As the no and low category goes from strength to strength, non-alcoholic natural spirit brand CROSSIP seeks financial investment through crowdfunding to scale the brand in the UK and launch further export markets. Many countries, such as the USA, look to the UK as being the leaders in the low-to-no category and there is real demand.
Readers of the Distillers Journal know CROSSIP founder Carl Brown from his column, ‘Ask a bartender’ and from articles written on Brown and CROSSIP.
At low-to-no events in London, Distillers has seen too the excitement generated by Brown and his drink. Unlike many drinkers in the low-to-no category, CROSSIP actually tastes good.
After surpassing its initial funding target within 48 hours of launching the campaign on Seedrs, CROSSIP will continue its crowdfunding campaign through April and May to boost total investment up to a potential total of £1 million and further the opportunity to engage in the growing no and low alcohol category. This cash injection will enable the brand to grow the sales team and support marketing investment.
The opportunity to invest in the crowdfund comes as 43% of UK drinkers are semi-regular consumers of non-alcoholic beverages, which in turn is driving 70% expected growth of the no and low spirits sector by 2024. While the first category to take off was no & low beers, alcohol-free spirits have started to follow in their footsteps. Currently beer represents 75% of all no and low beverages and spirits only 0.6%; this compares to traditional alcohol in which spirits have a much larger 24.7% market share. As the market matures and spirits ‘catch up’, there is a potential 41x upside for market share.
As major global drinks brands and start-ups look to tap into this growth with alcohol replacements, CROSSIP offers a unique spirit that doesn’t mimic alcoholic options and instead is inspired by popular cocktails. Its distinctive maceration process extracts flavour, colour, and aroma from botanical ingredients to produce concentrated liquid with a clear point of difference: natural non-alcoholic spirits with depth of flavour and a strong mouthfeel reminiscent of alcohol itself.
Since launching commercially in January 2021, CROSSIP has secured over 200 on trade listings in bars and restaurants across the UK, including Dishoom, Sticks’n’Sushi and SUSHISAMBA, and is also available via Amazon. Its award wins are testament to its growing popularity, including an IWSC Gold Award for Dandy Smoke, Silver Awards for both Pure Hibiscus and Fresh Citrus, and the New Wave NoLo Trophy for Dandy Smoke, all in 2021. The brand has also secured a major overseas listing in Spinneys and The Atlantis Hotel in Dubai and is expanding into multiple other overseas locations. Sales of CROSSIP have grown 1,327 % over the past year and the brand is continuing to see strong momentum.
Carl Brown says: “There’s a huge demand for no and low alcohol globally, but few options that replicate the sensory experience of alcoholic drinks. Our biggest USP is that CROSSIP has a powerful flavour and mouthfeel that drinkers can relate to, meaning they can enjoy a great-tasting drink but without the alcohol.
Through a short, sharp burst of crowdfunding, we hope to bring consumers on our journey of expansion – both existing CROSSIP loyalists and potential new brandfans. The market shows significant room for growth, so now is a great time to get on board and support a non-alcoholic brand standing out from the crowd.”
To find out more information and contribute to the CROSSIP crowdfund, visit: www.seedrs.com/crossip
