Highball Alcohol Free Cocktails

What Highball Alcohol Free Cocktails does

Highball Alcohol Free Cocktails is a UK-based premium ready-to-drink (RTD) alcohol-free cocktail brand, founded in 2019 by husband-and-wife team Red and Kate Johnson under the parent entity The Original Free Drinks Company Ltd, headquartered in Exbury, Hampshire. The company produces a range of six hand-crafted cocktail variants — Classic G&T, Pink G&T, Italian Spritz, Cosmopolitan, Mojito, and Ginger Dram — made in small batches in the UK using natural ingredients sourced globally, formulated to contain less than half the calories of standard cocktails and to be free from artificial sweeteners, preservatives, gluten, and animal products. The brand was positioned at launch as the UK's first pre-mixed alcohol-free RTD cocktail range.

The business operates a direct-to-consumer model with a small operational footprint (1–10 employees). Its primary sales channel is its own Shopify e-commerce storefront, supplemented by a single online specialist retailer, DryDrinker. There is no evidence of physical retail, on-trade (pubs, restaurants, hotels), or grocery distribution. Marketing is driven largely through earned media, with PR support from Storm Communications, and the brand has secured coverage in UK consumer publications (Evening Standard, BBC Good Food, Cosmopolitan, Daily Mail, ITV This Morning) and trade press (The Grocer, The Spirits Business, Beverage Daily), along with selective awards including SME News UK Enterprise Awards 2021 (Best Non-Alcoholic Cocktails Brand).

The company is privately held, bootstrapped with no disclosed institutional funding, and operates exclusively in the United Kingdom. Its target customers are health-conscious adults seeking lower-calorie social drink alternatives, sober-curious and abstaining consumers, pregnant women, and participants in short-term abstinence initiatives such as Dry January. The value proposition centres on authentic cocktail flavour delivery without alcohol, supported by natural ingredients and clean-label credentials. No AI/ML capabilities, enterprise integrations, or technology platform are part of the product surface, and the business is fundamentally an artisan consumer packaged goods operation.

Name

Highball Alcohol Free Cocktails

Legal name

The Original Free Drinks Company Ltd

Website

https://highballcocktails.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Highball Alcohol Free Cocktails is a UK-based, bootstrapped brand that hand-crafts and sells six premium alcohol-free ready-to-drink cocktails direct-to-consumer via its Shopify storefront and through online retailer DryDrinker, targeting health-conscious adults, sober-curious drinkers, and the gifting occasion.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Non-Alcoholic Beverages

NAICS

Soft Drink Manufacturing (312111)

SIC

Beverages (2080), Bottled & Canned Soft Drinks & Carbonated Waters (2086)

akta.pro primary industry

Cocktail Mixes & Alcoholic Beverage Bases (non-alcoholic mixers, RTD spirit bases) (AFAFAGAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Alcoholic Beverage Mixers & Cocktail Ingredients Brands (Non-alcoholic) (CRADAIAH), Non-Carbonated Soft Drinks (Juice Drinks, Lemonades, Fruit Drinks) (CRADAHAB)

Keywords

• Non-alcoholic cocktails
• Ready-to-drink beverages
• Alcohol-free mixers
• Low-calorie cocktails
• Botanical beverages

Headquarters

HQ city

Exbury

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel

Revenue model

1. Direct Product Sales: Revenue generated from selling pre-mixed alcohol-free cocktail bottles directly to consumers through their Shopify e-commerce platform and via online retailer DryDrinker.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Highball Alcohol Free Cocktails produces and sells a range of six premium alcohol-free ready-to-drink bottled cocktails (Classic G&T, Pink G&T, Italian Spritz, Cosmopolitan, Mojito, and Ginger Dram). The cocktails are hand-crafted in small batches in the UK using natural ingredients sourced globally, containing less than half the calories of standard cocktails and free from artificial sweeteners, preservatives, and animal-derived ingredients.

