Meet one of our newest partners, Cocktailicious! As a leading source for cocktail recipes and home bartending, Cocktailicious is the perfect guide for anyone seeking a delightful and refreshing experience.
Whether you are an enthusiastic cocktail lover who enjoys experimenting at home or a professional bartender looking for new creative drinks for your menu, the blogs of Cocktailicious are filled with passion, inspiration, and practical tips!
Bart and Caroline are making significant strides in the cocktail world, and we found it a great honor to collaborate with them. Read the interview with Bart from Cocktailicious here:
What inspired you to start cocktailicious.nl? Was there a specific moment or experience that ignited your passion for cocktails?
It began with a spontaneous idea during a cocktail evening and turned into a website with 300 cocktails and 3 million visitors per year.We both come from marketing. Caroline took a WordPress course at her work, so we thought it would be fun to set up a WordPress website where we could apply our online marketing knowledge and maintain it easily. We were drinking cocktails, which we did often. When we spontaneously came up with the idea for Cocktailicious and found out that the .nl domain was still available, we claimed it immediately. A week later, we had a website with three cocktails on it. We posted new cocktails every week, and in the first year, we already had many visitors. We saw that it worked, which motivated us to do even more. We continued to grow as we added more cocktails.
As cocktail experts, which underrated or lesser-known cocktail recipes would you recommend more people try, and why?
What a fun question. Don't just try the well-known classic cocktails that you might have had at a bar or on vacation. Also, make a fun variant of the Mojito, Espresso Martini, or Whiskey Sour yourself. Once you know the basics of cocktails, you can go in any direction. Additionally, it's super fun to recreate a special cocktail after you've been to a cocktail bar. Our site has lots of inspiration for this.
Mixology is an art form. Can you share a story about a cocktail creation that required innovative thinking and experimentation to perfect?
First of all, we are not mixologists; we are home bartenders who have taught ourselves to make cocktails. Our goal is to encourage and inspire other home bartenders to make cocktails themselves.
We are home bartenders who have taught ourselves to make cocktails. With more complex cocktails, you immediately see that it becomes more challenging. The best example is the Ramos Gin Fizz, which should have a beautiful white foam that rises like a skyscraper as you add sparkling water. Before I mastered that, there were many failures and hours of practice involved. Although it was a personal challenge, this is not a cocktail many home bartenders will make because it is genuinely difficult. So, it goes beyond the goal of our site. But as mentioned, taking on a challenge with yourself is, of course, super fun!
What do you think about mocktails?
Alcohol-free is not just a trend. It fits into a healthy lifestyle. It's good that there are more and more alcohol-free drinks available. There are already alcohol-free alternatives for gin, rum, whiskey, tequila, and limoncello. With these, you can easily make alcohol-free cocktails. We also see that we are increasingly being asked how to make a certain cocktail alcohol-free.I have even served on the jury for the alcohol-free liquor store NIX & NIX to judge alcohol-free spirits. What you see is that not only has the range become much larger, but the quality also increases every year. A very good development!
If you had to choose: classic cocktails vs. innovative cocktails?
In most cases, the original, classic cocktail is the tastiest. But because it's good to mix things up, it's fun to come up with variations.
For many hobby bartenders, getting the right balance of flavors in their cocktails is still difficult. What are your tips to help them with this?
Don't be lazy or stubborn, but USE A JIGGER! A cocktail is really about the right proportions. You don't necessarily have to stick to the recipe, but you must really think about how much of each drink you use in your cocktail. Otherwise, you're just guessing. Said strictly ;)
As bloggers, continuous creativity is essential. How do you stay inspired to consistently come up with unique and exciting cocktail recipes to share with your readers?
I draw inspiration from everywhere. Of course, from cocktail bars and online via Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok. But even more fun, I find inspiration in places like the dessert aisle at Albert Heijn or ice creams. For example, I once made a Split 43, which I created with vanilla liqueur (Licor 43), orange juice, and liquid cream, garnished with a Split ice cream. The taste was really the same, and it looked great for a summer cocktail! The most fun part about this cocktail is that I've already seen it on the menu at several restaurants!
If you could only use three ingredients to create a signature cocktail, what would they be and what would you name the drink?
The Pornstar Licor 43 White Chocolate! This is a variant of the Pornstar Martini that we created ourselves and that many people have already made at home and shared on Instagram. It is made with Mozart white chocolate liqueur, Licor 43, and passion fruit juice. Truly a guilty pleasure!
What is your most memorable experience behind the bar or at a cocktail event that left a lasting impression on you?
One of my best experiences was a trip to the Black Forest in Germany to taste the premium gin from Monkey 47. That was truly a special experience. Another remarkable experience was receiving a rum experience from a real ronero from Cuba with Havana Club.
The cocktail culture has changed significantly over the years. What trends do you see emerging in the world of cocktails, and how do you think they will shape the future of mixology?
I see a few things. On one hand, the range of Ready to Drink beverages is becoming larger and more serious in terms of quality. On the other hand, people really enjoy making cocktails themselves in a craft manner. I believe the charm of cocktails remains in making them yourself, just like serving a delicious homemade dish to your guests at home.
Besides cocktails, what other interests or hobbies do you have that might surprise your readers?
In addition to cocktails, we also love cooking. We enjoy recreating dishes we've seen on a restaurant menu. But that might not be very surprising.
What advice would you give to aspiring cocktail bloggers who want to make a mark in the industry and connect with a passionate community like yours?
Find your own style and way, and don't focus too much on the number of likes you get or don't get. Once you've found your style, make sure to be consistent and persistent. And make sure you have fun and enjoy it. Making cocktails is fun!
We are, of course, very curious about your opinion on straws, and in particular: our reed straws!
Plastic straws are, of course, not done. Paper straws quickly become soggy and limp, so they are just not pleasant to drink from. Reed straws are surprisingly sturdy and easy to use. I also find it convenient that there are different sizes available, which is handy for different types of glasses like long drink glasses, tiki tumblers, etc.
Are you looking for inspiration and fun recipes to shake up delicious cocktails yourself? Then quickly visit cocktailicious.nl or follow them on Instagram!
