Start with a recipe, but then do your thing.
So I admit that I’m not really a big drinker. It’s not that I’m trying to cut back or anything, but I just don’t do it that much.
I might enjoy a cocktail or two when I’m out, and sometimes when I’m home if a laid back night at home is the plan, but that’s kind of it. Living in St. Louis, there are A LOT of amazing local brewers to keep up with so I do try to do that, but you know…not all in the same night or anything.
That said, a few months ago, my wife and I decided that we needed to up our cocktail game a little bit. Not so much the drinking part, but the knowing-how-to-make part.
So, for my birthday last summer, she got me a monthly subscription box that delivers two seasonal cocktail recipes along with all the ingredients to make two drinks of each. So, one night each month after the boys are asleep, we have our mixology session.
Each time, we start getting the hang of it a little more and it’s always fun to see what was sent, if we like it, and if we’d ever make it again.
There’s a recipe, but it ends up different every time
Just the other evening, I was enjoying a cinnamon mezcal margarita (yep, it was as delicious as it sounds) while reflecting on a particularly eventful work week. It made me see that mixing new cocktails is a lot like starting a business: Things rarely go as planned and it can get pretty messy.
Here are just four of the many lessons about starting a business that can be learned simply from mixing a good cocktail:
- You have to have the right ingredients. This seems like a no-brainer, but it isn’t, so it’s worth mentioning. If you don’t have what you need before you start, then don’t start until you do. Whether it’s orange bitters, lime juice, or a solid business plan, make sure you have what you need to give yourself the best chance to create something delicious.
- A little can go a long way. No need to overdo it. You can always add more of something if you think you need to, but you can’t undo or take anything out once it’s in. Lemon juice is stronger than you think so it’s ok to ease into it and take some sips along the way to get it right. R&D is a thing for both business and your drink.
- There is such thing as “too delicious.” Personally, I like to know when I’m drinking something — especially when it’s alcoholic and strong. Each sip should be good and enjoyable, but not so much where you don’t know what you’re drinking. Have purpose and don’t try to be something you’re not. Marketing is good, but let the product do most of the talking.
- Make it your own. It’s good to follow a recipe in the beginning, but it’s important to eventually give the drink your own twist and make it your own. All drinks have a taste (good or bad), but character is what makes it unique and is why people will come back for a second round. You don’t have to be the first to make something in order to stand out from a crowd.
Making a cocktail is an art form
Really, creating anything can be an art form, if you want it to be. If it’s a medium of creative self-expression, then yeah…art form.
Recipes are good road maps to get started, but eventually, you have to put your own ideas into it. A little extra lime juice, maybe spice it up with some pepper, less syrup and more mint, whatever.
With starting a business, it’s the same: The “recipe” asks that you do all the upfront research and set the foundation of a business down first, but after that, you have to throw some of the “instructions” out the window and do your own thing within that framework.
The trick is that you never know what you’ll end up with, but the advantage is that you never know what you’ll end up with.
This time of year, we’re kind of over winter. As we look forward to spring, I encourage you to get in the mood and go make that aforementioned cinnamon mezcal margarita. It’s crazy good, easy to make, and there’s plenty of room to add your twist and make it your own.
Cheers.
#bewhatyoumake
