Raising the bar: Dutch Cocktail Club

Dutch Cocktail Club, producer of fresh ready-to-serve drinks for the on-trade, makes its debut in the English market.

*On‐trade venues can grab a free sample pack by clicking here.

Former bar manager Wouter van Kaam established Dutch Cocktail Club in 2021 to address a gap in the market for fresh ready‐to‐serve (RTS) products in the hospitality sector.

While working in bars in 2019, van Kaam saw that there was a lack of good‐quality RTS products available in the on‐trade to help speed up service. So he decided to make his own, and Dutch Cocktail Club was born.

“There was always a discussion going about quality and speed of service,” said van Kaam. “So we started to make pre‐batched drinks ourselves. Other bars noticed and started to buy them from us. Our one rule is to never compromise on quality. We are not here to replace the bartender but to help them get a few classics out as soon as possible, so they have more time for their own creations.”

The Netherlands‐based company aims to ‘revolutionise the ready‐to‐serve experience’ by creating drinks that match or surpass the quality and taste of freshly made cocktails. The brand hopes to provide a solution to bars that are facing high cocktail demand.

The line is made with fresh fruit purées, premium spirits from local distilleries, and natural ingredients. It is the only pre‐batched range with fresh ingredients and no pasteurisation in its process.

The range includes an Espresso Martini, Clover Club, Paloma, Piña Colada, Pornstar Martini (the brand’s biggest‐selling product in the Netherlands), and Negroni. Each 700ml bottle can produce between five and seven serves, and can be prepared in 10 seconds. The line is made at the Dutch Cocktail Club’s own production facility in the Netherlands.

The brand also offers four zero‐ABV drinks: Paloma, Spiced Mule, Mojito, and Passion Mojito. The drinks are made with real fresh ingredients and contain alcohol boosters.

Dutch Cocktail Club claims to be the fastest‐growing producer of RTS cocktails in the Netherlands on‐trade. In 2023, the brand sold over one million bottles, doubling from 2022, when it sold over 400,000. This year, the firm has already seen growth of 80% on 2023.

UK expansion

Dutch Cocktail Club has its sights set on establishing a foothold in the UK. The firm recently opened an office in Manchester, with two export managers, and is aiming to initially target cities in the north of England, including Leeds and Manchester.

“The UK is a good market for spirits and cocktails,” van Kaam explained. “For the first half of the year, we’re building a relationship with the bars. The goal is to let as many people try our product as possible.” He believes there is a “huge stigma behind RTDs in bars”, and hopes to address this challenge.

He also sees a lot of opportunity in Europe, and the brand is already available in markets such as Greece, Finland, Denmark, Ireland, Switzerland, Slovakia, Italy, Belgium, and Ibiza, Spain. The range is available in 6,000 bars, restaurants and hotels across Europe.