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Behind the Bottle: What Every New Ready to Drink Brand Can Learn from Pergola’s Story
February 28, 2025
Starting a drinks brand can feel like a heady mix of excitement, creative chaos, and the constant juggling of numbers. No one knows this better than Pergola, a vibrant craft tequila brand making waves in the UK’s drinks scene. Their story is one of playful beginnings, pandemic-era pivots, and the very real challenges of scaling up production in the competitive (and expensive) ready-to-drink category.
Mentors for Makers spoke with Pergola’s co-founder Rahul to hear how he turned his colourful party drinks into a fully-fledged craft business, as well as what advice he’d pass on to anyone thinking of scaling their own drinks company.
How It All Began:
What started as homemade tequila cocktails for friends’ parties turned into something bigger when the pandemic hit. With unexpected time on their hands, Rahul and Sheetal dove into market research and spotted a gap for fresh, fun tequila-based drinks just as the UK’s love affair with tequila was beginning to blossom.
The Realities of Early Production:
Of course, turning drinks made for mates into retail-ready products wasn’t quite as simple as shaking up a batch of Margaritas. For a brand starting small, production costs can be eye-watering. Rahul tells us,
“The biggest challenge for us at the start was how expensive everything is at low volumes. Minimum Order Quantities (MOQs) made it clear that scaling up would be essential, and that established brands had a serious pricing advantage.”
This is a reality check which many new to the industry face — outsourced (Contract Manufactured) production costs shrink dramatically with scale, but scaling up means having both the demand and the cash flow to make it happen. Finding that balance is a constant dance in the early days.
Evolving Processes:
Despite the challenges, Pergola’s commitment to quality never wavered, although their approach to production has evolved as they’ve grown. Starting with bold bottled Margaritas in eye-catching colours (like Poolside and Sunset), they’ve also expanded into canned cocktails and lower-alcohol options to meet changing customer tastes.
That ability to adapt quickly without compromising their product or identity has been a key ingredient in Pergola’s success. But scaling up hasn’t been all smooth sailing…
“Our biggest operational bottleneck was realising that our early bottle and label choices were beautiful, but not easily scalable,” Rahul admits. Manual processes and hand-finishing were fine at first but quickly became a drag on efficiency and cost.”
The lesson here for small businesses? Think about your packaging and production processes early. Beautiful design is important, but so is practicality when you start producing at volume.
Community vs. Cost:
While Pergola has built a loyal local following, the cost-of-living crisis has been a reminder that even passionate fans are price-conscious. Competing with big brands that can offer lower prices is tough for craft producers and makes smart, cost-efficient production even more crucial.
This highlights the importance of both knowing your numbers and knowing your niche. Pergola’s advice to newcomers? Be crystal clear on your costs and risks before you dive in. This is a tough industry to “learn on the job.”
Sustainability with a Twist:
Sustainability is a growing focus for all drink producers. For Pergola, this means working to eliminate plastic entirely from their packaging. Their cans are now plastic-free, and they’re developing new bottles that remove the need for traditional labels altogether.
For those just starting out, this kind of innovation is worth thinking about from day one. The choices you make around materials and processes will shape your costs, your sustainability credentials, and how your brand is perceived.
What Comes Next:
Pergola isn’t slowing down. With new products in development they’re on a mission to help the UK fall in love with quality tequila, not just the shots you remember from university fresher’s week, but crafted, flavour-packed drinks that show off tequila’s potential.
For anyone thinking about starting their own craft drinks brand, Pergola’s journey offers a healthy dose of practical advice. From understanding your costs to designing for scale, there’s a lot to think about before you fill your first bottle.
Ready to Scale your own Drinks Brand?
If you’re dreaming of growing your own drinks brand, getting your filling process right from the start can make a huge difference to your efficiency, flexibility, and costs.
It’s been almost 20 years since Adelphi Manufacturing‘s development of the ATEX Response Benchtop Filler, and since then we’ve been able to observe the fundamental Do’s and Don’ts of alcoholic drinks bottle filling. From technical insights to best practices, here’s our list of recommendations to help you grow smart and avoid classic bottlenecks.
