New UK distribution company launches

The founder of Instil Drinks is to launch a new UK distribution company, Identity Drinks, next month.

New UK distribution company Identity Drinks Brands is representing Green Box Drinks as its first client

Nick Rodgers, who headed Instil Drinks upon its launch in 2013, will officially launch Identity Drinks in May with a “focus on high quality spirits that are looking for rapid growth in the UK”.

Identity Drinks’ first client is Green Box Drinks, owned by Mark Hill, developer of Little Devil Bloody Mary spice mix, whose portfolio includes Element 29 Vodka and Boxer Gin.

Both products are produced at the Langley Distillery in small copper pot stills and packaged in bottles that can be refilled from a proprietary “bag in box” system, removing energy waste from recycling bottles and improves storage space.

Rodgers claimed the unique packaging enables Green Box to offer “exquisite, premium spirits” at lower prices.

“I was aware of [Mark Hill’s] environmentally sound refill concept already, but having seen the quality of the Element 29 vodka and Boxer Gin, not to mention the price point, I couldn’t think of any products that I wanted to work with more.”

Element 29 is named after the use of copper in the distillation process, which is element 29 in the periodic table. Boxer Gin meanwhile features juniper berries and lemon, orange and bergamot peel among its botanicals.

Mark Hill said, “For six months I had been weighing up the pros and cons of building our own in-house sales team versus moving our brands to a distributor – when I met Nick and he explained his plans, my decision was easy.”

Identity Brands is now seeking additional brands to represent in the UK market.