Edmunds Cocktails raises the bar with neck sleeving technology

Edmunds Cocktails, the family-run producer of premium ready-to-drink (RTD) beverages, has completed a significant upgrade to its bottling line, investing in advanced heat tunnel technology from Sovereign Labelling Machines.

The move addresses a critical bottleneck in the brand’s production, replacing manual processes with a high-efficiency system designed to deliver bar-quality presentation and tamper-evident security at scale.

Edmunds ready-to-drink bottled cocktails.

As demand for Edmunds’ hand-blended cocktails surged across both retail and foodservice sectors, the company’s existing capsule application process struggled to keep pace. The manual and low-speed methods previously used introduced inefficiencies and inconsistent finishes, threatening to stall the brand’s rapid growth trajectory.

“As production volumes increased, we identified a bottleneck,” said Paul Mayes, co-founder & operations director at Edmunds Cocktails. “Our previous machine struggled with speed and limited throughput. We invested in a dedicated solution from Sovereign to streamline capsule application and remove those constraints from the line.”

Sovereign Labelling Machines provided a specialised tamper band shrink tunnel capable of processing 60 bottles per minute (60ppm).

The technology works by applying a shrink capsule to the bottle neck, which is then passed through the tunnel where consistent heat distribution ensures a tight, professional seal.

Key technical improvements include:

• Thermal consistency: uniform heat distribution eliminates the wrinkles or clearance issues often found in lower-quality systems.
• Line integration: the tunnel fits seamlessly into Edmunds’ existing line, connecting the bottling and labelling stages for a continuous “bottled-to-boxed” workflow.
• Versatility: the system supports both small-batch experimental runs and large-scale production across the brand’s entire cocktail portfolio.
• Operational reliability: smoother changeovers between different bottle sizes have significantly reduced downtime and manual intervention.

The investment has had an immediate impact on the brand’s “shelf appeal.” By moving to an automated heat tunnel, Edmunds ensures that every bottle — from their classic Espresso Martinis to seasonal specials — features a crisp, high-quality neck sleeve that signals premium quality to the consumer.

“Even something as ‘simple’ as a tamper-evident neck sleeve can have a big impact,” noted Jordan Hynes, business development manager at Sovereign Labelling Machines. “For Edmunds Cocktails, these challenges threatened to curtail their growth. We are delighted that our solution allowed them to get back to what they do best: mixing delicious cocktails.”

Mayes praised the build quality and the support provided during the commissioning phase, noting that the upgrade has already led to shorter lead times and improved reliability for their B2B and direct-to-consumer customers.

Edmunds Cocktails’ partnership with Sovereign demonstrates how targeted machinery investment can protect product integrity while unlocking the capacity needed for national distribution.