Sipsmith
Sipsmith is a London-based premium craft distillery producing London Dry Gin, Barley Vodka, and the low/no-alcohol FreeGlider extension. Wholly-owned by Suntory Global Spirits, it serves mindful consumers primarily through direct-to-consumer ecommerce.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Sipsmith does
Sipsmith is a London-based premium craft distillery founded in 2009, recognized as the city's first new copper distillery in nearly 200 years. The company produces a core portfolio of gold-medal London Dry Gin and Barley Vodka, and has extended into the low/no-alcohol segment with Sipsmith FreeGlider, a product designed for mindful consumption. Its core technology centers on traditional copper-pot distillation combined with proprietary low/no-alcohol brewing processes, the latter notably leveraging Suntory's Freeze Crush Infusion technology platform for premium RTD applications.
Sipsmith operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Suntory Global Spirits, the spirits arm of Japanese multinational Suntory, following its 2016 acquisition. The brand is positioned within Suntory's premium spirits portfolio and benefits from the parent's global distribution infrastructure, particularly for expansion into the Asia-Pacific low/no-alcohol and RTD category projected to reach USD 40 billion by 2027. Its primary go-to-market motion is direct-to-consumer (DTC) ecommerce, selling premium spirits and low/no-alcohol products directly to consumers through an owned online storefront.
The brand targets mindful consumers — a horizontally segmented persona characterized by demand for quality, health-conscious alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverage offerings — addressing the tension between premium spirits consumption and health/wellness priorities. Pricing is not publicly disclosed, and revenue figures are not available in the source material. Leadership includes co-founder Sam Galsworthy as Chairman, and the company maintains a London headquarters with 11-50 employees.
Sipsmith firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Sipsmith
- Website
- https://sipsmith.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Sipsmith is a London-based premium craft distillery producing London Dry Gin, Barley Vodka, and the low/no-alcohol FreeGlider extension. Wholly-owned by Suntory Global Spirits, it serves mindful consumers primarily through direct-to-consumer ecommerce.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Sipsmith is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Sipsmith business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Direct-to-Consumer Spirits Sales: Revenue generated through direct online sales of premium alcoholic beverages including gin, vodka, and low/no alcohol alternatives such as Sipsmith FreeGlider to consumers via ecommerce storefront.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels1 record
Sipsmith product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Sipsmith hand-crafts premium London Dry Gin and Barley Vodka at London's first copper distillery in nearly 200 years. The brand has extended its portfolio with the Sipsmith FreeGlider low/no alcohol sub-brand, sold primarily through direct-to-consumer ecommerce channels.
Product overview
Sipsmith is a premium gin and spirits brand (part of Suntory Global Spirits) that offers a portfolio including its core gin products and the Sipsmith FreeGlider sub-brand, a low/no-alcohol extension launched as part of Suntory's strategic expansion into the mindful drinking segment. The main website was inaccessible during data collection, limiting comprehensive product portfolio details.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Sipsmith FreeGlider: A low/no-alcohol product launched by Sipsmith as part of Suntory's expanded non-alcoholic portfolio.
Products and services
- London Dry Gin
Companies that use Sipsmith
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Sipsmith technology and API
TechnologyAPI detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Sipsmith partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Suntory Global SpiritsflagshipSipsmith is part of Suntory Global Spirits portfolio of premium spirits brands. Suntory is accelerating its low and no-alcohol portfolio including Sipsmith FreeGlider and Suntory ALL-FREE products, leveraging proprietary technology like Freeze Crush Infusion to differentiate in the premium RTD segment. Sipsmith benefits from Suntory's strategic vision for Asia's evolving drinks market emphasizing mindful consumption, regulatory compliance, and sustainability.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Sipsmith competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Hendrick's Gin: Hendrick's is a premium craft-style gin owned by William Grant & Sons, marketed on heritage, distinctive botanicals, and apothecary-style branding — directly comparable to Sipsmith's premium craft gin positioning and small-batch copper distillation narrative.
- The Botanist Gin: The Botanist is a craft gin from Bruichladdich Distillery (Rémy Cointreau), positioned on provenance and botanical complexity. Like Sipsmith, it competes as a premium craft alternative to mass-market London dry gins with strong on-trade presence.
- Monkey 47: Monkey 47 is a Schwarzwald craft gin now owned by Pernod Ricard, positioned on heritage, provenance, and premium pricing — a direct craft gin competitor to Sipsmith in the super-premium tier.
- Malfy Gin: Malfy is a premium Italian craft gin (Pernod Ricard) competing with Sipsmith on stylish packaging, Italian provenance, and premium pricing in the same craft London dry / contemporary gin segment.
- Seedlip: Seedlip, owned by Diageo, is a pioneer in the premium non-alcoholic spirits category. It is the closest direct comparison to Sipsmith FreeGlider as both target mindful consumption within a spirits-brand context with similar premium positioning.
Broad incumbents
- Beefeater Gin: Beefeater is Pernod Ricard's flagship London Dry Gin and the dominant UK-made gin in the mass-premium tier. It competes with Sipsmith in London dry style and UK on-premise but at significantly larger scale and broader distribution.
- Tanqueray: Tanqueray is Diageo's iconic London Dry Gin brand with a heritage story built in London. It overlaps directly with Sipsmith on London dry positioning but operates at global mass-premium scale with vastly larger marketing budgets.
- Bombay Sapphire: Bombay Sapphire is Bacardi's premium global gin brand competing in the same premium London dry and contemporary gin segment as Sipsmith, with comparable vapor-infusion botanical positioning but at multinational scale.
Emerging players
- Four Pillars Gin: Four Pillars is an Australian craft gin (Lion) that has scaled from a niche distillery into a globally distributed premium brand — a relevant comparison for Sipsmith's craft-to-global trajectory and category positioning.
- Lyre's Spirit Co. Lyre's is an independent premium non-alcoholic spirits brand competing in the same mindful consumption segment that Sipsmith FreeGlider addresses, with overlapping on-trade and DTC distribution strategies.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Sipsmith social profiles
Digital presenceSipsmith financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Sipsmith leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Sipsmith funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Sipsmith M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Sipsmith
What does Sipsmith do?
Sipsmith hand-crafts premium London Dry Gin and Barley Vodka at London's first copper distillery in nearly 200 years. The brand has extended its portfolio with the Sipsmith FreeGlider low/no alcohol sub-brand, sold primarily through direct-to-consumer ecommerce channels.
Is Sipsmith a public or private company?
Sipsmith is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Sipsmith founded?
Sipsmith was founded in 2009. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Sipsmith based?
Sipsmith is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Sipsmith make money?
One revenue line is on record: direct-to-Consumer Spirits Sales.
Who are Sipsmith's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Hendrick's Gin, The Botanist Gin, Monkey 47, Malfy Gin and Seedlip. Broad incumbents are Beefeater Gin, Tanqueray and Bombay Sapphire. Emerging players are Four Pillars Gin and Lyre's Spirit Co..
Does Sipsmith have an API?
No public API is recorded for Sipsmith.