“People aren’t drinking less, they’re bored of sameness”: This biz hit S$1M by being different

They started by mixing sour plum vodka at home, now they produce 1,800 bottles every month

At every party, people would pull Alexander Cheong aside and ask the same question: can I get a bottle of that?

The “that” was his homemade Sour Plum Vodka. Sick of alcohol brands that felt serious and disconnected from the actual experience of drinking, Alexander started mixing his own at social gatherings, rooted in the Southeast Asian flavours he grew up with.

“Alcohol is a social lubricant,” he said. “It’s about making the worries and stress clear up. We want to embody not taking anything too seriously.”

That philosophy became the foundation of Clumzy—a spirits brand he built with two friends, Kenneth Tan and Daniel Lim, on one simple idea: bottling Southeast Asian flavours with a bit of a kick. Five years later, with just three flavours and no outside investment, the brand has crossed S$1 million in cumulative revenue.

We spoke to the founders to find out how a kitchen experiment became a million-dollar business.

Starting a spirits brand from scratch

The origins of Clumzy trace back to 34-year-old Alexander’s natural flair for mixology. Always the life of the party, he rarely enjoyed what he called “cold, hard, and serious” alcohol. 

At social gatherings, to save money, he would mix his own cocktails, making his own flavourings from whatever he could imagine. Eventually, Alexander became known for his experimental jungle juices and punches, but one creation in particular stood out: a Sour Plum Vodka that became an instant crowd favourite at every party.

When COVID-19 hit, and social gatherings were restricted, demand for Alexander’s creations didn’t disappear—instead, it intensified. Friends and even friends of friends wouldn’t stop asking him to bottle his drinks for family occasions and casual nights in.

So, Alexander roped in his friend Kenneth to launch Clumzy in early 2021, taking orders via Instagram DMs only. Without any real push, word of mouth spread faster than they could keep up with.

But there was one clear problem: branding.

The product started with a simple label and packaging that wasn’t particularly eye-catching. About a month in, they brought in Daniel, an experienced marketer and close friend, as the third co-founder to help turn the product into a proper brand.

Daniel’s entry laid down Clumzy’s branding foundations. He redesigned the labels and packaging—joking that the original bottle looked like a “medicine bottle”—along with new photography, the website, and the e-commerce platform, shaping the brand identity Clumzy is known for today.

From there, while Daniel handled brand and marketing, Alexander and Kenneth focused on the business, trade relationships, and operations.

“If it didn’t work out, we had nothing to fall back on”

Clumzy started out with one sole offering: the Sour Plum Vodka. The product is marketed for its versatility—being great for shots, served on the rocks or as a cocktail. Each bottle retails at S$58 with an alcohol by volume of under 20%.

In the beginning, the spirit was made by the trio in Kenneth’s kitchen, which was stocked with giant Cambro containers and bottles. Supplies were stored in a small rented warehouse at S$200 per month, meaning they had to physically lug stock back and forth for every production run to Kenneth’s home.

At the time, they were making around 180 bottles a month—a capacity they quickly outgrew as demand surged beyond what a home setup could sustain.

Within just a few months, Clumzy became a legitimate side hustle generating real extra income on top of their day jobs. That created a genuine decision point for the co-founders: were they to stay comfortable with some pocket money, or risk everything to grow it into a real business?

Operating from a home kitchen came with clear limitations. They could only sell directly to consumers, with B2B opportunities completely off the table without a licensed commercial facility.

But upgrading wasn’t a small leap. Setting up a proper production space required tens of thousands of dollars—essentially their entire annual revenue at the time.

If it didn’t work out, we had nothing to fall back on.

Still, they chose to take the risk. The trio secured a liquor licence and set up a dedicated production facility, moving from manual preparation to automated mixing and bottling processes.

They hosted pop up booths almost every weekend

From the start, the founders have been prudent with their spending, purchasing only what was necessary. They bootstrapped the venture with “a couple of thousand dollars,” which generated revenue and paid for itself, breaking even within a year.

