The DV portfolio

Since 2013, we’ve invested more than £245 million in over 35 founder-led drinks brands around the world. We’ve invested in both new and established brands in recognised and emerging categories. We leave it up to each business whether they want to talk about our partnership, and have found that some founders just want to focus on talking about their own brands and the great drinks they make each day instead.

Vervet

VERVET, a female and Asian American and Pacific Islander-owned sustainable brand of sparkling farm-to-can cocktails that reflect the diverse cultures and food scenes of Los Angeles. Helmed by CEO Tuan Lee, Chief Product Officer Hope Ewing, and Chief Counsel Alex Rosenblum, VERVET aims to build a brand which embodies diversity as a foundational and creative principle.

atōst

Atōst is a majority female and Latinx-owned wine-based farm-to-bottle aperitif helmed by CMO Cindy Pressman and CEO Kyle Pressman. Based in Golden, Colorado, their winery is home to the entire production process – from fermentation of their base white wine, to in-house extractions utilising locally sourced fruits, herbs, and botanicals.

Kromanti Distillery & Blending House

Kromanti, a rum distillery and blending house founded in 2020 by Cashain David and his daughter Danielle, descendants of the Kromantis who migrated throughout the Caribbean and were raised in the UK. Driven by a sense of conscious curiosity and a desire to reframe the conversation in rum through real stories, they researched the cultural meanings of botanical ingredients to create their Tamarind Infused Spiced Rum.

Lot 42 Premium Drinks Co.

Lot 42 is a premium ready to drink range from co-founders, life partners and drinks veterans Chris MacDonald and Dale Milliken. With a focus on elevating the RTD category through award-winning flavours and a desire to pay homage to Chris’ families’ refugee roots on Prince Edward Island, Canada, Lot 42 is based on a true story of freedom, optimism, and adventure. As proud members of the LGBTQ+ community, Chris and Dale aspire to create positive, open-minded spaces for individuals to get together, supporting each other in being their best selves, free of judgement.

Vascano Tequila

Vascano Tequila, a Black, women, and LGBTQIA+ owned brand born in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic and the racial turmoil that followed that summer. Created by founders, Vernon Leftwich, Adanna Mbanugo and Samantha Johnson, their collective goal was to create a multifunctional spirit representing their intersectional identities.

Tanica

In early 2020, after one too many lockdowns and sugary spritz hangovers, Adriane and Kate decided to fulfil their dream of starting their own brand. Tapping into fashion, beauty and retail marketing experience, they sidestepped industry norms, creating a better way to drink, a unique visual identity and a community of followers using online and events. Originally from New York, and a self-professed 'ginfluencer,' Adriane is a former CMO and career marketer. Her vision is to bring the Australian lifestyle and botanical flavours onto the world stage. TANICA's bold branding, all done in-house, comes from Kate's career as a Creative Director and her passion for colour and design. TANICA is short for botanical and named for the Australian native and natural ingredients they use to make their flavoured aperitifs - all the cocktail feels and none of the regrets.

Pimentae Drinks

In March 2021, Wynter Karo and Alice Parmiter launched Pimentae, a female-founded, premium tequila cocktail brand with a mission to liberate the way consumers enjoy tequila. Their flagship Spicy Margarita product is a unique blend of tequila, lime, chilli & agave – award-winning in taste and design. Pimentae’s tequila cocktail range is wrapped in bespoke artwork. The multi-award-winning brand is the go-to cocktail for celebrities like Michelle Keegan, Jessie Ware & Maya Jama. Stocked in Selfridge's nationally and on the menu of many leading bars and restaurants across London, including, Wahaca, the brand is a rising star in F&B. Available in 125ml pocket-sized cans or 50cl glass bottles – perfect for sharing with friends and spicing up all social occasions.

Casa J Tequila

CASA J is a female & Mexican-owned luxury tequila blanco, crafted to honour the artisanal independent spirits who bring our culture forward. CASA J aims to modernise the tradition of tequila, creating a contemporary feminine perspective committed to excellence in quality & craft while empowering our artisan communities in Jalisco. CASA J Tequila is founded by their New York-based CEO, Sofía Paloma Juárez.

Lodestar Whiskey

Lodestar is a new American Whiskey brand founded by Anna Axster and Wendelin Von Schroder. With a background in film, music and touring, Anna and Wendelin are no strangers to US bars and their whiskey offerings, in search of a whiskey that they love to drink and resonate with. When their search came up short, they created Lodestar.

