Dr Alex George launches Dead Clear Drinks

The former NHS doctor and Love Island star is breaking into the world of beverages with new alcohol-free brand Dead Clear Drinks. In his first media interview he tells Sarah Neish he is in “the final stages of an agreement with a brewery” and how he plans to avoid “costly mistakes”.

Dr. Alex George prefers not to be known as ‘Love Island’s Alex’ and it doesn’t take a Mensa member to see why. Before donning the swim shorts and entering the world’s most famous reality TV show in 2018, George spent five years working in the NHS as a junior doctor in A&E.

Then after his stint on Love Island (which lasted for a total of 57 days), he went on to become the UK Government’s first Youth Mental Health Ambassador in 2021, working to secure £79 million in funds for mental health support teams in schools, as well as establishing Early Support Hubs across the country aimed at early and accessible intervention for young people within their local communities. George’s campaigning resulted in getting 24 of these hubs up and running, reaching many children who may otherwise have slipped through the cracks. He held the government role until March 2025 when Prime Minister Keir Starmer axed it as part of a larger overhaul of mental health services.

“This is and will always be the greatest honour of my life, to have served you all. It has meant more to me than words will ever convey,” George posted on social media following the discontinuation of the position. “While my time as ambassador has now come to an end, my passion for this work has never been stronger. I’m proud of what we’ve achieved, but there is still SO much more to do. A chapter closes, but the mission continues. Let’s make mental fitness for everyone. Over and out (for now).”

New chapter

Part of George’s new chapter might look a lot like entering the world of alcohol-free beverages with the launch of Dead Clear Drinks, a brand he has co-created with food and drinks marketer Jack Howson. The pair are “in the final stages of an agreement with a brewery” to produce Dead Clear’s first product, an alcohol-free beer, George tells the drinks business in an exclusive interview. The brand’s debut product is expected to be released to market in early summer 2026, and the team is aiming to launch “at least three products within the first 12 months, each offering something different within the beer range.”

George himself has been teetotal since December 2024, a decision he says has been transformative.

“Giving up alcohol has been the single most important change I have made in my life,” George tells db. “It’s had an almost immeasurable positive impact on my happiness. I decided to stop drinking because alcohol was taking away far more than it was adding to my life, and I realised that there is so much more to life than hangovers and messy nights.”

He had been creating weekly videos on his Youtube channel about alcohol-free living, and Howson, founder of food and drink marketing business Aperture Comms, “happened to be one of my subscribers,” says George. “In one of the videos I’d made an off-hand comment about wanting to start an alcohol-free brand one day, and Jack saw the video and reached out to me by email, saying he would potentially be interested in partnering with me. We immediately clicked over our passion for alcohol-free living and motorbikes and decided to make it happen.”

Describing what each partner brings to Dead Clear Drinks, George says: “I have seven years of expertise in content creation, and nearly three years of alcohol free living, while Jack has worked with some of the UK’s biggest brands on their digital marketing.”

“Warts and all”

The name Dead Clear Drinks came about because “we wanted something punchy and rebellious,” reveals George. He also wanted to be intentional about the product they were offering. “Too many alcohol free drinks focus on what they’re not. We wanted to focus on all of the things you can unlock by living an alcohol free lifestyle. Also, it’s going to look pretty cool on a draft beer pump!”

Crucially, George has set about building a team around him to fill in any “knowledge gaps” in order to “help avoid costly mistakes and ensure that the product we’re creating and the brand we’re building embodies everything we want it to be.”

So far, so sensible. He is also keen for there to be a community element to the brand.

“We want to bring our community along for the ride as we build this business in public. It’s important to us that people feel part of the journey, we want to show the real, behind-the-scenes process of launching an alcohol-free brand, warts and all.”

Potential retail partners

George tells db that he has had “some really positive initial conversations with a number of potential stockists” about where his debut product will launch, but it seems likely that supermarkets will be a part of the strategy, given that he wants Dead Clear Drinks “to be accessible to all.”

Product pricing is yet to be decided as it’s still early days but he explains that “we’re going to have to formulate the product to make sure we get the right balance of quality and affordability. One thing we won’t be sacrificing is an amazing tasting liquid… and sourcing great ingredients is a crucial part of that.”

He admits that when it comes to raising investment for the brand “we’re figuring it out as we go.”

“We’re yet to put a figure on things, but what we are excited to do is talk to any investors that are interested in backing two guys with a genuine passion for this space, who live the lifestyle day in and day out. So if that’s you, drop us a line at sloshed@deadcleardrinks.com,” he says.

Why did George and Howson settle on a beer for their initial launch, as opposed to an alcohol-free wine or spirit?

“Starting with beer felt natural as it was our drink of choice back when we were drinking,” explains George. “In the future however, we would love to expand into a wider range of alcohol-free drinks, always with community and connection at the heart. In short, we want this to be about having more rather than less, and creating a community-led movement that makes alcohol free living the new norm.”

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