Early on, they also committed to building Clumzy through direct consumer engagement.

They signed up for pop-ups and hosted booths “almost every weekend,” becoming familiar faces at curated events like ArtBox 2023, Boutiques Singapore 2024, and Christmas Atelier 2025, amongst smaller pop-ups at bars and cafes since 2021.

“Demand has been very strong,” Daniel noted. “We sold out on the first day of our first Boutiques Singapore back in 2022, which lasted two weeks. We made in one day what we normally would make over three to four days at other events.”

As Clumzy’s presence at weekend pop-ups grew, restaurants and eateries began taking notice, often after seeing strong customer demand at events or encountering the brand through word of mouth and social media.

At the same time, another key growth driver was how the founders expanded the ways customers could experience the product. They diversified into events, offering on-tap services for weddings and house parties, and experimented with more flexible formats, including slushie versions of their drinks at events.

“Diversifying into slushies made sense for us to create an option to make drinks that are fun for people who may not want to drink alcohol that tastes like alcohol,” Daniel shared.

He added that 65% of their customers are women, reflecting how Clumzy has resonated with a demographic that traditional spirits brands have historically underserved.

Hitting the S$1M milestone

Today, Clumzy produces around 1,800 bottles of spirits each month and has expanded to a team of eight. Its offerings are stocked at 11 retail partners, including Pat’s Music Pub and The Liquor Shop.

The business model currently sees revenue split roughly into 70% B2C and 30% B2B. After four years of operation, Clumzy crossed S$1 million in cumulative revenue in 2025, a significant milestone for a bootstrapped local spirits brand.

The brand has also since expanded its product line to three spirits, with customer feedback playing a crucial role in shaping its development.

While the Sour Plum Vodka developed a devoted following, it became clear that the polarising flavour was an acquired taste—some loved it instantly, while others needed time to warm up to it. This insight led to the development of the brand’s second flavour: the Chrysanthemum Lychee Gin, designed for those who find the sour plum variety too intense.

After persistent calls from customers for a third offering, the trio released Coconut Pandan Rum recently, a creation they felt was important to Clumzy’s identity as a business inspired by Southeast Asian flavours.

Protecting what they’ve built

Around the time Clumzy turned one, several parties approached the founders with offers: investment for equity stakes, rebranding under a larger umbrella, or outright acquisition.

At the time, all three founders still had day jobs. These offers initially felt genuinely attractive—a chance to take the brand one step up without carrying all the risk alone.

But Alex had the foresight to see what they’d be giving up: undervaluing everything that they stood for as a small founder-led brand. As such, they turned the offers down. 

“In hindsight, some of those offers really shortchanged us,” Alex said. “I’m glad we trusted our gut in those decisions, and I’m glad we saw it all pay off eventually through our hard work.”

Today, Clumzy is run by Alexander and Daniel, with Kenneth having taken a backseat in 2024.

The next chapter for the brand involves significantly expanded distribution. After months of negotiations with NTUC FairPrice, the brand’s spirits are set to hit its supermarket shelves soon, marking its entry into mainstream retail.

Encouraged by strong demand in Singapore, international expansion is also on the horizon. The founders plan to bring Clumzy to Thailand and Australia, driven by interest from Singaporeans abroad who have discovered the brand and want access in their new home countries.

That said, the team has also observed a broader shift in drinking culture, with more consumers becoming intentional about their alcohol consumption. While nightlife has seen a decline, overall alcohol consumption remains relatively steady, as more people drink at home or during daytime social occasions.

Daniel noted that it’s all about a healthier relationship with socialising.

“People aren’t drinking less. They’re bored with sameness. Alcohol offerings have felt largely unchanged for decades. What people are genuinely hungry for is novelty and a sense of connection to something familiar,” Daniel explained.

That sense of novelty and familiarity is what Clumzy aims to deliver.

Featured Image Credit: Clumzy