Named Outstanding Small Business at the SFA National Small Business Awards, Drinks Botanicals is going from strength to strength. CEO and founder Laura McCarthy talks to Jennifer McShane about humble beginnings, company milestones and keeping the glass more than half full.
How did the company come about?
Laura McCarthy (LMC): The company was founded back in late 2017 when I was studying marketing in DIT, now TU Dublin. I was supposed to travel with friends that summer, but I decided to stay home and focus on this business idea I wanted to bring to life. This was when gin and tonic trends were taking off, and you’d see goblets, glasses, and botanicals popping up in bars, restaurants, and hotels everywhere. I thought, wouldn’t it be cool to recreate that experience at home, especially as people started leaning towards at-home experiences more and more? That’s where the idea for our gin and tonic kits with essential botanicals came from. I brought the idea to my local off-license, and they loved it. I went home and made the kit myself at my kitchen table. I teamed up with my cousin, a graphic designer, and within a week, we had a prototype ready. When I brought it back, the off-license agreed to stock a dozen kits. A week later, I got a call saying they’d sold out! That was the moment I realised I was onto something, even though I was quite young, just 20.
What products do Drinks Botanicals offer?
LMC: We offer a range of dried botanicals, fruits, and syrups that help people create bar-quality cocktails at home. During the pandemic, we expanded to include cocktail kits, which became a huge hit. Our idea was to provide customers and bartenders with easy, high-quality ingredients that save time. We’ve since developed more natural-based products, like 100% natural syrups, and moved into dried fruits like oranges, limes, and lemons that bartenders and customers love for their convenience and long shelf life. Instead of spending hours drying fruit themselves, they can use our products, which last up to two years. Bartenders really appreciate the quality, and they’re willing to upgrade to our premium products because they know the difference it makes in drinks. The price difference isn’t major, but the leap in quality is significant for them especially.
What was a pivotal moment in the business?
LMC: After launching, I got a call saying the kits had sold out. That was the moment I realised there was a real opportunity here. After that, we just kept knocking on doors, getting listed in more stores, and growing. During COVID, we pivoted to offer home cocktail kits, and that really took off. It also gave me time to step back and think about new product development. People wanted faster solutions, especially after COVID, and our products filled that need. We offered something they could rely on, which was not only convenient but also had a longer shelf life. That made a huge difference. I could see it was working in our home market, and I wanted to try to replicate that in the UK. And I thought it was a low-risk option was to go through Amazon in the UK, so we started shipping into their fulfilment centres, and that just blew up; a lot of our products got Amazon choice badges, meaning our products meet specific criteria for high quality, competitive pricing and fast shipping. So that was pretty cool and really helped grow our brand in the UK market.
What challenges have you faced?
LMC: Staying ahead of industry trends and maintaining product quality while scaling up has been challenging. Customer feedback has been essential. During COVID, customers asked if they could buy our dried fruits separately, which led to us expanding our product range. Scaling operations without compromising quality is a key focus for us. We also have to juggle B2B and B2C markets, which both have different demands. Bars and restaurants go through stock quickly, while retail customers might buy a kit that sits in their kitchen for months. In the hospitality industry, the volume is much higher, but retail customers use the products more sporadically. Both markets require attention, and we make sure our operations can handle the unique needs of each. But as we scale the operation side of it, ensuring high quality of products while increasing production capacity is a key focus, because you can lose sight of that, and you don’t want to lose the customer service side of things with the quality. So maintaining that is hugely important for my team, and I always say quality is at the heart of what we do, alongside customer service.
What awards have you won recently?
LMC: We’ve won several awards which has been amazing, including the Outstanding Small Business Award at the SFA Awards, the ‘One to Watch’ award at the National Enterprise Awards and we won at the Irish eCommerce Awards. So it’s been a whirlwind few months for us this year alone. These recognitions mean a lot to our small team and validate all the hard work we’ve put in. These awards are really special to the team. We’re a small, dedicated group, and seeing our efforts recognised in this way is incredibly rewarding.
What’s next for Drinks Botanicals?
LMC: We’re expanding internationally. We’ve had great success in the UK, and now we’re focusing on the US market. We recently launched on Amazon US, and one of our products became the fourth best seller in its category. We know there’s so much potential for our brand globally, and we’re always working on diversifying our products and exploring new opportunities. We’ve just opened our own in-house packaging unit, which allows us to control quality and costs better. It’s been a huge achievement. We’re making progress but this is just the beginning for us.
What advice do you have for budding entrepreneurs?
LMC: Don’t be afraid to take risks. If you have a good idea, just go for it. Surround yourself with a strong support network – mentors can be a big help. At the start, I think it is all about giving people a chance and many people support young entrepreneurs in Ireland. In my case, without that, the business probably wouldn’t have grown to where it is today or diversified. Make sure your business is commercially viable; creativity is important, but so is making sure you have good margins.