The Oxford Artisan Distillery

Founded in 2016, The Oxford Artisan Distillery produces ultra-premium English rye whisky using biodiverse populations of 'heritage' grains grown through regenerative agricultural techniques known as Restorative Continuous Grain Cropping (R-CGC). These heritage grains and agricultural techniques have been developed in partnership with Professor John Letts, a farmer and archaeobotanist with over 25 years’ experience, and an innovator in this field. The team’s vision is to grow a modern and scalable whisky brand centred on sustainability and driven by their forward thinking approach to regenerative farming.

Kanosuke

Kanosuke Distillery was founded by Komasa Jyozo Co., Ltd in 2017. In August 2021, a corporate split separated the distillery and all whisky assets into the Komasa Kanosuke Distillery Co., Ltd, and Diageo have taken a minority interest in this new company. All production at Kanosuke is of single malt whisky using non-peated and peated malted barley imported from the UK. The whisky benefits from the warm climate to develop great character in a short space of time, and the range of flavours from distillation and maturation enable Kanosuke to create rich, drinkable whiskies true to its philosophy of “Mellow Land, Mellow Whisky.”

Ritual Zero Proof

Ritual Zero Proof is the first spirit alternative distilled in America using all-natural botanicals to echo the taste, smell and burn of liquor – without the alcohol or calories. Ritual Gin Alternative and Whiskey Alternative are designed to be used 1:1, or in part with, traditional spirits, so you can enjoy your favourite beverage spirit-free. Founded by three friends in Chicago, Ritual is made to offer consumers a new way to mark a moment. Because Ritual is all about more, not less, – more taste, more options, more life.

Stauning Whisky

Stauning was created by nine friends who started to make whisky as a hobby. Ten years later they have created one of Europe’s standout new whiskies, and have recently completed work on a new distillery to increase their production 50-fold. Their malting is done in house and they distill in small stills using direct heat, which is key to the quality of the whisky. Stauning produces a peated Single Malt, a rye whisky and a traditional Single Malt in a number of different finishes.

Starward Whisky

Starward is a whisky from Melbourne, Australia. David Vitale and his team have created distinctive Australian whisky, exclusively matured in Australian wine barrels. The highly variable Melbourne climate – it’s said to have “four seasons in one day” – means that the whisky matures much faster than in many traditional distilleries. Alongside Apera and red wine cask variants, Starward produces an exciting series of limited edition bottlings known as projects.

Westward American Single Malt Whiskey

Westward American Single Malt whiskey is an award-winning grain to glass celebration of the American pioneer spirit, inspired by the best of the American craft beer and whiskey traditions. It is the culmination of Master Distiller Christian Krogstad’s lifelong quest to produce a whiskey that embodies the spirit of the American Pacific Northwest while drawing inspiration from Oregon’s deeply-rooted brewing culture. Every drop of Westward American Single Malt whiskey is brewed and distilled at the Westward Whiskey Distillery in Portland, Oregon.

Mr Black

Made at its purpose-built coffee roastery near Sydney, Australia, Mr Black Coffee Liqueur is a bittersweet blend of top-grade Arabica coffees and Australian wheat vodka. A first of its kind, Mr Black is made using a cold-brew process with no added flavours - just exceptional coffee. Mr Black’s cold brew process creates a more robust and sweet profile, resulting in a liqueur that is bold, complex, balanced, and unapologetically coffee.

Seedlip

Seedlip is the worlds first distilled non-alcoholic spirit, created to solve the dilemma of “what-to-drink-when-you’re-not drinking." Founder Ben Branson developed the spirit in his kitchen in the woods using a small copper still and a copy of The Art of Distillation from 1651. Seedlip creates an entirely new category which transforms the non-alcoholic drinking experience into one that mirrors the drinks experience in the world's high end cocktail bars. The range contains three variants: Seedlip Spice 94, Seedlip Garden 108 and Seedlip Grove 42.

Kikori Whiskey

The name Kikori means “woodsman” in Japanese and was inspired by the lush forests that surround the distillery in Kumamoto on the island of Kyushu in southern Japan, where the whiskey is made. Kikori is made from 100% local rice from Japan and then blended with 80% of the spirit aged in American oak, and 20% in French Limousin, and Sherry casks.

Belsazar Berlin Aperitif

Started in 2013 by Maximilian Wagner and Sebastian Brack, BELSAZAR is a unique aperitif made with the highest quality German ingredients. Made from regional grapes from the Black Forest and infused with native herbs, its versatility as both an aperitif and a cocktail ingredient has made it a sought-after brand in bars, restaurants, and retail establishments.

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