Create cocktails at home

COCKTAILS in a box that can be made and ready to drink in a couple of minutes could be just the thing for summer, and that’s what a new Geelong West business is offering.

The Cocktail Cart, launched by Alistair Bullock earlier this month, offers the classic Espresso Martini (with the Cosmopolitan coming soon), or the Ginger Yuzu and Spice It Up if you’re after something new.

“>I was trying to figure out a new kind of idea – I’ve got a little property maintenance business in Anglesea and I was looking for a new challenge,” he said.

“I spent a while bartending in New Zealand and up in Byron Bay, and I saw there was a bit of a gap in the market, so I thought I’d try my hand at this.”

The Cocktail Cart also has a mobile cocktail bar, and Mr Bullock said that was originally going to be the focus of the business.

“I was mostly going to do the bar side of it, and the cocktail boxes were going to be a gift for each of the events that I had, but with COVID-19 coming along and me not being able to operate the bar, I decided to do the boxes first.

“Espresso Martini was the first choice, because it’s a tasty one, and it went from there.”

The cocktail boxes feature 100 per cent Australian ingredients, and there is also a recycling program in place for repeat customers to avoid waste going into landfill.

Each box comes with all the ingredients needed for six cocktails, and a cocktail can be mixed in about two minutes.

For people who do not have the full setup of bar tools at home, Mr Bullock has also set up a blog on his website with tips on what people can use from their kitchens instead.

The syrups have a use-by date of three months, but Mr Bullock is testing to extend their lifespan.

He is also passionate about sustainability, and the business will plant a tree in the You Yangs State Park for each box sold through its “Cocktails for Trees” program.

The Cocktail Cart is presently running trial events, and will be available for bookings from February 1, 2021.

For more information, head to thecocktailcart.com.au.