Starting your own drink brand: how it actually works

You have a name, an idea and an audience. What you do not have is a distillery, a bottling line and a licence. The good news: you do not need them.

You do not have to distil anything yourself

Most new drink brands are not built by people with their own still. They are built by people with an audience: a festival, a sports club, a bar or a company with a strong name. You buy in the recipe and the production; the brand experience is yours.

That is private label. We already have the flavours, the bottles and the production line. You decide which flavour goes in, what the label looks like and what the packaging says.

Step 1: pick a flavour that fits your audience

Start with the occasion, not the bottle. A 20 ml shot outperforms a 70 cl bottle at a festival. A liqueur works behind a bar; a bottle of spirits reads as a corporate gift. You choose from our existing range, so there is no recipe development and no months of tasting sessions.

Step 2: the label is your brand

The label is printable in full colour, edge to edge. Logo, colours, a personal message on the back: all possible. We supply the technical drawing with the correct dimensions, bleed and safe zone, so your designer, or our own design tool, knows exactly where the space is.

A few things are required by law: alcohol content, volume, allergens and the responsible seller. We check those with you before anything goes to print.

Step 3: quantities and costs

The usual barrier to your own brand is the minimum order. With us it starts at 50 bottles, and for shots the entry point per unit is lower still. That lets you test small: one festival, one christmas gift run, one season. If it works, you scale.

The price per bottle depends on the flavour, the format, the volume and the label finish. Request free samples and you will get a price list for your situation.

Step 4: lead time

Allow 6 to 8 weeks from the moment the design is final. Planning for an event or the holidays? Start early: the last weeks of the year are busy.

Where it usually goes wrong

• Starting too late. The design always takes more rounds than expected.
• A first run that is too large. Starting small beats a pallet that does not move.
• A label that works on screen but not on a curved bottle. Always check the technical drawing.

Design NowRequest the free price list