Healthier drinking should be a pleasure, not a compromise.
That was the ethos with which Charlie Craig and Jason Clarke first founded Genius Brewing – and as they celebrate their five ‘rollercoaster’ years since, one thing they are sure of is that the healthier drinking trend they anticipated has now become mainstream.
Back before they started Genius, the friends noticed that the burgeoning craft beer revolution seemed to be in an ‘arms race’ to make stronger beers at a time when consumers were increasingly wanting healthier options.
That ‘eureka moment’ convinced them to start brewing towards less alcohol and lower calories, without compromising on craft flavour. By brewing to 3% ABV, the company has neatly made one 330ml can of its Gen!us Craft Lager or Gen!us IPA exactly one unit of alcohol, with 89 Kcal and 79 Kcal per can.
It was at the Melrose Sevens rugby tournament in April 2018 that the Glasgow-based business first kicked-off their mission – an event chosen to highlight the brand’s support for the recently created My Name’5 Doddie Foundation and its fundraising to help find a cure for Motor Neurone Disease.
Clarke explained: “Doddie launched his foundation in 2017 as we were gearing-up to launch Gen!us. We’d always wanted a strong CSR agenda and having played rugby with Doddie and had my wife’s father die of MND, partnering with Doddie’s foundation felt a powerful call to action.”
Over the following five years, that partnership saw Genius Brewing donate over £40,000 and actively support numerous foundation events across the UK, including DoddieAid which alone raised £2m this year.
Craig added: “Our support for Doddie’s foundation is about more than just money, we strive to help events and other supporters with their fundraising by offering prizes, social media promotion, and of course lots of craft beer refreshment!”
Jason Clarke continued: “Although Doddie is sadly no longer with us, our support for his foundation will continue, helping to realise his vision of a world free from MND.”
Despite harnessing the healthier drinking trend, the company’s five-year journey has been anything but easy. After doubling turnover in its first two-years, Covid hit the hospitality industry, with knock-on effects to supply chains. This forced Genius Brewing to swap their distinctive gold cans for brown bottles which hugely impacted ecommerce margins, wholesaler accounts, and the brand’s positioning.
Craig said: “While our ecommerce rocketed during lockdown, being forced into bottles was a total ‘black swan’ event which put huge pressure on the business. Then Carlsberg’s merger with Marston’s meant we suddenly had to find a new brewing partner. And now we have the Cost of Living crisis. It’s been a perfect storm.”
But appearing on TV show Dragons’ Den gave the brand a huge boost, with Tej Lalvani offering ‘all the money’ for a big chunk of the business – which Charlie and Jason politely declined. A new brewing partner in Scotland helped return their Gen!us Craft Lager to cans and launch Gen!us IPA, whose striking can design recently won a Canmakers’ Accolade award.
Clarke said: “It’s certainly been a rollercoaster five years but despite the ups and downs, we’re confident that the healthier drinking trend is here to stay. With lower-calorie, light beer set to become the Next Big Thing, our ambition for the next five years is to become the UK’s number one light craft beer brand.”
