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.
What branding, naming and labeling risks should you watch out for when developing a new drinks product?
Product naming and branding can trigger regulatory and reputational problems if not carefully reviewed. Members shared several cautionary examples: - **Problematic terminology**: Words like "spiked" carry concerning connotations (association with drink-spiking/date rape) and should be avoided or replaced. - **Cartoon characters and milk claims**: The Portman Group will scrutinize products using milk in the name or cartoon fonts on the label, particularly if the combination could appeal to under-18s. - **Unintended double meanings**: The KILIRA case—a Bacardi cream liqueur that could be read as "Kill-IRA"—nearly launched before someone caught the problematic association. Bright orange liquid and a July 12th launch date (significant in Northern Ireland) compounded the issue. Members emphasized the importance of catching these before test launch. - **Implicit negative associations**: Avoid names that conjure unwanted imagery (e.g., "Dirty Banana") or cultural references that could alienate audiences. **Caveats**: These issues typically surface during internal review or through the Portman Group's code compliance process. It's worth stress-testing brand names and label designs with a diverse group before committing to production, particularly if launching in the UK or Ireland where regulatory scrutiny is high.
What event spaces in London can host product development sessions with tasting and photography capabilities for 10–12 people?
Members looking for development-focused spaces with hospitality and studio capabilities in central/east London have suggested a few options: - **Dream Factory** — mentioned as a potential fit for hosting a drinks development day - **Crucible** — suggested as a venue option, though current operational status was uncertain at time of discussion - **Ebury Edge Community Hall** — noted as a recently discovered space available for hire with a back area suitable for events Members did not provide detailed breakdowns of kit availability, photography facilities, or pricing for any of these venues in the excerpts provided. Before booking, you'll want to contact venues directly to confirm they can accommodate a full setup including serve ware, photography/studio space, and tasting infrastructure for your group size.
What accelerated shelf-life testing methodology should we use for spirits with added glucose or fructose?
For a 25% ABV distilled spirit with added glucose/fructose, members recommend a 12-week accelerated heat test comparing treated and control samples: - **Heat chamber at 37°C** — Store samples for 12 weeks at elevated temperature, testing at 3, 6, 9, and 12-week intervals against a control batch kept in cold, dark conditions - **Sunlight exposure** — If the spirit contains colour, also place samples on a window sill in bright sunlight for the full 12-week period to assess photodegradation - **Brewlab** — Members recommend contacting them for lab-based accelerated shelf-life testing and format certifications The comparison between the heated samples and the cold, dark control allows you to simulate longer real-world storage and detect any breakdown of the added sugars, colour stability, or other quality changes that might occur over time.
Who are the best UK liquid developers, and what's involved in launching a light-alcohol line extension for an established brand?
**Finding a liquid developer** Members recommend these UK developers: - **Sam Pembridge** — received multiple endorsements from community members - **Rankin** — contact Ginny at materials.development@rankincork.co.uk. Note: members find them reliable but pricey; some are exploring direct-to-source alternatives for cost savings. Members also mentioned exploring direct sourcing to reduce costs compared to using developer intermediaries. **Light-alcohol line extensions** The community has limited practical experience to share on this specific strategy. One member flagged it as worth exploring for sessionable-strength variants, but others in the group are currently focused on other line extensions and haven't actively pursued low-ABV variants. A key piece of advice: members emphasise talking directly to your customer base first to validate demand before committing to development and launch. The category was noted as potentially closed in some retail contexts, which may affect go-to-market strategy.
What are the best sources and methods for researching flavor trends for product development?
Members recommend starting with flavor house trend reports, which are the industry standard source for this research. - **Flavor house reports** — All major flavor houses publish trend reports regularly, typically distributed via email and available on their websites. These are free resources that provide structured insight into emerging flavor directions. Members also shared anecdotal observations of specific flavor combinations gaining traction (e.g. cherry, rhubarb and cucumber together), though systematic trend data from flavor suppliers is the recommended starting point for product development decisions.