A new startup is enabling anyone to easily create specialty cocktails in their own home. SaloonBox provides customers with the ingredients and recipes they need to create top notch drinks without running to the store or earning credentials as a seasoned mixologist.
Once you have subscribed to the service, you will receive one kit per month, containing two new recipes for two new cocktails. Each kit comes with step by step instructions and the exact amount of liquor, mix and ingredients needed to make two of each cocktail (four drinks per box). With this model, a major benefit of the subscription is the ability to sample cocktails before you commit to buying full-size bottles of liquor and other essentials.
The recipes come from expert bartenders, and the instructions come with a brief story of what inspired the drink. What sets SaloonBox apart from other DIY cocktail kits is the fact that they only use top-shelf alcohol, often sourced from boutique stores.
The bartenders who created the initial recipes are:
- Goose & Gander in Napa Valley – Rafael Barba, Bar Manager
- The Devil’s Acre in San Francisco – Darren Crawford, Bar Manager
- Blackbird Bar in San Francisco – Matt Grippo, Bar Manager
- Smokestack in San Francisco – Ashela Richardson, Bar Manager
Some of the cocktails previously offered include: The Tender Nob (bourbon and cider), Jack of All Trades (apple brandy liquor, rye whiskey, and bitters), The Smash (tequila and apricot liquor), and Kentucky Spring Mash (bourbon, mint, and Oleo Saccharum).
SaloonBox originally launched on Kickstarter and raised $40,198 from 192 backers (their original goal was $40K). They began delivering boxes to their backers during the summer and then launched their full website in September of last year.
Subscriptions can be made in several increments; $37.50 a month for month-to-month (a savings of $2.49 per shipment), $112.50 for a 3-month prepayment, $225 for a 6-month prepayment or $450 for a 1 year prepaid subscription. You can also purchase individual kits for $39.99. Shipping is another $12.99/month. Without shipping and tax, the cost per drink comes to around $9, which is much less than you’d be paying at your average fancy cocktail lounge.
Right now the service is focused on curating beverages so you can’t purchase individual recipes on the website and can only receive what is offered, rather than what you might be craving or what you’re specifically looking to make. If you’re planning to purchase a kit as a gift, you also should keep in mind that SaloonBox orders only ship mid-month and that delivery times vary from location to location.
As you’d expect, due to state laws, the service can only deliver the kits if someone +21 years old is present to show ID and sign for the package. Their FAQ page also has a list of states where kits can’t be shipped due to bans on online alcohol shipping.
The startup also offers “corporate or group gifting options”, so if it’s a real cocktail party you’re looking for, this is one monthly subscription you might consider getting into the mix.
