Dominique, founder of Root Elixirs, brings nearly 20 years of hospitality experience to every creation. Her mixers make it easy to craft something beautiful from home with real ingredients and thoughtfully balanced flavors. We sat down to talk to her about her journey, what inspires her, and how Root Elixirs came to be, and we’re so excited to share our chat with you here.
What’s the story behind Root Elixirs?
I started Root Elixirs so that everyone could enjoy real-ingredient mocktails or cocktails. I’ve been in the hospitality industry for almost 20 years behind the bar and I felt like the shelves in grocery stores / bars lacked quality products. Personally, I’ve always preferred being able to choose exactly what goes into my drink. I set out to change that, and make them sparkle along the way!
How does Root Elixirs make hosting or making drinks at home easier?
There are so many pre-mixed drinks out there that use low-quality ingredients and don’t allow for much personal interpretation. Our goal was to create a product that made crafting completely customizable drinks easier for any occasion. Whether you just need a little something quick after a long day at work or you’re hosting Thanksgiving for the whole family, we wanted to provide flavors everyone will like, that are simple in preparation, but also elevated enough on their own that they don’t need a lot of doctoring up to create a high quality experience.
How do you decide which flavors or combinations to create? Is there a story or intention behind each one?
I created bar menus for years and these are the top cocktails people loved. I thought, why not bottle them up for everyone else to enjoy! Some flavors are heavily inspired by places I love, like our Pineapple Passionfruit, which is a (loose) interpretation of the classic New Orleans Hurricane. Others are just my take on mixing together the fruits and botanicals I’m seeing at the farmer’s market, grocery store, or occurring naturally throughout the seasons. We always want to maintain a well-rounded selection, so that there’s something for everyone to enjoy!
You’ve competed in cocktail competitions - what’s one thing you took from that experience that still helps you today?
Quality ingredients and little details count! I tend to do endless trials before we launch a new flavor, it could take years (literally years), but it leads to high quality products our consumers can trust. I’m not going to put a mixer out there until I feel like I’ve perfected it for myself.
What’s your personal favorite mix to make with Root Elixirs right now?
We just released our Pomegranate Citrus for winter & a Pom Spritz has to be my go to at the moment with a sprig of Rosemary. We’ve been really loving the spritz in general recently, it’s so simple and customizable to your individual tastes and preferences. Plus, a pretty garnish always makes me feel fancy!
What’s a personal ritual or habit that keeps your creativity flowing?
Traveling & eating my way through any city or country. I love to immerse myself in other cultures to experience different flavor combinations.
A huge cheers to Dominique for sharing her story and love for a good bevvie with us. Root Elixirs continues to inspire us, and we can’t wait for you to mix with them in October’s One Margarita box. They’ve definitely become a staple at our home bar.