Dairy-Free Liqueur Producer Panther M*lk, Featured on Dragons' Den, Announces Closure
Beastly Brews, the Glasgow-based company that revolutionised the alcoholic beverage market with its oat milk liqueur, Panther M*lk, has announced that it has ceased trading.
Founded by Paul Crawford in 2015, Beastly Brews gained significant attention after the success of Panther Milk, which was inspired by a cocktail called Leche de Pantera that Crawford sampled in a hidden bar in Barcelona in the mid-2010s. The key recipe change in Panther M*lk was the replacement of sweetened condensed milk with oat milk.
In 2020, the success of Panther Milk convinced Crawford to bottle it up and launch it under Beastly Brews. The brand quickly gained popularity, with sales at Asda, the Co-op, online, and at various festivals across the UK. By 2024, Beastly Brews had 600 distribution points, a significant increase from the 100 in the previous year.
Beastly Brews had major expansion plans for 2025, including entering the UK retail market and expanding into Germany and Spain. However, the liquidation of the company was due to abandoned supermarket deals, leaving the company with too much stock and cashflow difficulties.
The website of Beastly Brews exhibited problems in July 2024, and an automated email from the company stated that it had ceased trading. The most important customer of Panther M*lk, leading to the company's expansion, was not publicly specified, and the shift or cancellation of a business contract with this customer was not the stated reason for the liquidation of Beastly Brews.
Oat milk remained popular, accounting for half of the segment's sales in 2024. Despite the demise of Beastly Brews, the market for plant-based milk and drinks in the UK continued to grow, albeit at a slower pace. Sales of plant-based milk and drinks dipped by 2% in 2024, according to industry reports.
In a related development, Pea milk brand Mighty Drinks fell into administration in the summer of 2024, before being rescued by Cypriot firm The Mighty Kitchen. Meanwhile, ready meal startup Allplants went bankrupt in 2023, with Plants and Grubby buying off its assets.
Younger generations are more likely to consume low- or no-alcohol drinks, with one in five Brits not drinking at all, and over a third consuming low- or no-alcohol drinks at least occasionally. This trend is expected to continue, with more and more companies entering the market to cater to this growing consumer base.
Despite the challenges faced by Beastly Brews, the company's legacy lives on. The brand's flavor offerings, including Crema, Rosa, Café, Menta, and a Dirty Banana hard milkshake, continue to inspire new entrepreneurs in the industry. The matte black bottles and refreshed logo of Panther M*lk, which were introduced last year, remain iconic symbols of the brand.
In 2022, Crawford appeared on Dragons' Den seeking £50,000 for 7.5% of his company, but the investment promise fell through. Despite this setback, Crawford's innovative spirit and passion for the industry continue to shine through. It is expected that he will soon announce his next venture, promising to once again shake up the beverage market.
