By Andy Young
Mark Ward, the founder of Regal Rogue, has announced that he is looking for investment in the brand as he looks to establish it as “the world’s drinking vermouth” and an alternative to gin.
Ward is looking for up $850,000, or £500,000, in equity and said that the investment will support increased production and strategic marketing initiatives in the UK and Australia where the aperitif occasion has become a big part of the drinking culture.
“Since launching into the Australian market in early 2012, Regal Rogue has received multiple awards for the incredible packaging design and liquid and we’re now seeing the On and Off trade in both markets come back to the brand as a drinking style,” Ward said.
“The category is evolving supporting our position to be ‘the World’s drinking vermouth’ enjoyed as an alternative between wine and gin & tonic because at the end of the day, vermouth is a low alcohol wine-based gin.”
He added: “Investment will support working capital for the imminent bottling and targeted marketing initiatives with national groups to continue to establish Regal Rogue as ‘the World’s drinking vermouth’ as we roll from the UK summer into Australia.
“I am receptive to pure investment or investment partnerships to see Regal Rogue truly achieve its global potential. We are only just scratching the surface with the brand to date.”
Earlier this year, TheShout met with Ward, who said that he was ready to shake up the Vermouth market and turn the category “on its head”.
Ward also told TheShout: “We use 100 per cent Australian wine. Fifty-five per cent of our cost is the wine, so we use beautiful wine from some great regions, Semillon from the Hunter, Shiraz is from the Barossa. We use native Australian herbs and spices and we have on average about 30 per cent less sugar than vermouth. We don’t do any wood aging, it’s all about being really natural and really clean.”
More information on the investment opportunities can be found through Ward via the Regal Rogue website.
