What did you do before creating the Lixir range? I graduated from Newcastle University in 2015, having completed a degree in Geography. I was working my first graduate job doing sales and left there after about six months, as although I was enjoying the buzz of sales, I didn’t enjoy the industry it was in. While looking for new roles, I got a job at a cocktail bar in Jesmond on the outskirts of Newcastle and I found a passion for drinks. I ended up working there for the next two years with a spell working in sales for Diageo in between. It was during this time I looked into bringing out a range of tonic waters in the drinks space with my Co-Founder, Matt. What made you decide to create your mixer range, and what's the inspiration behind it? Matt and I were housemates living on the outskirts of Newcastle when we made the decision to create Lixir Drinks. We were always chatting about starting up a business together and had similar experiences working as bartenders as well as sales roles for spirits and beverage companies in the North East. The inspiration came from these roles. We witnessed the growing trend towards flavoured spirits as well as 'premiumisation' in mixers and were confident there was untapped space in the mixer market for a contemporary brand with new and exciting flavours.  Can you tell us more about the ingredients in your tonics? All our mixers are produced in the UK. The entire range is all natural, low in calories and sugar, and is gluten free & vegan friendly. We add no artificial flavours, sweeteners or preservatives. This mean you can enjoy Lixir guilt-free without having to compromise on taste! What makes the Lixir tonic range different to other tonics? There are some great tonics and brands in the market but we’re proud that our range is all natural as well as low in calories and sugar. We love good drinks and good times and believe the two go hand-in-hand, so we aim to make sure we’re providing both to our stockists and customers. We also have some versatile and great tasting flavours in the range that have picked up a few awards along the way. We always promote these with other spirits and not just limiting them to a great gin pairing. What have been the biggest achievements so far? We’ve had some great moments so far. Our launch was pretty special as it was 18 months in the making. Exporting and seeing the brand in bars across Europe has been a fantastic highlight, as well as getting stocked in all bars across Selfridges London. Lastly, being able to employ staff and creating a team has been extremely rewarding.
How would you describe your tonics in 3 words?
Delicious, refreshing and guilt-free. What's your favourite way to serve some of your tonics? There are countless gin and Lixir pairings that I’m a big fan of, but I love trying the range with other spirits too, whether that be a Tequila Tonic with our Refreshingly Light tonic or mixing our Rhubarb & Ginger tonic water with a golden rum. What gins would you always have on your gin shelf, or any favourites at the moment? I’m really enjoying Dartmouth Gin at the moment with Lixir Elderflower & Lemon. It was the perfect serve in June’s box from Craft Gin Club and has been going down a storm during this hot weather. What's next for Lixir - any exciting plans? It’s been a challenging last few months with the impact of Covid-19 but we’ve still got lots of exciting things happening in the pipeline. We have been working hard making Lixir more readily available online and recently launched our own website shop and also got listed on Amazon Prime. We have two new flavours launching before the end of the year as well as exciting collaborations and shows to exhibit at. Stay up-to-date with the goings-on by giving us a follow on our socials @LixirDrinksUK. Thanks! Comments are closed.
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