The product has been developed to be as simple as possible, taking home brewing away from the confines of the devoted hobbyist.
Victor’s Drinks received an offer of investment on a recent episode of the BBC’s Dragons’ Den. After initial concerns, all but one of the Dragons opted out, while the business owners, Alex and Ralph, rejected an initial offer from investor Duncan Bannatyne.
However, they returned with a counter-offer and a deal was agreed for £40,000 for a 25% share of the business, which, if profit targets are achieved after three years, will reduce to 15%.
After launching in October 2013 with an apple cider, Alex and Ralph have expanded the range to include elderflower cider, mixed berry cider, pale ale and dark ale. The 20-pint version retails at £24.99 and they will also be launching a 10-pint version shortly.
The product is based on bag-in-box technology and comes ready filled with a specially formulated syrup that gives the drink its flavour.
In order to create the drink, the customer removes the cap (which acts as a valve), removes the plastic seal (which keeps the syrup fresh), adds the supplied sachet of yeast and fills with 18 pints of warm water before leaving at room temperature for 10 days, following which, the drink can be poured directly into a glass.
Inside the box, the sugar in the syrup and the yeast combine to create the alcohol. Once the drink is ready, it can be drunk within three weeks.
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