Gin liqueur brand Pomp & Whimsy secures $2.65m in funding

Gin cordial brand Pomp & Whimsy has raised $2.65 million in a seed funding round, as it aims to accelerate its expansion.

Launched in 2017, Pomp & Whimsy offers a gin cordial that is made by infusing classically distilled gin with a botanical liqueur.

The brand’s founder Nicola Nice is said to have created Pomp & Whimsy after recognising ‘the enormous unmet potential of the female consumer market’ during her time working as a consultant to the spirits industry.

The seed round was led by El Dorado Spirits, with participation from angel groups Golden Seeds, Oxford Angel Fund and Next Act Fund.

In addition, the brand’s backers include Rebecca Minkoff, founder of Rebecca Minkoff and The Female Founder Collective, Michelle Grant, founder and CEO of Wear Lively, and film producer Regina Scully.

Pomp & Whimsy will use the new funds to support its growth and aims to expand distribution through current and new partners. In addition, the brand plans to continue building its e-commerce business through its partnership with Thirstie.

“As a researcher and brand strategist, I have spent my career observing how women shape trends in cocktailing from their position as the drivers of purchasing decisions and as the chief entertainers of the home,” said Nice.

“Yet for years the spirits industry has not taken women seriously. I launched Pomp & Whimsy because I felt it was time to give women back their rightful place in the story of gin and the cocktail.”

She continued: “We are grateful to be at the centre of a wide network of powerful women and men who are lifting the rope for entrepreneurs to bring fresh perspective through innovation. That our investors come from backgrounds as varied as fashion, beauty, banking and the alcohol industry speaks not only to the broad appeal of the brand, but to the timeliness and importance of its mission.”

Pomp & Whimsy board advisor and investor, Ted Roman, said: “As a founder and a CEO, Dr Nicola Nice has displayed the kind of passion and talent for pursuing a brand promise that is rare, and she is already delivering tremendous value to our industry.

“I look forward to continuing to help guide Nicola and her team in building the brand with new distribution, portfolio expansion and national sales opportunities.”