Alex Lawrence and Pietro Collina unveil Whitebox RTDs
Industry experts Alex Lawrence and Pietro Collina have introduced a range of eight canned cocktails through their new brand Whitebox, The Spirits Business can exclusively reveal.
The ready-to-drink (RTD) sector is thriving, with spirits giants and independent companies alike looking to tap into the thirst for convenience cocktails. Now two internationally renowned bartenders are putting their own stamp on the category. Lawrence, the global director of bars for Mr Lyan Group, has teamed up with Collina, the bar director for the NoMad Hotel in London, to launch a range of RTDs, called Whitebox. The first eight serves in the collection include classics, signature recipes and drinks produced in collaboration with acclaimed bars. The eclectic nature of the range and its design – each can features a unique, bold label – is an important element of the Whitebox brand. "We are sick of the rinse-and-repeat, cookie-cuttered, sterile and buzzworthy approach that seems to have washed over the RTD category," said Lawrence, who is also the co-founder of Langstane Liquor Company, maker of Porter's Gin and Glasshouse Whisky. "By keeping only the Whitebox stamp as a mandatory on the can, we have creative freedom to develop each idea to be the best it can be without limitation or compromise." The brand's full launch has seen delays due to Brexit and the pandemic – "it's going to be an ongoing problem", Lawrence said – but the team has taken steps to control as much of the process as possible by bringing design, production and development in-house. "We have the benefit of having our own canning line, which allows us to test recipes on the spot," Collina explained. "Creating interesting and balanced drinks is all about tweaking and experimenting with different products and this piece of equipment allows us to do that."
