Jazz and demi, the dynamic duo behind VeryGoodDrinks, have a passion for crafting unique, food inspired cocktails that push the boundaries of traditional mixology. With a shared love for global cuisine and a knack for turning culinary experiences into liquid art, their journey from bartenders to recipe developers has been fueled by their adventures around the world. From their early days of experimentation to becoming recognized in the industry, Jazz and Demi's story is one of creativity, dedication and an ever-evolving love for all things food and drink. Their journey took a significant turn in 2021, when they began traveling and eventually moved to thailand, where the abundance of amazing food and vibrant culture inspired them to start sharing their creations on Instagram.
How did that experience shape your approach to crafting drinks? Or how verygooddrinks functions?
Jazz “It has a pretty great hand in the inspirational side of things, We're both really into food so I think naturally our style of cocktailing is very food driven and from a culinary standpoint so the more food that we've been able to try and the more cultures we've been able to listen to the more inspired we are and also more things we have to pull from whenever we're trying to create something, so I would say it has a huge part of the being the reason we still like it and still want to do it. I think after a certain point cocktails got kind of boring to me as far as learning or being classically trained for cocktails go. If we hadn't had that experience of traveling and experiencing new flavors and new ingredients then we wouldn't have fallen back in love with making drinks. I would say yeah! it was it was one of the most important parts of why we do what we're doing now”
From experiencing the world and turning that into inspiration, what has been some of your favorite ingredients or a piece of culture from traveling that you felt like you had to recreate or integrate into your craft?
Demi “I think early on when we started making things and sharing them, we had the opportunity of having to try new foods, new dishes and then having or revisiting new ingredients that I thought I didn't like, thinking to myself “oh I didn't think I would like fish sauce but now I do?” I also thought when we were traveling it was great to see the types of produce that you couldn't get in abundance and how completely different they are….we’re from the Midwest so you know what it's like and it's hard to find certain ingredients or get excellent Seafood to integrate into your recipes”
Jazz “Being exposed to new ingredients was inspiring, bringing in a new flavor or a new set of flavors is always a light bulb moment, we think to ourselves oh my god this is really beautiful and how cool would be if we were to place it in a different setting…. but what's funny though is when you ask that question, I thought about when we initially moved to Thailand and had been there for a while, I thought about how I was obsessed with peanut butter and jelly for the longest time and I couldn’t let go because it was one of the only things that I could eat that felt like home. We ate Thai food all the time “and it was amazing” they said together. A comforting peanut butter and jelly sandwich was different, I became obsessed with peanut butter and jelly cocktails for a little while too “too obsessive” Demi chimes in. We've broken down dishes into drinks a lot because of our love for food, taking it down to its components and creating something new is what we do”
Demi “I think it's really hard to say one ingredient, we were inspired by so much so it's hard to pick. Food is the inspiration”
We talked about our shared love for food, baking and coffee which brought us to this question: Do you focus on recipes when you're crafting or essential ingredients that you would like to explore?
Demi “We think about it like we have this one thing over here….Why don't we see what it's like in this other thing over here? What if I put this in my coffee today, how would that taste? We also keep a lot of syrups in the fridge for both cocktails and coffee so it's fun to mix and match. We also have funny names, ideas or a dish that comes around that we like to play with and see what comes up. Our process is more so what we see in the moment and less organized and it's fun to experiment like that”
Jazz “I believe our experience as bartenders and years of being in the industry helps us…within the context of a bar, so you have all those recipes that are in your backlog and they kind of exist as templates and the ideas end up exploding on those templates and see how those would fit together and try to fit them in as their own little puzzle and a lot of the times it comes down to a us arguing and try to figure out how everything fits and see what we could add or remove. I believe it's one of the most fun parts for us….not the part where we argue but cracking the code together and finishing the puzzle, asking ourselves how can we present this flavor combination in a way that's elegant but also get the point across and taste the way that you want it to and not be gross?
Demi “I think we also kind of see ourselves as recipe developers now compared to being bartenders. So if we write a recipe, we want it to taste good and not wacky or weird. Sometimes they do end up a little bit wacky and weird so it's back to the drawing board or just pull back a little.
Jazz “Sometimes it's all about balancing the idea against the actual drink itself, sometimes you have an idea and when you make the drink it doesn’t turn out at all what you were expecting it to be, so we try to pivot and play with it”
What was the vision for VeryGoodDrinks initially?
Demi “We didn't know, we just started doing it. We were feeling very inspired and we felt the need to share and maybe something might happen and come of it. We don't really know what we're doing most of the time and we're still in the figuring out stage but we like where we're going. We started doing it and had a certain amount of runway and were still trying to find ourselves. The thing for what we envisioned we're not really there yet, what we're trying to do with collab with other creatives, other bartenders and people in the service industry because we still feel like that's who we are and also figuring it out in the meantime what VeryGoodDrinks is”
Jazz “ The idea would be to eventually create a community, meet people and try to be a resource, a safe space for people and have people be creative and make weird freaky drinks and have them inspired and validated. We also want to continuously share cool stuff and push the needle on the kinds of stuff that people are expecting or accepting of. It's been kind of amazing because I think in the last few years, the industry has changed in a positive way. The kinds of drinks they are seeing now are not something that we saw when we started. it's taking itself less seriously.”
