When the pandemic hit, and bars and restaurants closed down, those in the alcohol industry were, with good reason, worried how this would affect their businesses. But as the regulations rolled out, alcohol was deemed essential, and liquor sales boomed. This led to the popularity of making cocktails from home, as people couldn’t go to their favorite watering hole for a drink.
The timing worked out well for Tim Jones, founder and owner of Gents Original, a Lexington company that produces cocktail mixes.
When asked how they got started, Jones laughed and said he and his wife, Jessica, like to drink a lot. But kidding aside, they had been fans of the beverage industry for many years and always made cocktails at home.
In 2014, the couple came up with a soda called Gents Original Toasted Oak Ginger Ale, which they sold at local farmers markets. But as they got to know their customers, Tim and Jessica realized that people were using it as the first ingredient in a mixed drink.
“It was mixing really well with bourbon,” Tim said. “So, we experimented for a few years and eventually migrated to 100 percent cocktail mixes.”
Gents products include bottled mixes for classic old-fashioneds, gingery mules, and juleps with just the right hint of mint. The couple’s Kentucky roots are extremely important to them and provide the backbone of their business.
“We’re both born and raised here in Kentucky, so bourbon is really important to us,” Jones said. “If I put anything in my bourbon, I’m going to make sure it is great.”
Gents is a Kentucky Proud product, which means the ingredients are fresh and locally sourced. Production takes place in a small space behind The Burl arcade and concert venue in Lexington’s distillery district. Everything is made, bottled and labeled there, with a staff of three to six people, depending on the season.
Gents got a big boost when some Kentucky distilleries noticed and tasted the mixes. It started with Castle & Key Distillery in Frankfort, which combined Gents cocktail mixes with its gins and vodkas for its tour visitors and began selling the mixes in the gift shop. Soon, Gents was creating unique mixes for Buffalo Trace, Heaven Hill, Evan Williams, Larceny and Elijah Craig, with more on the way. While the mixes are produced by Gents, they are labeled to reflect the distillery or bourbon.
“I have been really proud of the mixes, and when the distilleries put their name on it, I know they feel exactly the same way,” Jones said. “They are not going to put their name on anything unless they believe in it.”
As for the future, Jones is optimistic.
“One thing about making cocktails is that somebody turns 21 every day,” he said. “We have a new group of folks coming into market all the time.”
Jones predicts there will be one or two new products this year. “We’ll keep it pretty tight and not get super trendy on flavors” he said. “We will just try to make some really classic, versatile products so you can use them in a lot of different ways.”
Gents is not carried by large retailers and is sold in distillery gift shops, in small liquor stores and online. Jones believes growth will come in the form of partnerships with more distilleries.
Jones said producing Gents mixes remains a side job, as he continues to work full time as executive creative director at Cornett, a Lexington advertising agency. In January, the couple opened a restaurant in Lexington called Boonedogs, featuring hot dogs with dressy toppings, artisan sausages, and—you guessed it—cocktails.
A wide variety of work keeps Tim and Jessica busy, but they don’t mind.
“So as long as the cocktail boom is happening, and folks are interested, I think we’re going to be OK,” Tim said.
To order Gents Original online, visit gentsoriginal.com.