Creating a non-alcoholic gin with a touch of Amsterdam
In 2019, two friends (Pieter Vonk & Klaas-Jan Kakebeeke) who had just started to develop a non-alcoholic gin, reached out to me because they needed help in the branding and marketing department. The flavor profile of the non-alcoholic gin was headed in the right direction, but they were struggling with the name, the positioning and the branding of the product.
In the following months, I came up with the name 'Mokum Dusk', and together with Denis Begin, a freelance designer, I created all the necessary brand assets as well as the design of the labels. Since Pieter and Klaas-Jan couldn't afford my hourly rate — it was a startup — I joined as an equal partner in the LLC that still had to be established: Hillside Blenders.
Disrupting the market
We positioned Mokum Dusk as a high-quality, non-alcoholic gin for people who wanted to make the most of their day, but refused to compromise on the quality of their gin. Even though we knew our target audience (traditional gin drinkers) was very skeptical about gin without alcohol. So, I had to come up with a clever messaging strategy to encourage them to at least try Mokum Dusk. It inspired me to come up with a disruptive tagline:
"Great gin doesn't need alcohol."
Most people would argue that gin cannot be called gin unless it contains alcohol. They are not wrong. European law insists that the minimum alcoholic strength by volume of gin must be 37,5%. We decided to disagree with European lawmakers. Our campaign focused on 5 other characteristics that - in our humble opinion - were way more important to create a seriously great gin, namely:
a unique recipe;
the distinctive taste of juniper;
the best botanicals one can source;
a traditional production process (similar to the distillation of traditional gin);
185 years of experience in crafting gin (thanks to our distiller);
The "Great gin doesn't need alcohol"-campaign evoked mixed feelings. Some people were offended by our statement, others liked our disruptive approach. At least, people were talking about Mokum Dusk.
The world of Mokum Dusk
‘Mokum’ is Hebrew for Amsterdam. And ‘Dusk’ means twilight. The name refers to the fading light at the end of the day, the moment when people get together to enjoy each other’s company and raise a glass together. There’s much beauty in that moment. We intended Mokum Dusk to be a homage to all the great people who give color to our nightlife and that of Amsterdam in particular.
Together with photographer Hans Pieterse, I created the warm world of Mokum Dusk. Even in the imagery, the sun was setting, signaling it was time for a delicious gin and tonic. Mixologist Chi-Ho Ta developed various cocktail recipes, which we captured on video with the help of Rinze Vegelien's video crew (Today’s Brew), demonstrating step-by-step how to mix and drink Mokum Dusk at home. The quality of Mokum Dusk was evident in all our content and branding.
The growth of our customer base
More and more retailers, cocktailbars, and restaurants started to notice Mokum Dusk. The branding appeared to be a welcome change in the rather dull no & low segment, and more importantly the taste of our different blends was recognized by a variety of international spirits competitions. We won several medals. More than enough reason for the first non-alcoholic liquor store in the Netherlands, Nix&Nix (now World of Nix), to start selling Mokum Dusk.
Not long after, the largest beverage specialist in the Netherlands, Gall&Gall, agreed to sell our 3 blends in their stores and online. Thanks to platforms like Bol.com and Amazon, we were able to expand our business quickly to 6 European countries: the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain. Within a few years, Mokum Dusk grew into a well-known name in the no & low segment with a wide audience for all 3 blends.
The flavor profile of our blends
Mokum Dusk True Blend is a rich, classic blend inspired by the flavor profile of a traditional London Dry Gin. It is a complex and refreshing gin with the characteristic, resinous taste of juniper berries enriched with nuances of coriander, angelica, blood orange, and red pepper.
Mokum Dusk Cool Blend is a fresh, sparkling gin with a cooling effect. The dominant flavor of juniper berries and the fresh touch of cucumber are perfectly balanced by the anise-like taste of dill and the aromatic, slightly acidic taste of lemon peel.
And finally, Mokum Dusk Poppy Blend. This blend has a soft, salmon-pink color, but its character is anything but soft. The main ingredient, juniper berry, gets a big boost from top notes of ginger and red pepper, beautifully balanced by the sweet nuance of cinnamon, the fruity citrus touch of bergamot, and the nutty taste of poppy seeds. It is the distinctly pronounced and contrasting aromas that give this gin a beautiful depth.
Funfact for the curious
If you’re wondering why there’s a dog wearing a bowler hat on the label, it’s a tribute to Jes, our four-legged friend. Jes used to be the dog of our house photographer, Hans Pieterse, but unfortunately, Jes is no longer with us. He wasn’t just a sweet and handsome dog—the image speaks for itself—but his well-developed sense of smell seemed to perfectly symbolize the sourcing process for finding the best botanicals for our blends. That’s why we gave Jes a prominent place on our label. By the way, the bowler hat belonged to his father; it was an inheritance.
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