Beatson Clark designs Kolibri bottle with sugar stored in the lid

Beatson Clark has partnered with British beverage brand Kolibri Drinks to create a glass bottle which allows consumers to control the amount of sugar in their drink.

The sugar is stored in the cap of the bottle rather than in the liquid of the drink. The idea behind the design is to allow consumers to customise the flavoured waters to suit their own tastes and preferences.

Beatson Clark’s in-house design team worked with Kolibri Drinks from the early concept stage through to manufacture. The brief was to create an elegant bottle which would appeal to the premium retail and restaurant market.

The bottle itself, designed and produced at Beatson Clark’s glassworks in South Yorkshire, UK, is a cone-shaped 300ml white flint flask made from 30% recycled glass on average. All the sugar has been removed from the botanical drink in the bottle and is stored instead in a cap.

Kolibri Drinks co-founder Kamila Sitwell said: “At a time when consumers are incredibly discerning and expect premium experiences in all aspects of branding, standard off-the-shelf bottles wouldn’t work for Kolibri Drinks.

“Beatson Clark worked with us from the very beginning, all the way through consumer and industry testing and the complex incorporation process with the patented cap which enables customisation of sweetness.

“I don’t think many companies are able or willing to go the extra mile to go through a complex and time-consuming process to deliver something truly disruptive.”

Beatson Clark marketing manager Charlotte Taylor said: “We’re finding more and more companies, particularly small businesses with big ideas, approaching us for unique bottle designs. The drinks business is a multi-billion pound industry, and competition is fierce, so they’re all looking for something to make their product stand out on the shelf.

“Rather than being bound by what we can’t do, we take a can-do attitude. This type of bottle is the first of its kind we’ve produced and the finished product looks great. The quality of the glass matches the level of innovative design.”

Flavours in the Kolibri range include: elderflower and lime, strawberry and basil, and cardamom  and chilli.