It requires more than just skills for a bartender to become a mixologist, or a cocktail artist, and a drink master. It is a journey that combines talent and passion for creating new concoctions that will leave you simply happier. The Butler’s Bottle has been perfecting that art for a while. HN spoke to Elie Khoury to discover his concept’s success story. 

1.     Why do you believe mixology is trendier than ever nowadays?

I believe that like everything else, mixology, which is the art of inventing or crafting and serving a perfectly balanced cocktail evolved with time over the years. Not only did new technology and techniques open the way for new possibilities and a different range of recipes, but the bartenders and mixologists community around the world benefited a lot from ‘the internet of things’, they could check what is going on around the world and share their knowledge and ideas. In my opinion, what helped fuel advancement in terms of skills, offering, and best practices, is the fact of turning mixology into a true art, just like what cooking is to chefs. This is more specifically under the spotlight when we take into consideration all the backdoor lab work and the preparation that happens ahead of time, all this effort and innovation, that is complex in a lot of instances. This created an exciting new world that is very similar to the culinary one, and grasped the attention of numerous followers and people intrigued to leap into this world and learn more about it. This new pattern made the industry way more interesting, trendy and sophisticated at the same time.

2.     Tell us what distinguishes Butlers’ Bottle

I could tell you that Butlers’ Bottle is unique in the very professional and personalized service it provides and the quality of the products, but that would definitely not be the factor that distinguishes it from other players in this industry. What was, is and will always be our winning formula is the Butlers’ family, each one of them, from our managers, to the office people, the drivers, helpers, cleaners, bartenders, and waiters, they all work and behave as one family while performing their jobs and in their personal life. This creates an amazing spirit and a chemistry that lets us do our jobs better. It’s not about who is at the top and who gives the instruction, it’s about a team effort that results in the best quality product ever. We think this is the most special attribute that we have.

3.     When did you decide to kick off this business and what inspired you?

Our journey started in 2011. I come from a bartending background, and wanted to provide the same service that guests had at top tier bars and restaurants at their own house, property or event. This is how our company was born. We provide bars-as-a-service, and we cater to weddings, corporate and social events, and private functions. 

4.     What do you think was the trigger to boost this type of business? Is it people’s awareness and passion to try new cocktails ?

 A part of it was people’s eagerness for new cocktails but I think most of it is the transformation of the service and the product that you give. People are and will always be excited to feel they are a part of a new type of experience, something that is worth their time, something that intrigues them. Constance is boring at some point. We always believe that people like positive change, it spices up things and makes them want to come back for more. 

5.     How important are events for your business? What type of events are more profitable for you ? (corporate, private functions, weddings?)

Events are the core business of Butler’s Bottle which is a part of Butlers Group of companies. We cater to all types of events no matter what their size and nature were. Each step of the event from planning, mobilization, set-up, operations and demobilization is handled by a designated team of specialists and professionals. We take pride of alway providing the best service and product for ensuring the perfect guest experience

6.     Do you cater to events outside of Lebanon? 

We do. We have a setup that can cater to our clients’ needs anywhere in the world. With time, we have built a network of friends, suppliers, and partners that supports our international event, pick the location, the date, the team, tell us what the customer needs and we’ll make it happen. We can name a couple of our most common destinations which include the UK, France, Italy, Turkey, Jordan, Cyprus, and Greece. 

7.     Do you think the region is more accepting and requesting your business as more bartenders are innovating with dry cocktails ?

I do not think it is a matter of accepting the business because dry cocktails are more and more coming into the light. I believe that people are perceiving mixology and cocktail making as a beautiful craft. There will always be exceptions of course, but in general the sentiment towards this business has shifted tremendously in the past decade in our region. This said, we believe that it is essential to have all kinds of offerings, and dry cocktails is one of our focus areas as some of our clients request it for personal reasons as well as for dietary requirements. We need to stress again that our main purpose is not to serve alcohol, it is to give a fulfilling experience while catering for different tastes and needs when it comes to drinks.

8.     What are your future business plans ?

We look at the future with a lot of hope and excitement despite the challenges we are currently through which is pushing us to put many events on hold unfortunately. We always look for ventures that are aligned with our core values: Providing the best product in the best manner in the best environment. Currently, we have two projects being studied internally for mobilization by the end of the lockdown period and a couple more on the back burner for the fourth quarter of 2020.