Fresh Guava Enters Chinola's Award-Winning Lineup

Chinola Fresh Fruit Liqueurs has launched Chinola Guava Liqueur, the fourth expression in its portfolio of farm-to-bottle spirits. The new 21% ABV release, crafted in the Dominican Republic from 100% fresh pink guava with no artificial colors or flavors, arrives as the brand eyes guava as an emerging category trend.

The liqueur is priced at $29.99 for a 750ml bottle, with presale beginning in June via ShopChinola.com and broader U.S. distribution expected in the second half of 2026.

Positioning Fresh Guava as a Category Benchmark

Chinola has built its brand on authenticating tropical fruit flavors—a model the company says applies directly to guava. CEO and Co-Founder Andrew Merinoff framed the launch as addressing a market gap similar to the one his brand closed with passion fruit a decade ago.

"Guava is at the center of what we believe is the next major flavor renaissance behind the bar, and in many ways it feels like we're returning to our roots with Passion Fruit," Merinoff said. "When we first launched Chinola, there was a real need to educate both consumers and bartenders on what fresh passion fruit actually was, how it was grown, and how it should taste in a cocktail, and we believe guava is now at a similar moment."

Merinoff added that the market lacks a true reference point for fresh guava spirits. "Most guava products on the market today rely on concentrates, purees, or artificial flavor profiles, so there has never really been a true benchmark for what fresh guava should taste like behind the bar."

Technical Development and Flavor Profile

The liqueur required extensive R&D to achieve shelf stability while retaining fresh fruit characteristics. The flavor profile layers tropical melon, ripe pear, and tangy strawberry alongside the guava base, creating what the brand describes as a juicy, bright expression with natural sweet-tart balance.

According to Merinoff, "This became one of the most technically challenging products we've ever developed, requiring years of R&D in the Dominican Republic to preserve the natural aromatics, acidity, texture, and sweet-tart balance of real pink guava in a shelf-stable liqueur."

The spirit's natural rosy-pink hue—achieved without added color—is designed to add visual appeal to cocktails. The brand has positioned the Guava Daiquiri (1.5 oz rum, 1 oz Chinola Guava, 0.5 oz lime juice, 0.5 oz simple syrup) as the expression's hero serve, though the brand envisions versatility across spritzes, margaritas, martinis, highballs, and tropical drinks.

Track Record and Sustainability

Chinola's existing portfolio—Passion Fruit, Mango, and Pineapple liqueurs—has garnered 98 points from Wine Enthusiast and six Double Gold medals at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition since 2022. All expressions are handcrafted from estate-grown fruit blended with neutral cane spirit, and are gluten-free and vegan.

The brand operates from the Samaná Peninsula in the Dominican Republic using regenerative farming methods, biodiversity initiatives, and an off-grid distillation process powered by bioenergy. Chinola sources fruit from multiple tropical growing regions while maintaining production in the Dominican Republic.

The brand is distributed across 35+ countries, including 11 European Union nations, plus key markets in Singapore, Hong Kong, Canada, Mexico, and six Caribbean islands.

Why It Matters

Guava's emergence as a defining flavor for 2026 mirrors broader category trends toward authentic, single-origin tropical expressions. For operators, Chinola's market positioning—as the first fresh guava liqueur without concentrates or artificial flavoring—offers a differentiated house pour option during a period when bartenders and consumers increasingly seek verifiable authenticity. The brand's sustainability credentials and established distribution network also provide operational advantages over smaller or emerging competitors in the category.

---

For more insights and trends in the food and beverage sector, check out more articles in The Food & Beverage Magazine family of publications.

Written by FBM Publications Editors