Demi “Us too, We're very good drinks, we're not perfect drinks, the drinks are very good, we're solid, so it gives us a space to continue to evolve as well. That's what we're hoping to do.”
What has been the most rewarding part of sharing your drink recipes and travel experiences with your audience on the “Very Good” blog?
Demi “Anytime someone tries or shares our recipe it's super humbling, I always want to jump in and ask how it was. What did you think? Tell me everything… when anyone takes an idea and turns it into their own thing or makes their own version, it's super cool to see because now it was this one drink that came from our brain that is now growing and it's rewarding to see people enjoy it.”
Jazz “I think those would be at the top of the list but also for me I would say whenever the learning from each other part of it comes in. Let’s say I explored a certain thing or some fermented drink from Mexico and somebody's never heard of it and now they get to experience that and seek it out, that's really cool! It's amazing to be able to share that. It's also a reverse thing where being able to be taught that or experience things and be exposed to it now because we share and people also reach out to share and have us try out things they’ve experienced.”
Is there a part of your travels that have stuck with you that you think of constantly?
Demi “I think there is one drink specifically, the squid drink. They used clear ice as well. It was a part of the concept. There was a cocktail bar in Bangkok. The drinks game in Southeast Asia is amazing, we had one cocktail that had squid ink that floated on top, there was a clear ice sphere and so the concept of the drink was meant to look like a squid eye. It was so next level, so crazy and it was the one most unseen and memorable drink that I've ever experienced and so inspiring. The cocktail tasted incredible, the presentation in the glass and the concept, all of it. Things like that stick with you.”
Jazz “I agree with demi, I think there's a part where drinks become an extension almost, they come as a consumable piece of art. You think to yourself this is almost like a message and that's the highest level of what a cocktail or drink can be.There's also drinks that can put you in a time and place,hold experience and memories. You take a sip of something and it takes you back to a certain place in time. I think that's happened to us a few times but it's pretty rare and when you have that moment, you're just surprised and you sit back to yourself and it's a Ratatouille moment. You always wonder, am I going to experience that again and it's kind of a moment where you want to continue searching for that and chase it.”
What has your journey with Klaris been? How is that incorporated into your craft?
Demi “We actually travel with our Klaris machine, we box it up, make sure there's enough padding and put it in our checked bags. We've taken it to Mexico twice, now that we've settled down we do have it in its own designated area but we've been traveling with it, so that was fun. I think the machine is a huge part of our drinks, a lot of memorable drinks came from it. I froze a barbie shoe, tomatoes and a bunch of different things inside the ice. It's almost a creative outlet and if I'm feeling creative, I wonder what else I can put in the ice?. It's saved us a lot of time. We tried making clear ice with the cooler method but after talking to chase over a year ago, since then we've been reliant on our machine. It’s the unsung hero of any cocktail, beautiful clear ice. It's also especially important for us because now that we make content, that we have clear ice that way it doesn't take away from what we made ”
Jazz “Clear cubes are a whole thing for me now, the fundamental part of any drink that you're making, to make it better by having high quality ice. It may sound like a bartender thing but if your ice is bad then the drink is not going to be good. Having high quality ice is there for a reason. You have to have the right ice for the right drink. We're pretty spoiled now, so having nice ice is a priority. It's always so sad, you put so much work into a drink and then if you serve it over a stinky fridge ice it's like throwing it down the drain. We don't want to sound elitist but it's about quality”
To wrap up, some advice for people in the industry that would’ve helped you when you were starting out?
Demi “Broadly speaking, for us, we have a lot of experimental ideas so I would say just be creative and really explore some of the sillier and wackier things and drinks. There's a lot of rules and conditions in the industry and I think it's okay to break them, it's okay to go against tradition and if it doesn't work out, the worst thing that can happen is just a bad drink. You can always fix it. The upside is you made an amazing drink, you just tapped into something that you didn't before.”
Jazz “I always say that too, it's just drinks. Nobody's going to die. It'll give you a parameter or a place to start to poke a hole in and find your way through. Drinks can be super personal and you can put so much work into the drink, so learning those techniques and exploring yourself through this medium is a lot of fun and it takes time. As far as the industry too, being a hospitable person and having a hospitable heart is an important part of where we come from and as long as that is at the center of what you're trying to do, do not let go of it. Be comfortable in your space”
We were lucky enough to sit down and witness Jazz and Demi's approach to mixology which was a refreshing blend of creativity and culinary inspirations. It was able to reflect their diverse experiences and deep love for food. Their journey with VeryGoodDrinks is a powerful medium that they use to show the joy of crafting drinks that tell a story. Whether it's incorporating a new ingredient or perfecting classic recipe, their passion for their craft shines through in every creation. As they continue to explore and innovate, Jazz and Demi remain committed to sharing their journey and inspiring others in the world of cocktails. Don't miss out on following their exciting adventures and insights by subscribing to their blog “Very Good” and keeping up with our newsletter below.
