Can you introduce us to Lockdown Liquor & Co and where the idea came from?

Lockdown Liquor & Co creates premium blended cocktails, crafted by expert mixologists using the best quality ingredients resulting in unique and great tasting blends. We never compromise on flavour.

Lockdown Liquor didn’t start originally as a business idea; we really just wanted to bring some positivity to what was a pretty negative situation. Everyone at that stage was at home with all social interaction conducted over Zoom calls, with a cloud of uncertainty as to how long this was going to be the norm. When interest and demand grew, we decided to turn the focus into an initiative to assist with raising awareness and funds for the NHS Charities Together. The speed of growth was quite overwhelming and at this stage we realised that there was obvious potential and opportunity, which confirmed the incorporation of Lockdown Liquor as a company.

How did you start working with mixologist Luca Stiletti?

We were lucky enough to be introduced to Luca through our event and hospitality network at the very early stages of Lockdown Liquor and given we were in lockdown, it was very fortunate that he was available to help us.

Are you excited about the rise in interest in drinking cocktails at home? 

It’s been fantastic to see the interest and demand for people enjoying cocktails at home and obviously it was at the core of why we started the brand, but we are equally excited to grow and expand the brand into other channels, such as hospitality and retail. We are thrilled to be stocked in the likes of The Conran Shop and most recently in Liberty with more in the pipeline but we are also looking forward to integrating Lockdown Liquor into the hospitality sector once things start to get back to normal.

Why did you want to include a philanthropic element to Lockdown Liquor? And can you tell us a bit about Founders Pledge?

Lockdown Liquor was conceived during a global pandemic to raise funds and awareness for NHS Charities Together and as we progressed things further and transitioned into a business, we wanted to look at a way that we could make a much larger and formal commitment. We were introduced to Founders Pledge and immediately knew that it was the right fit for us and the brand. Founders Pledge is a community of entrepreneurs uniquely committed to giving; with the assistance and resource of Founders Pledge we will be supporting funding solutions to research companies and charities aligned to Lockdown Liquor’s brand DNA with a focus on pandemic and Covid-19 related initiatives.

What ingredient can you not live without and why?

This would have to be chilli – we have a small obsession with including spice in everything from cocktails to food!

What is your favourite cocktail?

This is a tough one but we are passionate about tequila and cocktails with a bit of heat, so we would have to say any form of spicy margarita. From our Picante to the delicious jalapeño margarita discovered at the Sunset Tower Hotel in LA.

What cocktail will you be serving on Christmas day?

I think that we will have to start with a warm Cuban Toddy followed by a post-dinner espresso martini!

What is your favourite cocktail bar in London?

We are very spoilt for choice; London is a city that loves to drink. London is very unique with its heritage of members clubs with one of our favourites being Harry’s Bar for its timeless elegance, classic Italian tonics and intimacy. We also love our local, a Japanese restaurant & bar in Parsons Green called Koji, which serve beautiful cocktails from lychee martinis to margaritas.

If you could invite anyone, living or dead, to a cocktail party, who would it be and why?

Frank Sinatra – a great person to have a drink with plus he could provide the entertainment!

Discover the Lockdown Liquor collection of deliverable cocktails at lockdown-liquor.com. Cocktails come in sizes ranging from small (£12.99, serves two), to Biggie (£79.99, serves 15).