Product overview

Highball Alcohol Free Cocktails is a brand owned by The Original Free Drinks Company Ltd, a husband-and-wife founded business. The company produces a range of six premium ready-to-drink alcohol-free cocktails: Classic G&T, Pink G&T, Italian Spritz, Cosmopolitan, Mojito, and Ginger Dram. These cocktails are positioned as healthier alternatives to traditional cocktails, containing less than half the calories of standard cocktails. The products are hand-crafted in small batches in the UK using natural ingredients sourced from around the world, and are free from artificial sweeteners, preservatives, and are both gluten-free and suitable for vegan diets.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Classic G&T An alcohol-free classic Gin & Tonic featuring juniper, botanicals, and citrus with quinine bite, designed as a thirst-quenching ready-to-drink cocktail for adult consumers seeking alcohol alternatives.
• Pink G&T An alcohol-free pink gin and tonic blending raspberry and lavender with traditional juniper, designed for adult consumers seeking a colourful, gently sweet non-alcoholic G&T alternative.
• Italian Spritz An alcohol-free Italian cocktail featuring bitters and orange, positioned as an Aperol Spritz alternative delivering bitter-sweetness and sophistication for adult consumers.
• Cosmopolitan An alcohol-free Cosmopolitan cocktail made with agave nectar, delivering a smooth, sweet yet tart flavour profile of cranberry, orange, and citrus for adult consumers.
• Mojito An alcohol-free Mojito using agave nectar for natural sweetness with tangy fresh lime citrus and warm rum-style flavour, designed as a sophisticated ready-to-drink option for adult consumers.
• Ginger Dram An alcohol-free Whisky & Ginger style cocktail delivering ginger and spice zest with orange notes and a rich whisky-style flavour, targeted at adult consumers seeking a sophisticated non-alcoholic option.

Quantifiable outcome

• Less than half the calories of standard cocktails
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Storm CommunicationsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerStorm Communications handles press enquiries for Highball Cocktails, managing media relations and PR activities on behalf of the company.
• DryDrinkerminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDryDrinker is an online specialist retailer for alcohol-free beverages, distributing Highball Cocktails products alongside other non-alcoholic drink brands. Contact: [email protected], +44 203 4552042.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Lyre's Spirit Co. Lyre's produces a broad range of non-alcoholic spirits designed to replicate classic cocktails, directly overlapping with Highball's six classic-serve range and the same sober-curious consumer.
• Seedlip: Seedlip is the category-defining non-alcoholic spirit brand, founded in the UK and now owned by Diageo. It directly competes with Highball in the alcohol-free cocktail occasion and shares the same natural-ingredient, premium positioning.
• Aecorn Aperitifs: Aecorn produces non-alcoholic aperitifs designed to be served as spritzes, directly overlapping with Highball's Italian Spritz SKU and competing for aperitif occasions and on-premise listings.
• Pentire Drinks: UK-based non-alcoholic spirit brand built around coastal botanicals and a similar craft, premium narrative to Highball, targeting the same UK mindful-drinking consumer through DTC and select retail.
• CleanCo: CleanCo is a UK-founded non-alcoholic spirits brand (backed by Spencer Matthews) offering gin, vodka, rum and tequila alternatives. It competes directly for the same sober-curious shopper and on-trade listings in the UK market.

Emerging players

• Three Spirit Drinks: Three Spirit is a UK functional non-alcoholic drinks brand positioned around mood and ritual. It overlaps with Highball in the alcohol-free social occasion but leans into a functional/wellness angle rather than classic cocktail replication.
• Stryyk: Stryyk is a UK-based non-alcoholic spirits brand (Not Gin, Not Rum, Not Vodka) targeting the same sober-curious millennial and Gen Z consumer as Highball, with broader supermarket distribution.
• Abstinence Spirits: South African-originated non-alcoholic spirits brand with growing UK retail presence, offering flavour profiles comparable to Highball's G&T and Pink G&T, though distributed via larger retail partnerships.
• Mockingbird Spirit Co. Mockingbird is a small UK non-alcoholic cocktail and spirit brand competing with Highball in DTC channels and gift-pack occasions, with overlapping classic-cocktail positioning and similar premium pricing.

Others

• DryDrinker: DryDrinker is Highball's named online retail channel partner for alcohol-free beverages. It is a multi-brand specialist retailer and thus an important distributor/enabler for Highball rather than a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/highballdrinks
• Facebookfacebook.com/HighballAlcoholFreeCocktails

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Highball Alcohol Free Cocktails