Our Story

Where it started

After leaving school, Louis started his hospitality career in his local pub, The Onslow Arms in Loxwood. This was alongside an apprenticeship in hospitality.

While working at The Onslow Arms, this is where Louis first noticed the need for a ready-to-drink cocktail.

In a high-end cocktail bar, you would naturally expect to wait several minutes whilst they make your drink from scratch. However, this is much more of a challenge in fast paced environments such as pubs and restaurants. There simply is not enough time.

Additionally, there were cost issues, not to mention training staff to make the different cocktails and with consistent results. But the time it took was a significant problem, leaving a lot of customers queuing at the bar, or waiting longer than usual for drinks at their table.

Louis looked at the read-to-drink options on the market, but he thought in most cases the taste left a lot to be desired. They didn't match the quality of a freshly made cocktail.

And you didn't get a lot for your money, with relatively small measures.

Louis' First Solution

After testing lots of his own recipes, Louis started bottling cocktails in batches ready to be used during the busy days ahead of them at the pub. He designed the cocktails so all you would need to do is empty the contents of the bottle into a shaker and shake with ice.

Moving to PizzaExpress

After 2 years, Louis applied for a job at PizzaExpress, as Deputy General Manager at their busy Guildford restaurant.

It was whilst working at the restaurant, that he became familiar with the 1 litre bottles of pre-mixed cocktails that they used.

These were certainly more convenient - and quicker - than mixing a cocktail from scratch. But they came with their own drawbacks.

Staff still had to locate the shaker, find the right lid to match the tin, measure the cocktail, shake it with the ice and strain the mixture. Sometimes the shaker would pop open and result in a spilled cocktail in the middle of a busy shift. They were still very time consuming to serve.

This is when he had his light bulb moment!

The next step was to create his own ready-to-drink cocktail range at 18 years old.

Shake Bottle and Pour

Not only is the taste incredible. The Libation Nation range of cocktails are based around a clever idea.

Single serve, individual bottles. Each bottle with enough space to allow the drinker to shake their cocktail to create the perfect head of foam. Just like you get in that high-end cocktail bar (you only need to do this with the ones which need shaking such as a Passion Fruit Martini).

Take a bottle out of the fridge, shake vigorously, and pour into a glass.

A game changer not only for the hospitality industry, but for those of us who like to enjoy a cocktail at home.

No more mess, no more long prep times, and no need to fill your drinks cupboards with numerous (and expensive) bottles of spirits. Just pop a few Libation Nation cocktail bottles in your fridge.

"Shake Bottle & Pour" has now made cocktails as easy as a can of beer or glass of wine.

Why glass bottles over cans? Find out more here.