Previous to working offshore I worked abroad for 10 years running bars and businesses, I moved home in 2013 to work offshore but then in April 2015 my mum was diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumour, she then passed away a year later in 2016. I carried on working offshore after this but I realised there was more to life than this and wanted to start a family one day. I had the idea for the business as everyone always wants a bar in their house and someone doing music so Designer Events was born with our bespoke pop up bars with music.
Jonny Calder ~ Designer Cocktails
From that first pop-up bar to now supplying bars, restaurants, and retailers - how has Designer Events and Designer Cocktails evolved, and what have been the biggest turning points along the way?
The biggest turning point was Covid, where we were completely put out of business. But this didn’t stop us, we knew we wouldn’t be able to make money during this time so we focused on marketing so when things went “kind of” back to normal people would know about us and book us for parties.
So, what we did was used the booze we still had and got people to nominate key workers, those who were struggling, were alone etc and we would turn up at their doors and make them a cocktail for free. We did this for 2 weekends and made over 250 cocktails and mocktails.
Then two friends asked us for cocktails on Christmas day and it prompted us to develop a range of SYOCAH (shake your own cocktails at home), which was like HelloFresh or gusto, but for cocktails. This was very successful and we still get orders for these through our website.
Your canned cocktails are handmade and crafted to replicate a bar experience -how do you make that happen at scale?
At the moment we aren’t at max capacity for our production line at our unit as we know we can make and label 1000 cans per day. But “when” we go beyond this we have things in place with our distillery that the mixes can be made and canned there by us.
Who is your target audience, and how do you hope customers feel when they try a Designer Cocktail?
We feel our target audience is anyone over the age of 18 but mostly the 30+ ladies. From doing a lot of markets and festivals this season we love seeing the look on the customers face when they try the cocktail as they are just expecting it to be like another canned cocktail. We like telling people these aren’t canned cocktails they are real cocktails that we create & put in a can ourselves.
What types of businesses are ideal stockists for Designer Cocktails, and have you discovered any unexpected outlets where your cans fly off the shelves?
Local shops and deli’s have been great for us. The bars and restaurants have shocked us as we thought it might have been insulting for the bar staff to use the cans, but they love them as it speeds up service and provides them with a reliable consistency – when you make a cocktail from scratch you never make the same one twice.
How do you recommend your cocktails are served to get the best flavour and experience?
We tell our customers there are 2 ways to serve our cocktails; the first is to put them in the fridge then simply give them a shake and serve. The second way is to keep them at room temperature, pour them into a cocktail shaker (or water bottle if you don’t have one) with ice and give them a good 20/30 second shake then pour. Both ways give the same flavour but with the second you will get a nice foam on the top of the cocktail for most of them.
Which of your flavours are crowd favourites, and are there any new ones on the horizon?
Pornstar Martini is always a firm favourite, but when we do the markets and shows, after the customer tastes them the Pineapple Paradise is always the best seller as it’s like a Pina Colada but with no coconut milk. The reason we didn’t want to put coconut milk in is because the cans are soft and not carbonated or purged. You need to shake the cocktail back together again and if we put coconut milk in and didn’t shake it well enough it wouldn’t come back together properly.
We have a spiced apple pie cocktail coming out for Christmas and we’re working on something exciting for next summer – not in a can but it’s guaranteed to cool you down…watch this space!
Your van branding is bold and fun – how does the visual identity reflect the personality of Designer Cocktails?
The branding on the van describes the company as a whole, bright, fun and full of character, especially with me bursting out of the bonnet holding a couple of canned cocktails! Everyone says it describes myself and the company perfectly.
What does being part of Fife’s food and drink community mean to you, and how has it helped shape Designer Cocktails?
We love being part of Fife’s food and drink community, speaking and meeting with other food and drink companies, chatting business, helping each other and also having a laugh. The meet ups are great and always fun and the support is awesome.
What has been one of the most unexpected challenges you’ve faced, and what did it teach you?
This is an easy one……. Cashflow. The events side of the business customers pay us before we have even turned up. But for the canned cocktail side we have to buy pallets of cans, machines, alcohol and then there’s the time to make them. One day you think it’s all running smoothly, then the next you feel worried. But after to listening to many podcasts about business, the one thing we keep hearing is if your business isn’t looking like its away to make thousands one day then going bust the next you’re doing something wrong!
How do you balance creativity, fun, and quality while expanding production and distribution?
We make sure to take time out from production when we can and focus on having marketing and ideas days and make sure we test products. We also love collaborating with other local businesses with new products.
You’ve recently started offering a canning service to other producers – what inspired that idea, and how has it been received?
We haven’t advertised this and it’s actually from people getting in touch with us. I wish we had someone that could’ve done this for us at the start, as it was a massive gamble buying everything to get the cans rolling.
What makes Designer Cocktails stand out on a shop shelf, mini bar, or at an event?
Our branding, which we did all in house and of course what’s actually inside the can. A real cocktail that’s in a can.
You’ve built a business that blends creativity and logistics - what keeps you most motivated day to day?
My mum, my daughter and my wife who I’m doing all this for.
What’s next for Designer Cocktails - and what do you hope people think when they see your cans on a shelf or in a bar?
We want to continue to grow and get the cans in more shops, bars and restaurants and hopefully day become a household name.
Finally, what advice would you give to other local producers who want to create something distinctive and memorable like Designer Cocktails?
Just keep on going and believe in yourself and your product. If you don’t believe then nobody will and just remember Rome wasn’t built in a day.
www.designer-events.co.uk
Email: hello@designer-events.co.uk
Tel: 07597 555809
