Søren Aamand is one of the founders of Nohrlund - Organic Cocktails.
My job
I was one of the founders of Nohrlund – Organic Cocktails while I was studying. Simply put, Nohrlund is cocktails as we know them, but bottled ready-to-pour into a glass with ice and enjoy ice cold.
Now I work primarily with the development of new products for Nohrlund’s portfolio, while my partner takes care of the figures and finances.
In the beginning we did everything ourselves. We made the juices and cider for our products and we were successful from the get go.
And from the first event where we had our own Nohrlund bottles, guests were asking whether it was possible to purchase them for home consumption.
That was when we found out that it wasn’t just bars and restaurants that were the potential market, but also private customers.
Sales increased by 300%
Our sales have increased by 300% from the first to second year, so we are now able to support ourselves by producing Nohrlund.
However, we don’t have the financial muscle to brew huge amounts of cocktails and we must constantly ensure that there are buyers for the number of finished bottled cocktails.
For instance, it’s a challenge for us if we suddenly experience sunny weather and demand increases, or if it rains all summer and therefore demand falls.
By trying different things, we have gained much experience in relation to whom, where and when Nohrlund is to be drunk. You can find out what works and what doesn’t in that way.
Cocktails for cafes and bars
Today, we deliver Nohrlund cocktails to 5-600 cafes, bars, restaurants and shops throughout Denmark and also to many festivals.
Our ambition is to export our products to the rest of Europe but also to the United States and Australia, where there is a large potential market for ’ready-to-drink’ products such as Nohrlund’s Organic Cocktails.
At the age of 17, I established a cocktail catering company where I went to parties and the like with every ingredient for a cocktail from the bar. The company grew and one day I got a job to cater a huge event with many guests.
The organiser didn’t know if three or four thousand guests would come, and that had a huge impact on how much liquor I had to have with me. That was when I got the idea for Nohrlund.
My advice
The teaching on the programme was a great experience for me. I got a lot out of it, because I was running a small company at the same time where I could immediately implement and try the theory in reality.
I would tell new students to be ambitious and start a company. The teaching makes much more sense if you can try things out in practice. And if you don’t have the courage to set up a business for yourself, you could get a student job so you get the opportunity to work hands-on with the tools you have learned in the educational programme.