- Mark Harrison joins the DRYNKS team as Brand Partner
Creative brand expert Mark Harrison, former MD of Cheetham Bell Manchester and Global Business Lead at Mother London, has joined Manchester alcohol-free brewer, DRYNKS Unlimited as Brand Partner to spearhead an acceleration of its alcohol-free brand SMASHED.
The independent British alcohol-free drinks business launched its Smashed range of 0% beers and ciders in 2019 after the founder, Richard Clark, spotted an opportunity to create a business 100% focused on producing the best quality alcohol free drinks. He previously worked on major drinks brands including Pepsi, Crabbies and Whitley Neil gin.
Mark Harrison has held senior positions at Cheetham Bell, M&C Saatchi, Karmarama and Mother and brings with him a wealth of experience and insight from working on some of the UK’s leading FMCG and retail brands, including Morrisons, Boots, Costa, Iceland, John West and Stella Artois.
He will support Richard Clark and the DRYNKS marketing & sales team to develop a strategic brand narrative, brand plans and creative executions for the Smashed and DRYNKS Unlimited brands.
DRYNKS Unlimited is growing at pace with the purchase of the UK’s only Cool Vacuum Distillation kit, a range of listings across on and off trade, a raft of NPD launches and plans for international growth. The team had a successful stint on Dragons’ Den in March 2020 where they wowed the panel with the quality of their 0% beers and ciders.
Richard Clark, Founder and MD of DRYNKS Unlimited said: “Mark joins us at a key moment as we accelerate the growth of our Smashed brand in the UK and globally. He is perfectly positioned to help us align our creative brand focus and drive awareness with consumers who are increasingly looking for a quality great-tasting alternative to alcohol. Mark will be joining a brilliantly passionate team who are all focused on driving growth for the brand. We’re really excited to have Mark on the team.”
Mark Harrison, Brand Partner at DRYNKS Unlimited said: “DRYNKS Unlimited is an incredibly exciting and ambitious business which has positioned itself as a leader in the alcohol-free category with its innovative dealcoholisation process. The Smashed brand stands out like a beacon on shelf and has immense potential and I want to help Richard and his team develop a creative brand ambition to see them deliver real excitement to consumers.”
DRYNKS Unlimited own the only 0% brewery in the UK which uses pioneering cool vacuum distillation technology to produce alcohol free drinks that taste so good you wouldn’t know there wasn’t any booze in them. All Smashed drinks start life as real craft beer and cider (between 5% - 5.7%) and they are gently dealcoholised which retains the DNA of the original drink. The business invested in this process because it delivers a quality taste experience that consumers crave.
The Smashed range uses the finest British ingredients to create authentic tasting beers and ciders and then the alcohol is gently removed in a low impact cool vacuumed environment which maintains the same bubbly, personality, character and flavour of the full alcohol version. All Smashed drinks are vegan, gluten free (where possible), low in sugar and contain less than 100 calories.
We may be all about the 0% but we are 100% focused on creating a collection of alcohol-free drinks.
Check us out on www.drynks.co.uk and on social @drynkssocial
PRODUCT BACKGROUND
Smashed Pale Ale Launched June 2020
Smashed Pale Ale is light and refreshing, a fusion of the traditional and modern. Caramel and hints of Toffee and finished with a modern American hop providing Tropical and Passionfruit notes.
Smashed Berry Launching July 2020
A purple berry coloured sparkling fruit cider with a fruity, fresh, clean nose with hints of English cider. The taste is sharp and refreshing with a perfect balance of sweetness backed up with a strong summer berry flavours followed by hints of English cider and a firm cider astringency to finish.
Smashed Lager – 330ml bottles and cans and a 660ml sharing bottle (soon to be available in draft)
Smashed Lager is a refreshing pale gold lager beer with a clean taste which perfectly balances with hint of barley malt, complex aromatic floral notes and a mild hoppy bitterness. Available in 330ml can and bottle as well as a 660ml sharing bottle.
Smashed Cider
Golden, slightly opaque sparkling liquid with a fresh inviting aroma of English apples. The taste delivers pure refreshment with a perfect balance of sharpness, sweetness and bite. The initial refreshing upfront green apple taste is perfectly complimented with a great mouthfeel and a satisfying astringent mature English cider finish.
Smashed Citrus
A pale gold sparkling liquid with fresh, clean aroma expressing English malt, hints of hop and a touch of citrus. The taste has been crafted for pure refreshment and has pleasant malty base which has a perfect balance and sessionability. The product has great mouthfeel and a hint of sweetness pairs perfectly with the slightly sharp citrus notes in the aftertaste.