Today we’d like to introduce you to Sean O’Neill.
Hi Sean, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I was born in Luton, England. My family and I moved to the States in 2003 and I have worked in the bar and restaurant industry ever since. I developed my bartending skills while working in and around Atlantic City. When my now wife and I moved to Austin in 2016, I got a job at Banger’s Sausage and Beer Garden on Rainey Street and have been bartending there ever since.
When the pandemic hit, I was furloughed from my job and my wife, who is an event producer, saw all her projects postponed or canceled. We set out to use my skills to generate some type of income. Our first idea was to film videos where we made cocktails with ingredients commonly found around the house since people were stuck in quarantine, but we didn’t know how to turn those videos into revenue. Then one night, I read an article about what liquors taste the best without mixers because people were running out of them in lockdown and I thought, I can make mixers for people. I started with two different beverages and offered them to our neighborhood. They told their friends, who told their friends, and eventually, what started largely as a way to help us and others get through the pandemic turned into a small business run by myself and my wife, Katie.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has gone better than we expected, but there has been a learning curve as we’ve grown. When we first started making mixers, we were delivering them in mason jars, but soon there was a nationwide mason jar shortage, so we had to figure out new packaging.
We also got hit hard by the freeze. Obviously, we had to take a week off without power or water. When we came back, our orders were significantly lower, probably partly because it was so cold and partly because people were cutting back on discretionary spending. Even as orders started picking back up, we are now dealing with higher prices on fruit because farms lost a lot of their crops.
Overall, the toughest challenge is that we are still such a small business run by only two people. As individuals, it hasn’t always been easy to develop relationships with distributors. Also, the personal delivery and always being on call to answer inquiries is very time-consuming, especially now that we have a baby who requires so much of our time and attention.
We’ve been impressed with Crafter’s Cocktails, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
We make small batch cocktail mixers and deliver them around the greater Austin area every Friday. Our mixers are made using only fresh ingredients, and we use as many local ingredients as possible. We often use our own homegrown fruits, herbs and spices. We do not provide the alcohol, but each mixer comes with suggested alcohol pairings.
Our mixers are perfect for spending a date night at home instead of the hassle of going out, but we also make large batch cocktail mixers for larger events like corporate cocktail hours, anniversary parties, bridal showers, bachelor/ette parties and weddings. We can also create new specialty “his and hers” drinks for wedding receptions.
Ultimately, our goal is to open a bar where I can continue to create unique and delicious cocktails and collaborate with local distilleries, breweries, wineries and farms to promote and celebrate the best that central Texas has to offer. Hopefully, we can find a great space to get started soon!
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
I think both the creativity of the new mixers that we come up with and never compromising on using fresh ingredients are the most important aspects of our success. We want our customers to know they can turn to us when they are looking for unique and high-quality cocktails.
We also want to continuously pursue collaborations with other local distilleries, breweries, wineries, farms, etc. We love that Austin is such a start-up-friendly town and we believe that supporting our fellow local businesses will help us all to succeed.
Pricing:
- Individual mixers (make 6-8 cocktails): range from $15-$22
- Party-size mixers: range from $60-$88
Contact Info:
- Email: sean@crafterscocktails.com
- Website: www.crafterscocktails.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crafterscocktailstexas/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/crafterscocktailstexas
Image Credits
Sean’s Headshot: Lizard Nickel Photography
