The investor behind companies such as Snapchat and Goop said it was backing the new UK producer, The Clean Liquor Company, out of 50 other global competitors to “become the leader in the low- and no-alcohol category”.
Spencer Matthews, founder of The Clean Liquor Company, who is also a TV celebrity known for programmes including Made in Chelsea said: “The Clean Liquor Company was born out of a passion to make no- and low-alcohol products positive. Rather than non-alcoholic, non-flavour, non-fun, we wanted to create something that answered the demand for quality and flavour, but without the negative effects of alcohol.”
Since its launch in November last year, The Clean Liquor Company revealed it had already sold out twice, was now in 496 Sainsbury’s stores, was available across a number of Caprice Holdings venues and was currently focusing on international expansion, with plans to launch in India, Singapore, Australia and the US.
Nicole Quinn, partner at Lightspeed Venture Partners, said: “I look for businesses that are doing things differently – that are not just disruptive, but rather represent a generational behavioural shift. We want to build a business for the long-run. And if that business is a celebrity’s business, the most important thing is true authenticity.”
The Clean Liquor Company will produce a range of products targeted at different markets. The next product in the pipeline is a rum, which is receiving “finishing touches” from the master distiller, it said.
It quoted figures from data and research consultancy CGA, which revealed that on-trade sales of no- and low-alcohol had risen by 48% in the UK in the last 12 months and that the sector was estimated to reach £60m a year, with growth expected to continue over the next few years.
The aim of The Clean Liquor Company is to create a globally recognised portfolio of low-alcohol drinks to answer the demand for quality and flavour without the alcohol.
