CleanCo

Matthews launched CleanCo after stopping drinking following the birth of his first child, having found the existing market short on quality options for social occasions. The first product arrived in November 2019 and established the brand's template: spirit-alternative positioning aimed at the occasions where conventional spirits are poured. Each product in the range takes a classic spirit category as its reference point and is designed for mixing in cocktails and long drinks, with the full line-up presented in bespoke hexagonal glass bottles designed to sit credibly alongside premium spirits at a bar or on a shelf.

Production draws on traditional copper pot still distillation to extract botanical flavours. A copper pot still is the vessel traditionally used in gin and whisky making, in which heat drives aromatic compounds from botanicals into the finished liquid. Using it in an AF context anchors CleanCo's process in established distilling practice rather than simple flavour blending.

In 2020, CleanCo secured a £7 million investment round led by Lightspeed Venture Partners, funding product development and international expansion. By 2021, the brand had entered the US market through a multi-channel approach, extending its reach beyond its British base into one of the fastest-growing AF spirits markets globally.

Distribution is broad, with the range widely stocked across mainstream supermarkets and through specialist alcohol-free retailers, as well as directly through the brand's own site. CleanCo remains an independent British company with multi-channel distribution spanning both mainstream retail and the specialist channel, positioning the brand for sober-curious drinkers who want AF spirits that work in cocktail and bar formats without compromise on presentation.