Q&A: Ethan Cooze, Au Vodka on Portfolio Expansion

In today's world, it can be difficult to establish a new brand in amongst the global giants. Au Vodka, however, is one of the fastest-growing spirit brands in the UK. 

The beverage company is expanding its presence and making its way into the US market, using innovations and collaborations in order to reach a wider consumer base.

Known for its shiny gold bottles, Au Vodka is taking off with its ready-to-drink (RTD) can selections, working to deliver bold flavours to its customer base.

Supply Chain Digital spoke to Ethan Cooze, the Supply Chain Director at Au Vodka, about the company's expansion and ongoing plans to innovate.

In his role, Ethan lead the end-to-end supply chain and operations function, ensuring the company has strong supplier partnerships and the operational capabilities to ensure long-lasting growth. 

What has your journey in supply chain looked like?

My route into supply chain wasn't conventional. Whilst working as Executive Assistant to the Founder, I became heavily involved in operational projects, particularly new product development and strategic business initiatives. My first major project was launching Au Vodka's RTD cans in 2022. From concept to market, the entire launch was delivered in just three months and became a defining moment for the business.

That experience gave me exposure to supplier management, procurement, production planning, logistics & commercial execution and sparked my interest in supply chain and operations. Over the following years, I led a number of product launches and helped establish supply chains across both Europe and the United States. I later moved into the role of General Manager, where I project managed the development of our new headquarters, overseeing the refurbishment from start to finish and working closely with contractors and stakeholders throughout the process. Following completion of the HQ project, I spent more time supporting the operations team, overseeing NPD projects and assisting with a variety of strategic initiatives.

When the Supply Chain Director opportunity became available, I applied primarily for the experience and challenge. Following a competitive interview process, I was fortunate enough to secure the role. My first year has been focused on strengthening the foundations of the supply chain through supplier negotiations, long-term contract agreements, cost optimisation initiatives, a major 3PL transition, systems integration projects and building greater accountability and clarity across the team. It has been a challenging but incredibly rewarding journey so far.

How has the company grown since it was founded in 2016? 

Au Vodka's growth story has been remarkable. Since launching in 2016, the business has grown from a disruptive challenger brand into one of the UK's most recognisable spirits brands. Momentum really began to build towards the end of 2019, when turnover increased from approximately £100,000 (US$134,629) to £900,000 (US$1.2m). During the pandemic, whilst many businesses faced significant challenges, demand for our products accelerated rapidly, you couldn't get your shopping delivered for a week, but you could get a bottle of vodka delivered to your house next day!

This helped drive turnover to over £36m (US$48.4m) in 2020. The years that followed saw continued growth, expansion into new markets and the launch of a number of successful products. One of the most significant milestones came in 2022 with the launch of our RTD cans. By 2025, RTDs had become our largest product category, surpassing bottle sales and establishing Au as a major player within the category, becoming the best selling RTD in the UK. More recently, our partnership with Tango represented another landmark moment for the business. The launch generated exceptional consumer demand, with three millions units sold within three days. It demonstrated both the strength of the Au brand and the growing opportunities available to us as we continue to innovate and expand. As I write this, we are in the process of producing another three million cans, but its already sold out before its even come off the production line.

What does an end-to-end product launch look like for your company? 

New product development is one of the core strengths of Au Vodka and a major driver of our growth strategy. Every launch begins with ideas. We encourage input from across the business and spend significant time exploring flavour concepts and market opportunities before developing and refining the final liquid. Once the product concept is agreed, attention turns to packaging and design. Creating standout products is incredibly important to us, so a lot of work goes into ensuring every bottle or can delivers strong shelf appeal while remaining true to the brand.

At the same time, our marketing team develops launch strategies designed to maximise awareness and engagement. Operationally, the supply chain team works closely with suppliers and production partners to secure materials, schedule manufacturing and ensure product availability. Following production, finished goods are transferred into our logistics network, ready for launch. The final stage is ensuring customers are fully stocked and prepared ahead of release. It takes a huge cross-functional effort, but when executed well, it's incredibly rewarding to see a product move from idea to shelf.

How have you helped establish Au Vodka’s global supply chains? 

I played a key role in establishing and scaling Au Vodka's international supply chains, particularly across our RTD portfolio. This included building the EU RTD supply chain from the ground up by sourcing and onboarding suppliers, coordinating production capability, establishing logistics routes and ensuring we had a scalable model to support growth across European markets.

I also setup up our US RTD supply chain, working with suppliers, manufacturers and logistics partners to create the infrastructure needed to enter and serve a new market. Alongside this, I have led a number of major NPD launches from concept to market, developed strategic supplier partnerships across multiple categories and helped strengthen the resilience, scalability and commercial performance of the wider supply chain as the business has continued to grow internationally.

Where do you see Au Vodka in 12 months? 

The next 12 months represent an exciting period for the business. Internationally, I see significant opportunities within the US market as we continue to expand our RTD offering and strengthen our presence. Closer to home, we have an exciting pipeline of new product launches that I believe will support further growth across the UK market.

As a business, we have consistently demonstrated our ability to innovate, move quickly and execute effectively, and I believe those strengths will continue to drive momentum. From a supply chain perspective, my focus is on ensuring we build the operational capabilities, systems and supplier partnerships required to support that growth sustainably. We have achieved a huge amount already, but I genuinely believe there is still significant opportunity ahead for both the brand and the business.