Pinkster

Upmarket gin brand Pinkster has been given a £1.1m cash injection from private investors to scale up its sales, marketing and production, as UK sales of pink gin skyrocket.

The boost came from directors, employees, existing investors and “personal connections”, said Pinkster MD Stephen Marsh, who had “bought into the fact that’ we’re a pink gin pioneer with a distinctly fruity USP”.

It would go towards helping Pinkster “fully capitalise on the pink gin boom”, said Marsh. “The fact that we were able to raise a seven-figure sum through friends and family speaks volumes about the robustness of the business model, the strength of the product, and the opportunities ahead.”

With the recent surge in pink gin there was “clear headroom for growth” in the category, he added.

Pink and flavoured gins are to thank for a considerable chunk of the spirits sector’s remarkable growth over the past 12 months. As The Grocer’s Top Products 2018 Survey revealed this month, Gordon’s pink variant alone racked up an added £84.3m in extra value sales this year [Nielsen 52 w/e 8 September 2018].

Pinkster’s use of fresh ingredients “marks us out from the pack”, said Marsh. “While we don’t have the marketing muscle of the major brand owners, we have a premium positioning and an unswerving commitment to fresh fruit”.

Pinkster isn’t the only brand looking to set itself apart from the crowd by touting its quality credentials.

This month also saw the launch of That Boutique-y Gin Company’s Proper Pink Gin (46% abv), which is made with angostura bitters and gentian.

The specialist spirits brand claims its recipe is based the pink gin that was served aboard Royal Navy vessels in the 1800s. It has rolled into specialist and online retailers (rsp: £29.95/70cl).