Stokes goes into bat for CleanCo
England cricket captain Ben Stokes OBE has taken a stake in alcohol-free ‘spirits’ brand CleanCo, as part of a wider US$5 million fundraise for the company.
Stokes, who is now both an investor and brand partner of CleanCo, will represent the brand alongside its co-founder Spencer Matthews in both the UK and the US.
The cricket captain’s investment in CleanCo is said to have been born from his own journey rebalancing his relationship with alcohol – stemming from a deep alignment with the brand’s ethos: that not drinking doesn’t, and shouldn’t, mean missing out.
Both Stokes and Matthews share similar transformative experiences with moderation and sobriety, which are the values that have been at the core of the CleanCo brand since its inception in 2019.
“I’m thrilled to come on board as an investor and brand partner in CleanCo,” said Stokes. “Funnily enough, I had originally toyed with the idea of creating my own alcohol-free ‘spirits’ brand before getting to know CleanCo. Discovering that they are the best in the game and their products are really that good, I knew I wanted to be involved in a serious capacity.
“Getting to know Spencer, the team and the category potential only fuelled my intent to be part of this pioneering brand. I was seriously impressed to learn of the market opportunity and CleanCo’s dominance in the space.”
CleanCo is currently the largest independent brand in the alcohol-free ‘spirits’ category. It outsells all of its independent competitors in the UK grocery sector combined, according to Nielsen off-premise data.
In 2024, the company’s spirit alternatives were served in 8.8 million ‘Clean cocktails’, the equivalent of one every 2.8 seconds. Furthermore, CleanCo sold more than 300,000 bottles last year, with US revenue rising by 38%.
CleanCo is the only independent brand among the top six alcohol-free ‘spirits’ players in the UK and US that is not owned by Diageo.
In the US, the company ranks third overall, with Diageo-owned Ritual and Seedlip taking the top two positions.
Meanwhile, in the UK, CleanCo is now almost three times the size of category trailblazer Seedlip, according to IWSR Drinks Market Analysis data
Matthews said: “Moderation unlocks experience. I believe in enjoying life to the fullest but with clarity, intention and control. I’m delighted to have Ben join us and bring the CleanCo brand to millions more across the UK and beyond.
“I’ve really enjoyed getting to know Ben more, realising how many joint ideals we share in terms of life, athleticism and business. Ben’s investment signifies the scale of the alcohol-free category, which is now worth over US$13 billion [IWSR data]. What was once considered niche five years ago when we started CleanCo is now being championed by one of the biggest sports stars in the world.”
Untapped podcast
As part of the announcement, Stokes joined Matthews on his new podcast Untapped. In the episode, Stokes explained how he discovered CleanCo.
“When I was trialling non-alcoholic drinks, I said to my wife Claire: ‘Maybe I should look at starting my own thing.’ Then I was Googling non-alcoholic spirits at the dinner table. I came across the CleanCo website and the brand really resonated with me – the whole story behind CleanCo and Spencer’s journey. I was like: ‘Boom. Right. That’s it. That’s me. I want to speak to Spencer about this.’”
He also explained how alcohol culture in cricket has transformed in recent years, noting that societal expectations have reduced the stigma around not drinking in the sport. “When you look to the 1990s and early 2000s, these lads have some unbelievable stories – you have a hard day in the dirt, then you have a couple of beers with your mates in the dressing room and you go again. I think it’s definitely settled down a lot over the years, especially the social side of cricket, because there’s more demand on the body than there was 15, 20, 25 years ago.
“The stigma around not drinking is different now… Nowadays it’s completely different. [With] the younger generation, there isn’t that same mindset towards having a beer or going out. There is much more emphasis on proper preparation and better recovery. It’s different in society now, too.”
Matthews noted: “There has been a monster shift in alcohol consumption in the younger generation. Statistically, it’s an awful lot less than older generations. I believe it’s primarily driven by a desire to experience things. People would rather pay for an experience, something that they can remember and that they can share, rather than a headache.”
CleanCo’s portfolio comprises 0.0% ABV alternatives to gin, rhubarb gin, rum, Tequila, whiskey and vodka.
The brand currently boasts a strong retail footprint with UK listings in Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Waitrose. It also has key listings with major US retailers including Binny’s, Meijer and Spec’s.
This week, Clean T, the brand’s 0% ABV ‘Tequila’ alternative, will become the latest in the CleanCo range to launch nationwide with Waitrose, making it the only mass-available alcohol-free ‘Tequila’ on the UK market. The brand will now seek to cement its Clean Paloma as the unofficial serve of the summer.
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