A FLAIR FOR COCKTAILS

Not sure what to do with the bottles of spirits that are
collecting dust at the back of your liquor cabinet? Then
Want to Impress can help by turning you into a cocktail
supremo that Tom Cruise would be proud of. Alison Cowie
speaks to managing director, John Collingwood, to find out
more.

LOCAL ENTREPRENEUR, John Collingwood, has turned his
passion for cocktails into his own exciting business venture – Want
to Impress – where thirsty apprentices are taught the art of mixing
the perfect drink.

John’s aim is to transform the way we look at our favourite
tipples, such as cosmopolitans, mojitos and daiquiris, and provide
the building blocks for recreating these traditional drinks at home.
“Because of the credit crunch, people don’t have as much
money to go out with but still have a thirst for cocktails,” explains
John. “My business gives people the opportunity to learn how to
make these fantastic drinks themselves.”

In particular, John wants to educate people on the complex
world of spirits and the effects they have on a drink.
“People just think that a spirit is something to be mixed with
Coca Cola or orange juice and don’t understand that there’s a
fantastic heritage of brands that have been around for hundreds of
years,” he says.

John will be holding interactive and fun cocktail training events
at the VIP area of Newcastle’s Florita’s Bar, where from just £29
per person you have the opportunity to learn how to make a wide
range of fantastic cocktails and all the tricks of the trade.
Prices rise depending on the quality of the spirits used and the
cool gifts given at the end, including a cocktail kit. There is also an
extra special class for couples (priced £99 per person), that is
ideal for those who want to impress a loved one.
Previous to setting up on his own, John worked for Bacardi for
six years where, as a mixology manager, he travelled throughout
the UK training over 10,000 bartenders in making cocktails.
After being made redundant in September, he travelled to Fiji to
participate in some volunteer work where the first ideas for Want
to Impress were formed.

“When I was there, I told people I was a mixologist,” he reveals.
“Everyone was generally impressed and kept saying they’d love to
be able to make cocktails themselves. I’d always wanted to start my
own business and I thought this could be a great starting point.
“So when I returned to the UK, I registered the name, Want to
Impress, and began making plans.”

John is clearly committed to his new business and has became
an active member of the North East’s Entreprenuers’ Forum.
This experience has helped him develop his Want To Impress
brand so, as well as his cocktail school, John has set up his own
website (www.wanttoimpress.com) where visitors can watch podcasts
on cocktail making or buy specialist equipment online.
John is also available to hire for weddings and special events,
and is more than happy to visit companies to host special cocktail
training as part of corporate events and hospitality.
Finally, John is currently making plans for Want To Impress
Presents, a series of special one-off events celebrating an
authentic drink from a select city or country.

“The first one, on July 4, will be an über cool Miami themed
night,” explains John. “The next one will a 1930s Cuban night
because during prohibition in the USA, Cuba encouraged
Americans to come to the country and sample the fantastic Mojitos
that they made there.”

John concludes: “The whole point of Want To Impress, whether
it is the cocktail school or these one-off events, is to educate
people so that they have more confidence when choosing a
cocktail. I want people to be able to walk into a bar, look at a
cocktail menu and know exactly what goes into one of its drinks.”

John Collingwood – www.wanttoimpress.com