Croxsons enables Jerry Can Spirits to deliver an exciting new rum

When two former Royal Corps of Signals servicemen decided to launch an exciting new rum, the look and feel of the bottle was just as important as the taste of the spirit within.

Veterans Dan Freeman and Rhys Williams, co-founders of start-up company Jerry Can Spirits had created Expedition Spiced, a deliberately small, numbered run, to capture the essence of a sipping rum rather than a mixer and wanted its bottle to reflect the attributes of the iconic jerry can – that robust and reliable piece of kit that accompanies every soldier on manoeuvres.

So in stepped glass packaging specialist Croxsons with its 700ml QBIC bottle, which with its premium weight, look and feel, met the brief exactly.

“It carries a clean, utilitarian squared profile that fits our identity perfectly,” commented Dan. “Our brand is built around the jerry can – the rugged, dependable kit that goes on every expedition – so the squared, purposeful look of the QBIC was ideal.”

Dan and Rhys had jointly notched up more than 17 years’ service with the Royal Signals before deciding to create a rum to share with friends and colleagues

“After more than a decade in the British Army, we decided to make the kind of rum we actually wanted to drink – no shortcuts, no gimmicks,” said Dan.

The result is a 40% ABV spiced craft rum that balances Caribbean rum with British craftsmanship. Pot-distilled in small batches of just 700 bottles a time, it delivers a rich and creamy Madagascan vanilla aroma coupled with cinnamon and bourbon oak tones for a flavour profile that is naturally sweet, gently dry and warming – perfect for sipping or mixing. A proportion of every sale supports forces charities.

“The brand grew out of wanting a properly made drink to share with the people we served with,” added Dan. “The veteran story is at the heart of Expedition Spiced, but the rum and the bottle are what people actually pick up and savour.”

Croxsons, the 150 year-old B-Corp certified family business that supplies glass packaging for the food and drink sector, worked closely with Dan and Rhys to identify a bottle that would reflect the personality of the rum while ensuring strong shelf stand-out and consumer appeal.

“We’re a young brand still very much in our opening chapter. As a small veteran-owned business getting our first product to market, we needed a glass supplier we could trust to deliver consistently and support us properly as a new account, rather than just take an order,” explained Dan.

“Croxsons offered great reliability and service – and being a long-established UK supplier mattered to us. Working with a British partner and UK stock is very important to us and a key part of our sustainability goals, while the service and guidance we had through the process gave us the confidence that we’d made the right call.”

Said Josh Webster, Head of Brand at Croxsons: “We were delighted to collaborate with Dan and Rhys to help bring Expedition Spiced to market. It’s very important to us to work alongside start-up companies as well as the more established brands.

“We enjoy working with brands that are making a difference, and it’s great to be working with one that has a cause it is passionate about.”

This article was originally published by Croxsons.