Mash Gang are the Willy Wonka of the non-alcoholic craft beer world - Functional Drinks Club

Mash Gang are the Willy Wonka of the non-alcoholic craft beer world

Kevin Gillespie

If you’ve been following me, you’ll know that I pull my hair out on a regular basis at the quality of non-alcoholic drinks widely available to the public.

Becks Blue is a particular horror story that continues to feature in most bars and restaurants across the UK.

No more needs to be said about that, we’ve all experienced it once in our life I’m sure.

However, the reason I pull my hair out is that there’s so many amazing non-alcoholic drinks out there now.  There’s no need for the choice to be the same as it was 5 years ago.

It’s a scandal I say.  A damn scandal!

So, I’m on a mission to bring the awesome non-alcoholic world to life for everyone.

It starts today with the non-alcoholic Craft Beer world.  And with one brand in particular, Mash Gang.

In my eyes, the founder Jordan is the Willy Wonka of the non-alcoholic craft beer world.

The flavours, the experimentation, the innovation seen in the drinks that are coming out on a monthly basis from Mash Gang are nothing short of amazing.

What’s even more amazing is that Jordan only started brewing 3 years ago during the first lockdown.  

It’s this very point that goes to the heart of why Mash Gang are breaking convention and making drinks that are taking the non-alcoholic world by storm.

He’s not weighed down by tradition.  He doesn’t have limiting beliefs on what a beer could be. He’s not scared to explore what’s possible.

Go back and say that paragraph again in your head, but use Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace narrator voice.  It makes the last sentence really pop.

Watch Garth Marenghi's Darkplace | Stream free on Channel 4

Anyway, it’s this mindset that has seen him nominated for Brewer of the Year again.

From starting in his kitchen with a bucket 3 years ago to being nominated for Brewer of the Year.

Mindset.  Resilience.  Vision.

All three are vital ingredients when it comes to becoming a Category King.

Make no mistake.  That’s where Mash Gang are heading.  The Kings of the non-alcoholic craft beer world.

But how have they done it in such a short space of time?

There’s a number of reasons.

The main one being they created limited runs of their beers in the early days.  It meant they stumbled on to one of the biggest levers you can pull in sales today.

FOMO.

They created Fear of Missing Out.

It also helps that they have a great product.  And when you combine the two, you create another key ingredient for growth.

Urgency.

It’s how they got me.  I’m now a raving fan.

The drink?

It was the Mash Gang National Anthem. 

It’s a Cherry Cola Ice Cream Float Pastry Stout.

It’s a mouthful to say, and it sounds kinda ridiculous if you're ordering it in a shop or bar.  

However, it’s nothing short of sensational.

The taste, especially if you like Cherry Cola, will blow you away.

And it’s a limited run meaning once it’s gone, it’s gone.

It’s why I scour around for them, and it’s also why I’ve decided to put 12 of my cans into a face-off against a Morello Cherry Brownie baked by the kick-ass baker, “The Girl Who Bakes”.

It’s what this drink deserves.  To be paired with a food that can match its boldness and originality.

And I love that I got a baker who provides a lot of the cafes around Leeds with their bakes to take up the challenge.

Not only that, she created a bad-ass brownie to go against a few other Mash Gang drinks.

You can check out the collection and pre-order any for pick-up with the link below.

Pre-order your Mash Gang National Anthem versus Brownie Super Combo now.


The Mash Gang Superstack versus Maple & Pecan Brownie.  Banger.

Don’t be fooled though.  Mash Gang do more than be bold.  They have launched a core range of non-alcoholic beers that stand up against anything on the market.  Alcoholic or not.

“Stoop” is their take on a traditional American Pilsner, and it’s right up there with the best of them.  If you’re a lager drinker, this is the one for you.

“Chug” is their take on a Hazy Pale Ale.  It’s another banger.

Picture of a row of Mash Gang non-alcoholic beer cans in Functional Drinks Club

Everybody who has bought these from Functional Drinks Club loves them.

I sold out the first weekend of having them in stock.

The core range from Mash Gang has solved the problem I was having.  Consistency.

If I was to be a Mash Gang stockist I needed to know that I could always order Mash Gang beers when I was running low.

If customers were turning up wanting to buy Mash Gang and I didn’t have any, then that reflected on Functional Drinks Club.

It’s the double-edged sword of collaborating with other breweries to make limited runs of awesome drinks.  If you get attached to a favourite, when it’s gone you’re left with nothing but heartache and promises.

With the core range always being there, I no longer have that problem.

The only problem I now have is convincing Jordan to do another run of National Anthem because I think there’s hardly any left in the UK.

It’s my drink.  I need it in my life.  He said he might do it again next year.

If you want to experience the full Mash Gang range then join us for our once a month Mash Gang Club.at Functional Drinks Club.

 

We try new Mash Gang creations.  We chew the fat.  We have a laugh.

As for Mash Gang, I will be watching their continued rise to the top of the mountain to be Category Kings of the non-alcoholic craft beer world.

And from time to time I’ll drop Jordan a message, and like any humble visionary he always finds the time to reply even though he is jetting around the world building the biggest non-alcoholic brand we’ll see in our lifetime.

And if you take one thing from this article, make sure it’s a promise to yourself to experiment and try the Mash Gang range of Willy Wonka flavours.

Be careful though, you might get hooked on a limited run…

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