LA Brewery uses Beatson Clark apothecary bottles for kombucha

LA Brewery has used apothecary bottles from Beatson Clark for its range of kombucha fermented teas.

The UK-based kombucha maker wanted a distinctive design for the line, which is available in three flavours: ginger, lemongrass, and strawberry and black pepper.

Through a collaboration with glass packaging specialist Rawlings and manufacturer Beatson Clark, LA Brewery’s portfolio is now on sale in a clear pharmaceutical bottle.

Through Rawlings, Beatson Clark is supplying a 300ml white flint Alpha Sirop bottle from its apothecary range.

“It’s a higher-end bottle which achieves that mix of being slightly medicinal and also rather grown up,” said LA Brewery founder Louise Avery. “Most standard soft drinks bottles have a long neck, but with this bottle, the short neck takes you into a different space.

“With the branding, we’ve created something that can sit alongside both soft and alcoholic drinks in the pub and still look comfortable. It’s designed to bridge that gap.”

Mark Carroll, account manager at Rawlings, said: “One of the biggest complexities is that kombucha ferments in the bottle, so the correct container selection is critical. Independent testing was carried out to ensure the container was fit for LA Brewery’s bottling process.”

Avery started making kombucha fermented tea in her kitchen in London six years ago and sold it through cafés in her neighbourhood.

“I loved kombucha and not many people were drinking it at the time,” she said. “In the first café, there was quite an international clientele that was already familiar with the drink so it took off quite quickly.”

Charlotte Taylor, marketing manager at Beatson Clark, said: “Our apothecary range of pharmaceutical bottles look great on the shelf and they can give a drinks brand a really distinctive, vintage look.

“We’re pleased to say that the range is becoming more and more popular with our customers, particularly for artisan spirits such as flavoured gins.”