We are beyond excited about the launch of BP DRINKS! To celebrate, we've been sitting down with some of our collaborators, clients and candidates from the Drinks Industry in our series Unbottled with... Where we've been finding out what everyone has been up to over the lockdowns and sharing any exciting news there might be for the future, especially now as the sector opens back up.
About Jen...
Jen Wright is the founder of The Cocktail Pickers Club, a bar quality, bottled cocktail service. Founded in 2016, The Cocktail Pickers Club also offer a Bi-Monthly Subscription Box.
Hi Jen, you are the founder of The Cocktail Pickers Club. How did you first come up with the idea for The Cocktail Pickers Club? What has been your main inspiration for creating The Cocktail Pickers?
I’ve always been sociable and a massive cocktail fan but hated missing the party being the one making the Cocktails! Around 7 years ago I went in search of Ready to Serve Cocktails and was amazed by the absolutely poor offering. So I decided this would be my new challenge! I set about developing bar quality cocktails without the mess and hassle and sold my estate agency to fund the project!
Although the market wasn't quite ready for it at the time, I’m super proud to be the first to the market to bottle to this standard and quality is still top of my priority to this day!
What does your day to day look like? What is your favourite thing about your job?
Day to day life in a small business is never the same! My favourite part of the business is the creative side so developing new flavours, social media and also events and getting to meet people.
There are plenty of jobs that are less glamourous like packing orders, cleaning up, accounts etc! SO much goes on in the background that people don’t see and at times the business is demanding which can take over your life, so it’s important to remember where you’re going and why.
It’s also really important to have people around you who understand your commitment and are fully supportive of what you are doing. I’m really lucky that my partner, who works full time, gets stuck into the business too which makes such a difference.
It would be so tough for me if he didn’t understand the journey and have involvement as sometimes it really is like having a third person in the relationship… and the business often comes first!
Which is your favourite cocktail and why?
Cocktails for me depend on my mood and the setting. When I’m developing new flavours, I love to push the boundaries and do something a bit different. That really is the beauty of a craft drinks business!
Over the last 5 years, people have become much more open-minded to different flavours in drinks and it’s great when people enjoy a combination that they never expected to.
I have to say that the Passion Fruit Martini is always a winner for me as I love the balance of the shot of fizz on the side and the same conversation that comes along with it of how to drink the shot! We've recently launched a Passion Fruit 'Ginstar' Martini in the Limited Batch collection and that one has been going down a storm!
The Cocktail Pickers Club offers customers bar quality, bottled cocktails. No one could have predicted the lockdown, but did you have a feeling that customer demand was shifting towards a desire for a bar quality drink to be enjoyed at home?
For The Cocktails Pickers Club, the lockdown worked in our favour as it pushed people to change their views on bottled cocktails and give them a try. Over the lockdowns, people got creative with how to entertain themselves at home - and the drinks industry definitely felt the benefit of Zoom drink calls!
When we first launched our ‘Bottled Cocktails’ a little over 4 years ago, we found ourselves explaining and educating people on the concept. But now, people get it so easily – even the trendy bars who had a real snobbery toward ‘Bottled Cocktails’ are now making them themselves!
I do think it is a great example of how the industry has adapted to survive and it is a big positive all around!
Definitely! So, what’s next for The Cocktail Pickers Club?
Next for The Cocktail Pickers Club, is taking batched Cocktails to the next level. We know that the public has already shown their enthusiasm by getting back out into bars and restaurants and so, we feel we can complement the on-trade by providing bar quality cocktails in kegs. This will give a speed of serve for high-quality cocktails which can be poured in around 5 seconds.
We’re planning on launching in the early summer and, although I can’t give too much away, we have partnered with some fantastic people to make it happen to the highest standard. I just can’t wait to get going and share them with everyone! We’re also super excited to get back to events, and for me, doing what I love best – creating brand new flavours in our ‘Limited Batch’ range.
Sounds delicious! We can’t wait to see what comes next for you!
Thanks for taking the time to talk to BP DRINKS.
Check out their website at www.cocktailpickers.co.uk to keep up with all the latest product news & follow The Cocktail Pickers Club on Instagram @cocktailpickers to stay in the loop!
Are you interested in working with BP DRINKS? We would LOVE to hear from you! Please get in touch by emailing chloe@bpdrinks.co.uk
You can also follow BP DRINKS on Instagram at @BPDRINKSSANDS
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