Today, we’d like to introduce you to Jason Drumwright.
Hi Jason, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
I’ve been bartending for about 23 years all over the country. First in Austin, then NYC, LA for 9 years, Atlanta for 8 years, and now Houston. I guess loving craft cocktails runs in my family because my brother and sister-in-law are huge cocktail nerds. We wanted to have world-class cocktails at a tailgate, so we did what any crazy person would do… we started a business!
We began tasting, tinkering, tasting, and formulating (did I say tasting?). Then we found some amazing craft distillers, applied for licenses, and continued tweaking, tinkering, and tasting until our cocktails were dangerously delicious! About 4 years ago, we began a “soft launch” in Atlanta to test our products in the market. We were fortunate enough to land on the shelves of some celebrity chef-driven concepts like Chef Kevin Gillespie’s Gunshow and Chef Linton Hopkins’ Holeman & Finch Bottle Shop.
That success, along with winning silver and bronze medals at The San Francisco World Spirits Competition, gave us the confidence to move the operation to Texas (where my brother and I are from) and begin a true launch right here in Houston on July 4th of this year!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Ha! It has been as smooth as the construction on Shepherd. I’ve always heard that starting a small business is tough, and that is certainly true in this case.
Navigating the regulatory environment, finding distribution partners, and coming to market right before COVID definitely provided challenges, especially in 2020 when distilleries stopped producing the spirits we needed and took up the honorable charge of making hand sanitizer for everyone.
Another struggle that’s worth the effort has been our commitment to exclusively using US-based craft spirits. There are so many hard-working craftspeople in the US who deserve to have their work shared. We’re proud to partner with these small craft distilleries!
That being said, it’s also been so much fun! I’ve really enjoyed creating products with my family that we are extremely proud of. I truly believe that the quality of our cocktails is well beyond what’s out there.
I appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about One Handed Bartender?
We are ordinary people who love extraordinary cocktails. Whether you enjoy the spectacle of high-end mixology, the chemistry, and artistry of exacting proportions and flavor balancing, or you just like good drinks, we hear ya!
OHB Craft Cocktails combines the artful study of mixology with skills and experience forged in great cocktail programs nationwide and a cocktail enthusiast’s demand for quality and approachability. We are the kind of people who want a great cocktail in a ballroom, in a boardroom, I would like them on a boat, I would like them with a goat… (couldn’t help it). We take cocktails extremely seriously, ourselves… not so much.
Our goal is to create a great cocktail experience, as close as possible to shoving a master bartender into a tiny bottle and slapping our logo. Ready-to-drink spirit-driven cocktails inspired by classics, made from high-quality ingredients sourced in the US from like-minded artisans and small-batch distillers, and bottled right here in Texas!
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
We definitely owe a big “thank you” to all of the US distilleries we’ve partnered with, as well as all of our friends/family who’ve helped tremendously along the way. We’ve had such great support!
Pricing:
- Each bottle is two cocktails, retailing around $9.99
Contact Info:
- Website: www.ohbcraftcocktails.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ohbcraftcocktails?igsh=MTR1YmxtaDMwaTN5dw%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OHBCraftCocktails/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-drumwright-90b123262/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQhtZYHvfOvs9yDsyhkN4GQ
