Shetland cocktail maker shakes things up

Talented bartender and beer brewer Jonny Sandison, from Scalloway, is looking to capitalise on the growing demand for at-home treats – a phenomenon that has also seen an explosion in popularity for innovative new outlets such as the isles’ growing network of cake fridges.

The 27-year-old first had the idea during the first Covid-19 lockdown in spring 2020 after he noticed many of his favourite bars on the UK mainland had begun offering ready-to-drink cocktails.

When he was furloughed from his day job at Lerwick Brewery he began exploring the possibility more seriously. While the various bureaucratic hoops he has had to jump through delayed his plans, licensing approval has now come through and Jonny should be ready to launch the new venture soon.

His craft cocktail menu, initially available to homes in Shetland’s “central belt”, will feature three “solid popular classics with subtle twists” – margaritas, daquiris, espresso martinis etc. – and one rotational, seasonal offering. They will come in 500ml bottles which should be enough for between three to five cocktail servings.

Drinks produced in the isles will form the basis of many of the cocktails and Jonny hopes to forage for ingredients to add a distinctive ­“Shetland” flavour.

Jonny cut his teeth making cocktails in the bar at Scalloway Hotel – which used to offer rosette-winning food before sadly closing its doors shortly before the first Covid lockdown – under the management of Peter and Caroline Mackenzie, who offered him free rein to try things out.

Prior to that when he was growing up and his parents, Kaye and Davie Sandison, were hosting family gatherings, having taught himself the basics using online video tutorials Jonny began turning out cocktails for the guests.

“It all started from there and began to gain a bit of momentum when I joined Scalloway Hotel,” Jonny says. “That gave me the space to try things out.

“Even though it wasn’t a cocktail bar or anything, Peter and Caroline were really supportive and pretty much said, ‘Get a menu going and we’ll do some cocktail afternoons and nights’.”

With popular eateries such as The Dowry in Lerwick now providing an extensive cocktail menu, and other modern venues such as Fjara and Mareel in the town also offering cocktails, Jonny says there is clearly a thirst for fancier drinks.

“I can make pretty good cocktails, so I hope there is a market out there out of lockdown,” Jonny says modestly.

“Even before [Covid-19] there were less people going to the pub. I love the pub, but if folk at home want to have date nights in and put the kids to bed, watch a film or have a meal together, and have a couple of cocktails on the side, I can deliver.”

His old boss Caroline remembers how cocktail events Jonny ran at the hotel were invariably “a roaring success”.

“He seems to have a great instinct for pairing flavours and takes great care in using the best of ingredients,” she says.

“We wish him all the best for his new venture and whatever he comes up with, we have every confidence that it will be a quality product. We look forward to trying his home deliveries out ourselves!”

Initially the offering will be open to addresses within five miles of Scalloway and Lerwick, though if anyone further afield wanted to place a big enough order to justify driving longer distances that is something Jonny would consider.

After receiving formal approval from the Shetland licensing board in June to make and sell cocktails from the kitchen of his home in Scalloway, Jonny hopes to launch the service in the next few weeks.

He has already spoken to Debbie Strang at Shetland Reel about how best to utilise its gin, while with his rotational special he hopes to use some foraged ingredients, such as rhubarb, rosehip, seaweed and elderberries, and he is even growing strawberries in his own garden for the same purpose.

Jonny is also keen to experiment with citrus alternatives. He points out that people are “constantly juicing lemons and limes, and chucking everything else away”, and he is aiming to set aside used lemon and lime halves for cooking into a cordial to create a citrus stock.

In the longer term, if he was to look at acquiring purpose-built premises, he says it is more likely to be to “expand on the delivery itself, maybe a website with a mail-order service” rather than an on-site cocktail bar or venue.

Jonny adds: “I still have a bit of organising to do before I’m fully ready to launch, but I absolutely can’t wait to do so. There has been a great deal of interest and support already from the community so hopefully I can give folk something to enjoy.”