Plants, vitamins, water. That’s it. No nasties. No ingredients you can’t pronounce. The Naked Collective aims to be the most transparent beverage company in the world. Naked, natural, no nonsense. Now, that should be clear enough.
Founded in Ireland, parents Catherina Butler and Niall Phelan (co-founders and joint CEO) wanted to create soft drinks they would be happy for their children to consume, whilst also good for the planet. Two birds, one mighty stone. Niall affirms:
“Our goal is to drive positive change by investing in projects that will regenerate our planet, communities and people. Our drinks are meant to be built around modern-day needs. Not only will our bodies thank us, but so will the Earth. We proudly support Positive’s manifesto for the 12 key drivers that have the ability to reshape our relationship with food and beverage: if we don’t stand up for something important—what will we fall for?"
The commitment of the Naked Collective to lead the field in terms of transparency and impact, contrasts sharply with other companies in the space, as recently highlighted by the allegations of sixty former employees of craft beer brewer, Brewdog. The Scottish company has been lambasted for a culture of 'lies, hypocrisy and deceipt', whilst brandishing its environmentally friendly credentials. Much more needs to be done in order to foster cultures of empowered participation and wellbeing, so that impact is also inside out.
Another goal of The Naked Collective is to educate people about unhealthy sugar-based and artificially sweetened drinks. These are so ubiquitous within supermarket aisles that we rarely stop and think before downing various E-numbers and sweeteners. At least when we grab a Mars Bar the assault on our body is fairly clear.
Research shows that drinking a can of sugary drink a day increases your risk of diabetes by 22%, whilst another study revealed that men who drank diet soda daily had an increased risk of two cancers, multiple myeloma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Many diet soft drinks leave us craving even more, rather than satisfying our sweet tooth. Meanwhile, a 330ml can of regular Coke contains 35g—9 teaspoons (!)—of sugar. These added sugars, non-nutritive sweeteners, and soluble toxic chemicals are silent killers: completely superfluous to our diet. Meanwhile, naturally energising drinks remain hard to find.
As if health concerns weren’t enough, it’s also worth noting that big multinational drinks companies, including Coca Cola, fuel highly destructive chemical agricultural practices. In order to produce vast quantities of high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS)—the artificial sweetener found in their drinks—a highly noxious cocktail of weedkillers and pesticides is liberally sprayed in swathes of corn fields. Whilst generating short-term profits, over years this devastates soil health and causes myriad down-stream problems. Read our article on soil’s role in the fight for regeneration for a deeper dive.
So, now we should see how by changing our consumption behaviour and shifting our consumer dependence, we will radically change the world within which we consume.
The Naked Collective are here to replace these empty calories with drinks powered by Plants, People, and Purpose. Their beverages are low sugar (<6g per can), low calorie (40 per can), carbon neutral, gluten free and vegan. Their Mude range are functional wellness SuperLiquids that support your immune system whilst regulating and enhancing mood. Barley bursting with B-vitamins and minerals is brewed, supercharged with Beta Glucan (a soluble fibre strongly linked to immune health), and infused with organic botanicals from Rutland Biodynamic Farm. Just as sugars and additives bioaccumulate to harm the body, this natural goodness compounds vitality and longevity.
They also have a range of non-alcoholic beer with benefits, called So.Beer. Most non-alcoholic beer is made by intensely boiling out the alcohol, removing all nutrients and taste in the process. Artificial flavourings are then added back in to give it that beer-good factor. So.Beer, however, is brewed as non-alcoholic from the onset, supercharged with isotonic goodness for rapid vitamin and mineral absorption and built-in immune support.
It’s inspiring to see how The Naked Collective are simultaneously working to regenerate our bodies, minds, and planet through their brews. This is the result of purposeful enterprise—when mission and actions are fully aligned, every step of the process is lovingly considered and cared for. The Positive Impact Community celebrates their bravery in proposing a positive impact alternative, respecting planetary boundaries, and wholeheartedly encouraging conscious consumerism.
Inspired to learn how you can become as transparent and wholesome as The Naked Collective?
Get your copy of the Positive Food & Drink 2030 Toolkit here.