Ask the Collective
The questions independent drinks founders ask most — answered. Distilled from years of community knowledge so the good stuff never disappears in the feed again.
Where can drinks brands source raw ingredients like pink grapefruit, cachaça, rye whisky under bond, and bulk agave syrup?
The community has shared several specific supplier routes for key ingredients: **Pink grapefruit**: Members flagged interest in sourcing but no specific supplier was named in the discussion; this may require direct outreach to produce wholesalers or citrus distributors. **Cachaça producers supplying direct**: A member posted a direct request seeking cachaça producers who can supply direct, but no specific supplier was named in these excerpts. **Rye profile whisky under bond (~£15 per 70cl)**: - **Organic English rye whisky**: One member has 1800L of organic English rye under bond and was open to selling in quantities around 10 cases; contact james@tomsavano.com for details. - **Bottle & Rye**: Mentioned as a potential source. **Bulk agave syrup at low MOQs**: - **Woods**: Supplies 5-litre jerries; price not specified but members calculated that purchasing 5 jerries was cost-effective for their needs. - Direct member inventory: One member has 275kg of agave syrup and indicated spare stock available via DM. **Note**: The pink grapefruit and cachaça sourcing questions generated interest but no concrete suppliers were named in the community discussion, so members may need to follow up directly or tap the WhatsApp group for introductions.
How can I source discontinued or hard-to-find spirit ingredients when my usual suppliers run out?
When standard suppliers can't fulfill orders for discontinued or rare spirits, members recommend reaching out to specialist drinks development and contract manufacturing contacts who may have stock or alternatives. **Key contacts and approaches:** - **Tom Hurst** — tried as a first port of call for hard-to-source spirits, though success varies - **Canify (London)** — members can make introductions for ingredient sourcing and RTD/canning support - **Riviera Drinks** — experienced in own-label projects and multiple pack formats; contact rdarfi@rivieradrinks.co.uk or phone - **Sam Pembridge** — recommended as a drinks development specialist who may help locate alternatives or reformulate **Caveat:** Members noted that popular discontinued products like Rockstar Passion Fruit Grenade become widely unavailable once production ends—"most people are sold out." In these cases, reformulation or alternative ingredients may be the only practical route rather than locating existing stock.