tea, which sells for up to 16,800 yen (~US$182)per 100 grams. The set includes green tea truffles in a white chocolate shell and green tea chocolates in a milk chocolate shell. The set also includes tea scented milk chocolate with crisps of brown rice. They are also releasing a Ujicha Choc Box. This set includes green tea syrup inside green tea flavored chocolate shells with gold flakes and sencha cream chocolate tea flower images. The sets are being sold at department stores in Japan as well as in the company’s Kyoto flagship store. The macha chocolate box with 8 pieces sells for 1,365 yen (~US$15) and the Ujicha chocolate assortment with 8 pieces sells for 3,150 yen (~$35).

Carolina Brewery in North Carolina, is celebrating its 14th Anniversary on February 13, 2009. They will having a party to celebrate their anniversary at their Chapel Hill, North Carolina brewery location (460 W. Franklin St.). The party begins at 11am. As part of the celebration they are releasing a limited edition brew called Anniversary Ale. Also, part of the party is performances by Birds & Arrows and Sweet By & By starting at 9pm. They are also giving are free commemorative pint glasses to the first 500 customers who purchase a pint.

The Limited Edition Anniversary Ale is brewed using the European Trappist Monk process. It is described as a malty brew with a light hop addition for minimum bitterness. The brew includes Belgian malts and yeasts that are gently filtered to preserve the delicate flavors. The brew uses dried orange, cumin, and coriander.

Recently Long Trail Brewing Company in Vermont launched a limited edition line called Brewmasters Series to celebrate Vermont law allowing local brewerys to make and sell beer with more than 8 percent alcohol. The first ones in the series, such as Triple Bag, were only available on tap at their visitor’s center The next in the series is the current release and is called Coffee Stout. This release has a 7.9% ABV. This release is the first in the series to be bottled. The Coffee Stout is being released in 22 ounce bottles and will be in stores that carry Long Trail Brewing Company’s brews. This brew’s ingredients include real 100% certified organic coffee to give it a real coffee taste and smell. It is said to be a good after dinner or dessert beer.

Backus brewery has released their latest wheat beer in Peru. Their newest brew is a limited edition beer called Cusqueña de Trigo. This limited edition brew will be available in “traditional bodegas, supermarkets, convenience stores, liquor shops, restaurants and bars through out the capital [of Peru, Lima} as well as cities such as Arequipa, Tacna, Cusco, Piura, Trujillo, Chiclayo and Huancayo.” The beer will be available in two bottle sizes (330ml and 620ml) with the traditional Cusqueña logo. This limited edition beer is described by Alavro Ramos, Worthmore Brand Director for Backus as “meant for the palates of those looking to enjoy their free time but who at the same time know how to distinguish quality when they taste it.” I am not sure how long it is supposed to be available.

Nestle’s Ice Cream Push Up Tubes are celebrating their 50th anniversary this year. As part of this Nestle is having a Push Up design contest open to kids ages 6 through 12. The three winning designs will be featured on a limited edition release of Push Ups. The winners will get $1000 gift cards to spend on art supplies and $2,500 for their school. Kids can enter the contest online by creating designs on the Push and Create Website. They can also print out a template from the website and draw the design and submit by mail. The contest runs from February 2, 2009 through August 31, 2009. Besides the three grand prize winners there will also be 50 first prize winners. The first prize winners will have their design displayed online and receive $250 in gift cards for art supplies.

Epic Beer is releasing a limited edition brew called Epic Mayhem at summer beer festivals in New Zealand. This limited edition has been done before in 2006 and 2007 on tap. This year, though, for the first time it will also be in bottles. The bottles are tall 500ml bottles like the other Epic bottled brews. The Mayhem brew is made with Cascade hops from the United States and Riwaka hops from New Zealand.

Epic Mayhem will be available at three beer festivals in the next month or so in New Zealand. On February 14, 2009, it will be at the Kumeu Beer Wine & Food Festival at the Kumeu Showgrounds. On February 28, 2009, it will be at the New Zealand Beer Festival at Waitangi Park in Wellington. On March 14, 2009, it will be at the New Zealand Beer Festival at Ellerslie in Auckland.