This piece is part of our Q+A series. Do you know someone we should interview? Let us know.
In honor of Drink Up Month, we sat down with Devin Chapnick + Josh Mongoven, two locals who have years of combined experience running bar programs. You might recognize them from behind the bar at No Hard Feelings and Exile Off Main Street.
They recently teamed up to create Convenient Cocktail Co., which provides quality dehydrated fruit cocktail garnishes for bars + takes bar prep off the menu. Keep reading to find out more about their business, plus a special recipe for you to try out.
Q: Can you tell us how the concept of Convenient Cocktail Co. came to be?
Devin: Josh and I both moved to Chattanooga a year apart from each other, I moved at the beginning of 2021, and he moved at the end of 2022. We both moved from larger markets, Josh from Austin and me from Denver, where we had gotten most of our bar experience. We both moved to Chattanooga with the intention of opening up a bar and really settling down. We both started working at No Hard Feelings, we had a mutual friend who kept telling us that we should meet. We also realized we lived down the street from each other, so we were neighbors and coworkers.
The first time Josh was over at my house he told me he was thinking about the idea of starting a dehydrated fruit garnish company. Over the next three days, I went on a bender of what this thing could be. That’s when I came up with the name Convenient Cocktail Co. and some sketches, then Josh’s graphic designer friend put it together into a cohesive image. That’s how it really started, and it’s been nine months since then.
Q: What garnishes are you guys currently offering?
Devin: The core line is lime, lemon, grapefruit, orange, and pineapple. We’re going to be releasing a new line soon where we use hibiscus to naturally dye fruits and then dry them. It’s really unique and vibrant colors you wouldn’t expect to see.
Josh: We’re doing a pineapple that turns a deep red and apple chips that end up looking like rose petals.
Q: You’re partnering with several bars, where can folks find your garnishes used in cocktails around town?
Josh: No Hard Feelings was the first in line to purchase our garnishes. Also, Main Street Meats, Common House, and The Company at The Kinley Hotel.
Devin: These are some spots that have been some of our industry pals and who have been some of the biggest advocates for us. Outside of Chattanooga, we’re working with bars in Tulsa, OK + Denver, CO.
Q: What does the process for creating the garnishes look like?
Devin: We found a great deal on several dehydrators early on, which is probably why we hit the ground running. The consistency of production and the layout of our setup allows us to produce at the quantity that we are. We’re doing it out of our house. It takes usually 24 hours once the fruit is in the dehydrator.
Josh: Slicing can take, depending on how big of a day we’re having, like four hours. But we sliced grapefruit for 11 hours the other day. These are the things that bar managers don’t take into account when they think about dehydrated garnish. It’s more than just putting it into a machine and taking it out. You have to take account of the labor, too. We have a very specific vision for the products, which means we’re increasing the quality and decreasing the costs in certain areas for the end user.
Q: What does increasing the quality + decreasing the costs entail?
Devin: We’re working around industry standards that are less efficient to create something that is higher quality, consistent, and easy to incorporate into your costs. If you know how much one piece of garnish costs, you can incorporate that into the cost of the drink every single time. You’re thinking about labor, electricity, rent, and the cost of goods. If you can get that cost of goods number down and consistent, you’re able to make money. Having a balanced menu that works in your favor is the number one thing that keeps you in business and people coming back.
Josh: When it comes to cocktails, there’s perceived value. Especially if you’re going to spend $14-$16 on a cocktail when you get it, it has to taste delicious and look beautiful. The consistency of our garnish really allows that. We have our hands on the product every time we make it. If it doesn’t look good we don’t sell it.
Devin: It’s an accountability thing too, if we don’t have a perfect thing we fix that. We need to make good on our promise that we make cocktails beautiful, easier.
Q: Can you speak to the importance of quality in cocktails?
Devin: Cocktails are supposed to delight people. It is an experience that is fun and fresh, it’s a culinary experience in one thing. There’s so much going on in each cocktail, it’s like a small plate. You want to put things together and present them in the right way. It has to look, taste, and feel perfect.
Q: Who is your target audience?
Devin: We’re really trying to bring home the value to people who use cocktails the most. Bartenders are able to focus on the people and all the tools you need are ready to go.
Josh: We have a small retail presence online and at Imbibe. Our goal is to really sell wholesale to bars and restaurants, we want to make it easier for bar managers and bartenders. But if you’re at home and having a party, you can have access to cocktail bar-quality beverages.
Devin: If someone wants to try us out for their home bar, we ship anywhere in the US off our website. If you’re making a couple of cocktails a month, you won’t have to buy fresh fruit every time it’s already good to go.
Q: Can you share a cocktail recipe for folks at home to try with your garnishes?
The Mega’retto Sour by Devin
- 1.5 oz. Lazzaroni Ameretto
- .75 oz. Plantation O.F.T.D. Rum
- .75 oz. fresh lime juice
- .25 oz. grapefruit juice
- 3 dashes of Angostura bitters
- Grapefruit garnish
For the folks at home, you can shop for Convenient Cocktail Co.'s garnishes online or at Imbibe (1616 Broad St.). If you’re in the bar or restaurant industry, inquire via email.
