We recently connected with Sonovia Pryor and Carmen NateSmith and have shared our conversation below.

Sonovia Pryor and Carmen NateSmith, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

Our journey as mixologists dates all the way back 11 years. Working as Starbucks baristas, attending mixology school, and working for a friend’s mobile bartending business is what the early stages of our mixology careers consisted of.

We later transitioned to working and managing local bars where we worked closely with the owners and learned the ins and outs of the bar business. Over the years, from intimate to corporate settings, mixing drinks and providing excellent customer service has been at the center of our professional world.

We officially launched Karmels Nectar & Liqueurs in 2017. After several entrepreneurial endeavors, we realized being behind the bar and connecting with people is our calling. Essentially we took our love for mixology and our experience as entrepreneurs to expand our business and clientele in a more official capacity. We began working with local event planners in the Washington DC area and established a reputation through our ability to fully customize a tasteful and aesthetically pleasing bar experience for any occasion or theme.

Doing what we love combined with the freedom to be creative is the core of the Karmels Nectar brand you see today.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

We specialize in themed events and offer fully customizable mixology services, products, and classes for all themes and occasions. However, the experience we provide is deeper than mixing and serving drinks. We’re talking about the type of experience that makes you want to pull your phone out to capture the moment, but drinks that make you put your phone down and live in the moment.

What sets us apart is that our products and services are not limited to alcohol and spirits. Mixology is the art of mixing beverages of all kinds! So we offer coffee bars for business meetings and conferences, organic juice bars for health and fitness events, lemonades and teas for family friendly occasions and much more. Our syrups, garnishes and sugars can also be used for cooking and baking. All of these things allow us serve a variety of industries.

Additionally, all of our services and products are fully customizable. Having a Luau themed party? We’re bringing the Tiki bar and will be dressed in grass skirts and leis! Going on birthday trip? Our travel sized, ready-to-drink bottles will get through TSA and the labels will read “Happy Birthday To You!”. Getting married? Our cocktail kits make the perfect gifts for your bridal party.

As a one-stop-shop for all things in the world of mixology, we take pride in providing exceptional quality and service. Aside from our education and experience, our passion and creativity is what sets us apart from other companies. Lastly, we truly enjoy what we do, which makes it easier for us to consistently exceed our clients’ expectations.

We are most proud of the relationships we’ve built and the opportunities we’ve gained as a growing brand in the hospitality industry.

Have you ever had to pivot?

In early 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, in-person interaction decreased tremendously with about 87% of venues canceling their events and about 7 out of 10 businesses converting their events to a virtual platform. People were no longer gathering in large groups, but smaller intimate events were still prevalent. We realized people needed a different way to experience all that we have to offer.

To keep our business afloat and prioritize everyone’s safety, we developed our Mixology Essentials product line which consists of ready-to-drink cocktails, cocktail kits, cocktail sugars, syrups and garnishes, which can all be customized to a client’s liking. The Karmels Nectar Experience is no longer limited to our physical presence and availability. Whether they are traveling, relaxing at home or hosting an event, everything our customers need to build, garnish and serve drinks like a professional are available for purchase.

How’d you meet your business partner?

We are long-time friends and business partners, but more like sisters. We actually attended the same elementary school, middle school, high school and were roommates in college. We’ve been inseparable for over a decade and we are fortunate enough to have a thriving business doing what we love and doing it together.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.karmelsnectar.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karmelsnectar.inc/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/karmelsnectar/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/Karmels_Nectar
• Other: Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@karmelsnectar

Image Credits
Aida Adey, LLC