Two Drifters Rum

Two Drifters rum in Allied Glass’ Blackwell premium standard bottles / Source: Allied Glass

BagasseCorkEuropeFood & BeverageGlassHempPackaging

3 MINUTE READ

Emma Grace Bailey

WHAT WE SAY:

The weight of glass is often the reason it's rejected as a solution early on. But by substantially lightweighting it, glass becomes a serious option.

Combined with such attention to detail – see the cork and fibre trimmings – this is a great example of all-round impact reduction without compromise.

KEY FACTS:

Two Drifters rum from the UK claims to be the first rum distillery with a carbon negative footprint. The brand swapped its original, Italian-made bottle for the Blackwell premium standard design from Allied Glass, which is 30% lighter in weight, helping to cut emissions.
The lighter bottle is locally made in the UK, negating the need to transport packs across Europe to be filled at the brand’s Exeter distillery.
The bottle features labels and tamper seals made from sugarcane fibre, sourced from the sugar refining process used to make the brand’s rum.
Two Drifters is a B Corp-certified brand, scoring 81.5 on the B Impact Score. It is said to have avoided 35.29 tonnes of CO2 to date and removed 16.72 tonnes from the atmosphere since launch in 2017. The brand works in collaboration with Climeworks and Carbfix to offset carbon throughout its supply chain where it cannot avoid it.

Two Drifters Pure White Rum and glass / Source: Two Drifters

Two Drifters Lightly Spiced Rum / Source: Two Drifters

DIVE DEEPER:

Two Drifters’ new Glass bottle, created with Allied Glass, is made in Britain with British glass and is 230 grams lighter than the previous design, weighing 520 grams. The brand opted for the manufacturer’s Blackwell premium standard design.
According to WRAP, switching to a lightweight glass solution can save more than 150,000 tonnes of glass per year and consumers are not likely to notice the difference. The study found that weight differences of up to 40% (for an empty container) and 20% (for a full container) went undetected by the majority of participants.
Head of Operations at De Bortoli Wines, where over 60% of bottles are lightweight, says that a “carton of lightweight bottles is almost a kilogram to a kilogram and a half lighter than a standard carton,” reducing shipping and transport emissions, as well as energy costs.
As well as being lighter in weight, the Two Drifters bottle features a natural Cork with an FSC-certified wooden top. The tamper seal is made from wood pulp and the label is 95% Bagasse, 5% Hemp and linen, and attached using a plant-based adhesive.
The company’s distillery in the UK can produce over 2,000 bottles of rum a week.
Two Drifters’ CEO Russ Wakeman was shortlisted in the Climate Pioneer category in the P.E.A. Awards 2021. The company was awarded the Best Rum Distillery 2021 and Sustainability Excellence Award 2021 at the Global Vegan Awards by Lux Life Magazine.
Since switching bottles, Two Drifters has secured a number of key accounts including Harvey Nichols.
Two Drifters is on a mission to capture 1% of the UK rum market by 2025 and to have 1% of the global rum market by 2030.

“A carton of lightweight bottles is almost a kilogram to a kilogram and a half lighter than a standard carton.”

Head of Operations, De Bortoli Wines - as quoted in the Guardian

Key Design Considerations:

Manufacturing practices negate fragility

Lighter weight glass is perceived as more delicate and prone to breaking. Seek manufacturers that blow the glass into shape, achieving an even distribution of material that makes the bottle a very similar strength to heavyweight bottles. Look to O-I Glass, who supply De Bortoli Wines with recycled, lightweight bottles.

Localisation over globalisation

Locally sourced packaging helps reduce a brand’s carbon footprint, but will also future-proof your brand as global supply chains become more fractured. Consider switching to in-country suppliers that won’t be hindered by global political tensions.

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Glass

MAKER

Allied Glass

Trusted by the world’s largest beverage brands, Allied Glass doubled its customer base in the three years prior to 2020 and has the potential to put glass back on the map.

Two Drifters Rum

WHAT WE SAY:

The weight of glass is often the reason it's rejected as a solution early on. But by substantially lightweighting it, glass becomes a serious option.

KEY FACTS:

DIVE DEEPER:

Two Drifters’ new Glass bottle, created with Allied Glass, is made in Britain with British glass and is 230 grams lighter than the previous design, weighing 520 grams. The brand opted for the manufacturer’s Blackwell premium standard design.

Head of Operations at De Bortoli Wines, where over 60% of bottles are lightweight, says that a “carton of lightweight bottles is almost a kilogram to a kilogram and a half lighter than a standard carton,” reducing shipping and transport emissions, as well as energy costs.

As well as being lighter in weight, the Two Drifters bottle features a natural Cork with an FSC-certified wooden top. The tamper seal is made from wood pulp and the label is 95% Bagasse, 5% Hemp and linen, and attached using a plant-based adhesive.

The company’s distillery in the UK can produce over 2,000 bottles of rum a week.

Two Drifters’ CEO Russ Wakeman was shortlisted in the Climate Pioneer category in the P.E.A. Awards 2021. The company was awarded the Best Rum Distillery 2021 and Sustainability Excellence Award 2021 at the Global Vegan Awards by Lux Life Magazine.

Since switching bottles, Two Drifters has secured a number of key accounts including Harvey Nichols.

Two Drifters is on a mission to capture 1% of the UK rum market by 2025 and to have 1% of the global rum market by 2030.

Head of Operations, De Bortoli Wines - as quoted in the Guardian

Key Design Considerations:

Manufacturing practices negate fragility

Localisation over globalisation

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