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Shaken embarks on crowd investment campaign

Shaken, the London-based cocktail brand, has launched a second crowd-investment campaign to sell shares in the company for as little as £15.

Established in 2014 by three cocktail-loving friends, Shaken produces boxes of cocktail ingredients – premium spirits and recipes for at-home cocktail making, which are posted directly to consumers via a monthly subscription to the Shaken Explorers’ Club, or sold through high-end retailers. The company is looking to not only expand its range and subscriber base but also enter the hotel mini-bar market.

Mark Jennings, CEO of Shaken, told The Drinks Report: “We’ve achieved a huge amount in the past year, and 2016 looks even more exciting. To take advantage of the opportunities available to us, we need investment for product development and to bring in fresh expertise. We’ve seen tremendous support from across the drinks industry and the startup community, and we’d like to bring as many investors onboard as possible.”

One of Shaken’s cheerleaders is international bartender of the year Ryan Chetiyawardana (aka ‘Mr Lyan’), who praises Shaken’s pioneering spirit: “There are a lot of boundaries that need to be broken down and I think what’s being done at Shaken is an amazing showcase of that. See video below.

UK taxpayers who invest can take advantage of significant tax breaks as the campaign is covered by the government’s EIS scheme. The campaign is being hosted on the Seedrs platform, and full details of the pitch can be found at www.seedrs.com/shaken

Shaken’s first round of crowd-investment successfully raised over £118k in March this year. The campaign hit its initial target of £60k in just four days, before over-funding to £118k less than a week later.

Subscribers to the Shaken Explorers’ Club are sent a new box through the post every month. Each box provides step-by-step recipes and ingredients to make five bar-strength drinks: two of a classic cocktail recipe, two of a modern cocktail, and “an extra shot of the good stuff to enjoy as a nightcap”.

Shaken works with premium brands such as Hendrick’s Gin, El Dorado 8 Year Old Rum, Girvan Grain Whisky, Dodd’s Gin, Plantation Rum, Ocho Tequila, Hine Cognac and Monkey Shoulder Whisky.

The service costs £24/month including UK delivery, and consumers are free to pause, skip a month, swap a box for another, or cancel at any point with no penalties.

Shaken recently took its first steps into retail with two new Signature cocktail boxes, which are available in Fortnum & Mason, Selfridges and Harvey Nichols, RRP £39.99. These boxes will also become available via Shaken’s own website, along with full-size bottles of spirits and cocktail equipment.