Gunner

Giles Fuchs set out to fix that in 2016. His London-based company, Gunner Cocktails, took that old recipe and gave it a proper commercial home. The flagship product is the Gunner Saint: a ready-to-drink can of ginger, natural bitters, and lime, made with all-natural ingredients and no preservatives. It's designed to taste like a grown-up long drink rather than something sugary and soft. The result sits closer to a cocktail than a mocktail, which is partly the point.

The can format launched in 2021, making the Saint more accessible beyond hospitality settings. A lighter variant followed later, for those watching their sugar intake. In 2022 the brand expanded in the other direction too, launching the Gunner Sinner: the same base, but spiked with aged dark rum. The company now spans both sides of the bar, which complicates the alcohol-free credentials slightly, though the Saint remains the core product and the one that put the brand on the map.

Distribution has leaned heavily into the on-trade. The Saint has picked up stockists in upmarket sports clubs, yacht clubs, and polo venues, alongside specialist online AF retailers and the brand's own website. It's the kind of drink that does well at events where people want something that looks the part. Major supermarket coverage remains limited.

The brand has attracted recognition from the World Alcohol Free Awards and Great Taste, among others. Award-winning is about right: good enough to notice, niche enough that not everyone has heard of it yet.

For now, Gunner occupies an interesting position: genuine heritage, decent craft credentials, and a product that actually works as a drink in its own right.