From a saucepan to building the first dedicated alcohol-free brewery in Wales, Drop Bear Beer Co. celebrates two years of brewing.
Drop Bear Beer Co. was first created in 2019 when Co-Founders, Joelle Drummond (Welsh) and Sarah McNena (Australian) took the plunge to launch their home brew to the world. Sarah, who moved to the UK from Australia in 2017 spotted a gap in the alcohol-free industry after personally feeling ‘fed-up’ with the lack of options available on the market. Sarah told us “When I decided to take a break from drinking in late 2018 I was shocked at the lack of choice for non-alcoholic beverages, and especially craft beer. There is only so much Coke you can drink! So that was what sparked the initial idea to create a craft beer that bought something different to the market – a beer that had all of the flavour, but none of the alcohol.”
With their new idea in mind, Joelle and Sarah started their mission to brew flavourful, alcohol-free craft beers. After much experimentation, the studying of home brewing books and YouTube tutorials, and a saucepan in their home kitchen in Swansea, South Wales, Joelle and Sarah successfully brewed two delicious alcohol-free Pale Ales, and the Drop Bear Beer Co. concept was born.
To bring their idea to life, Joelle and Sarah could no longer brew from their home kitchen and faced the challenge of needing to upscale quickly. Like any start-up, funds are essential to the initial stage of growth and despite an enduring business plan, the Co-Founders were denied all financial help and declined any business loans. Joelle and Sarah persevered, determined that their business proposition was strong, and continued to build their business with every penny of their savings, personal loans and Sarah’s employed income as Joelle took the plunge to leave the security of an employed position and work full-time on Drop Bear. The hunt for an experienced brewer quickly began in order to safely produce, bottle and dispatch the higher quantities of beers required to sell to the public and the recognisable ‘Drop Bear’ logo was created. Together, the entrepreneurs worked around the clock to create the brand we see today and within the space of only 6 months from the initial ‘home brew’ Drop Bear Beer Co. successfully launched across the UK.
Drop Bear Beer Co. launched with two core beers: Yuzu Pale Ale and Tropical IPA. With a strong brand identity, delicious beers and a business plan focusing on the on-trade, Drop Bear’s sales exceeded all set targets in their first month of trading and is growing continuously at an exponential rate. When Covid-19 hit the U.K. just ten months after the initial launch, Drop Bear Beer Co. had to quickly adapt their business plan to ensure it’s longevity. The planned focus on the on-trade had to change as pubs, bars and restaurants closed nationwide. With their ever-determined attitudes to their new business, Joelle and Sarah quickly adapted their focus to e-commerce and direct online consumer sales. Within weeks of the first National Covid-19 lockdown, Drop Bear’s online stores launched and, just as with the launch to the on-trade, the online stores were a fast growing success. Achieving over 2000% growth throughout 2020, Drop Bear’s alcohol-free, 100% natural, vegan and gluten-free craft beers certainly struck a chord with UK consumers.
Fast forward to today and Drop Bear Beer Co., the first female-founded and the first Welsh based alcohol-free beer company in the World, is celebrating two years since it’s launch. Now, with four core beers, rapid growth, two very successful crowd-funding investment rounds and a highly-motivated founding Team of four, Drop Bear Beer Co. is a multi-million pound business and in the process of building the first alcohol-free brewery in Wales, which will also be the UK’s largest dedicated alcohol-free brewery and one of only a handful in the World. Drop Bear Beers are enjoyed, not only by thousands across the UK, but also around the world as Drop Bear successfully exports to Spain, Portugal, Netherlands, Canada and North America, Australia and Singapore, to name just a few.
It’s clear to see that Drop Bear Beer Co.’s values, which focus upon true craft, quality, equality and diversity, and sustainability, resonate with many across the UK and globe.
Reflecting on the past two years, Joelle Drummond stated:
“I’m really proud of Drop Bear’s growth over the past two years. From just an idea to an award winning product range enjoyed by people across the world, the next big thing for us now is the opening of our own brewery in South Wales. This will be the biggest dedicated alcohol free brewery in the UK, the future is exciting!”
The brand, the beers and the Co-Founders have won numerous awards from bodies such as World Beer Awards, The Great British Entrepreneur Awards and Great Taste Awards.
Bold, innovative and inspirational. Drop Bear Beer Co. has clearly achieved a huge amount in a very short, unstable time period. With the brewery launch pending, Drop Bear Beer Co. is certainly one to watch!
You can find more information on the award-winning Drop Bear Beers, and purchase from a number of online sites including www.dropbearbeers.com, Amazon and www.drydrinker.com.
