Global Brands is celebrating this month after picking up two medals in the Drinks International inaugural Pre Mixed Drinks Challenge for leading RTD brand, VK.

VK Pear, launched last year in response to the popularity of pear-flavoured ciders and other pear-flavoured drinks, picked up the prestigious gold prize at the event. VK Mojito, the UK's first ever Mojito in a bottle and an RTD twist on the popular Cuban cocktail, took the bronze medal. Both are variants of the eight-strong VK range.

Justin Horsman, trade marketing manager at Global Brands, said: "Both VK Pear and VK Mojito are innovative products, which were developed in response to high consumer demand. A lot of hard work went into developing and producing both products, and so we are extremely thrilled that both made it into the top three pre mixed drink products at this prestigious event."

The Pre Mixed Drinks Challenge, run by Drinks International, is the UK's first ever contest for pre mixed drinks, and aims to recognise the quality of pre mixed drinks through blind taste testing. A tough panel of judges, made up of experts in the on-trade sector, deemed VK Pear a worthy winner of the prestigious gold medal, with VK Mojito also impressing the panel to make the top three.

As the award-winning brand prepares to sell its billionth bottle next year, VK also continues to invigorate the sector as a whole, with the latest innovation being VK Lo, a low calorie, low alcohol RTD which is targeted heavily at the female market, and yet another first in the sector.

The VK range of vodka based premixes is available in eight flavours: VK Blue, VK Cherry, VK Ice, VK Orange, VK Apple, VK Tropical and VK Pear. The VK Mojito is rum based and all VK products are mixed to a 4% ABV, and come in 275ml and 70cl bottles.