We were lucky to catch up with Chris Norkus recently and have shared our conversation below.

Chris, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you tell us about a time where you or your team really helped a customer get an amazing result?

The biggest successes that I’ve found in this industry are the connections that I have made along the way. There are quite a few similarities between bartending in person and virtually. I’ve had the pleasure of working with many of the same clients over and over again. There’s a term we use in the bar industry for some of our favorite guests that come and sit at the bar a few nights a week and we call them ‘regulars.’ I never thought that I’d be lucky enough to make ‘virtual regulars.’ Client’s that have been happy with our service and not only keep coming back for repeat events, but also tell their friends and colleagues.

Chris, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Starting Cocktails From Home has been one of the greatest achievements of my life so far, and it was founded during the most tumultuous times I’d ever seen. Not only did a global pandemic leave me unemployed and uncertain, but I had only just gotten back on my feet after finishing cancer treatment.

The saying goes that “calm seas never made a good sailor.” During that year of turbulence, I never could have predicted what was up ahead of me on the horizon.

I’ve spent half my life in the bar and restaurant industry. Everything from General Manager to Bus Boy, but I’ve always felt most at home behind the bar. Bartending was like an extension of my personality. Fast paced, hard work, and barrels of fun. I have a passion for learning about new drinks, like any good bartender should, but what I’ve always found to be the best part of the job is the people you meet along the way.

I was working behind the bar the night I first noticed that something was wrong with my voice. There was loud music playing and people who were ordering drinks couldn’t hear what I was saying. I was straining to speak over all the noise. Later, I started noticing that my voice was hoarse all day, every day. It wasn’t going away. I would bump into friends, and they would ask me if I had been out screaming at a concert the night before.

It took me a while, honestly too long, to go see a doctor, but when I finally did, he confirmed what I feared. That I had stage 1 throat cancer. I was lucky that they caught it early and were able to treat it with a seven-week dose of radiation. After six months off work to treat and recover I, thankfully, have a clean bill of health.

It was a painful road. Taking all that time off from work as a bartender is not easy. The bills began to pile up, and I really had no strength to get back to work right away. By the time I was finally healthy enough to go back, it was just before Christmas in 2019. How clueless I was to think that everything was starting to finally go back to normal.

About three months into the COVID-19 pandemic, I got what seemed like a simple text from a former manager asking if I’d be interested in doing a favor and hosting an online bartending event for his friend at Dell. I was apprehensive at first, since this was something I’d never done before, but I couldn’t turn down work while I was unemployed during a pandemic. I also truly believed that we could make it fun. That one hour ended up changing my life. As soon as I was finished and logged off, I felt inspired. I knew in my heart that I was onto something big.

Over the next two years I turned that one-off event into a full-time business.

Cocktails From Home has now become a way for me to do what I love from my kitchen. I’ve accomplished a dream and opened my own bar, but entirely “in the cloud.” I’ve designed a seasonally rotating menu of approachable and delicious craft cocktails that can be shipped right to your door.

The best part comes when we gather virtually and make the drinks together from the comfort of our own homes. I’ve met so many incredible people in the last two years thanks to Cocktails From Home, and I can’t wait to meet you, too.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

If a client says jump, I ask ‘how high?’ There’s a handful of competitors out there in my market, and we seemingly all got started right around the same time. Covid-19 created a need for virtual get togethers, and I’ve always tried to make ours the best of the best. I think our offerings and events are world class. But I wouldn’t be anywhere without my amazing clientele. I do everything I can to make them happy and to fulfill even the most difficult sounding request. I understand that when someone is looking to put together a virtual happy hour they are usually sending out multiple requests to multiple companies, and I aim to be the first one to respond. I take every request or question seriously, and give as much time as I possibly can to make things happen for the client. If someone comes to me at the last minute, and they’re stressed out trying to plan an event, I try to alleviate all their concerns and worries. My job is to make their job easier.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

Referrals, referrals, referrals. I’ve had some great success with advertising and marketing, but nothing has brought us more business than good old fashioned word of mouth.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.cocktailsfromhome.com
• Instagram: @cocktails.from.home
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisnorkus/

Image Credits
Chris Norkus