Double Dutch Drinks: How UCL twins built a global mixers brand

What began as a hobby has become an international, award-winning business for UCL alumnae Joyce and Raissa de Haas.

Netherlands-born twin sisters and UCL alumnae Joyce and Raissa first developed an interest in soft drink mixers at home, where their parents ran tasting events with different spirits. “We would spend time in the kitchen experimenting with different combinations of flavours,” explained Joyce.

While studying for an MSc in Technology Entrepreneurship at UCL in 2014 they spotted an opportunity to turn this interest into a business venture. Researching the drinks market, they noted that there were plenty of spirits available, but only a limited number of mixers.

A fellow UCL student introduced them to the science of food pairing, where flavour combinations are tested based on analyses of their chemical composition, rather than guesswork. This led to the discovery of unusual but wonderful, combinations, such as pomegranate with basil or cranberry with ginger, that would later become signatures of their brand.

Today, their mixers are served in more than 45 countries. They can be found in top bars, hotels, and airlines, from Soho House and The Four Seasons to Etihad Airways and even Formula One paddocks. In recognition of their success, Joyce and Raissa were named on the Forbes “30 Under 30 Europe” list in 2019.

The duo received support as part of the UCL Hatchery incubator programme, run by UCL Innovation & Enterprise. Here they worked with business advisors to transform their experiments into a commercially viable product, and received mentorship and free office space in BaseKX, UCL’s entrepreneurship hub.

Reflecting on the company’s achievements, Joyce said: “I don’t think any of this would have happened if we hadn’t studied at UCL. It's such a supportive environment for business startups.”

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Find out more about:

• entrepreneurship training and support
• Double Dutch

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