Elevating garnishes on a global scale

Drinks Botanicals Ireland, founded in late 2017 by entrepreneur Laura McCarthy, has grown from a kitchen-table idea into a rapidly expanding supplier to bars, restaurants, hotels, and retailers worldwide.

Today, the company produces a range of premium dried fruit garnishes, syrups, and botanicals used by leading hospitality operators in Ireland, the UK, North America, and the Middle East.

From student project to first orders

McCarthy was just 20 when she spotted a gap in the market while studying marketing at TU Dublin.

“At the time, the gin and tonic trend was booming. Consumers were going out and seeing premium serves with juniper berries and garnishes, but there was nothing available in retail stores for them to recreate the same experience at home,” she explains.

Her solution was a €4.99 gin infusion kit. With help from her cousin, a graphic designer, McCarthy developed a prototype and pitched it to her local off-licence, Redmond’s in Ranelagh.

“I remember walking back in with the product and the owner just laughed and said, ‘You actually did it.’ He took a dozen kits. A week later he rang me to say they’d sold out and asked for more. That was the moment I realised there was a real business opportunity.”

Expanding beyond gin

Initially focused on gin-related products, Drinks Botanicals gained early traction with retailers such as SuperValu through its Food Academy programme. But by 2020, McCarthy recognised the need to diversify.

“Research showed the gin market was slowing down. At the same time, I noticed bartenders spending hours cutting fruit and dealing with huge amounts of waste,” she says. “That’s when I started developing dried fruit garnishes and natural syrups.”

The products were designed with the hospitality sector in mind. According to McCarthy, they offer multiple benefits:

• Reduced waste: “Fresh fruit can last two days before spoiling. Our garnishes have a two-year shelf life.”
• Lower costs: “Operators save on labour and electricity because they don’t need to slice or dry fruit in-house.”
• Consistency: “A premium serve looks the same every time, which is what consumers expect.”

This shift allowed the company to expand its customer base significantly. Clients now include The Conrad, Dublin Airport, and Ashford Castle, as well as Avoca, which uses freeze-dried fruit in its bakery operations.

International growth

After proving the model in Ireland, McCarthy looked to international markets. The company launched on Amazon UK, where its garnishes and syrups quickly became category best-sellers.

“We got Amazon Choice badges on several products. That’s not easy in such a competitive marketplace,” McCarthy says.

Encouraged by that success, Drinks Botanicals entered the US in late 2023. Within months, dried orange slices were ranked as the third best-selling product in their category on Amazon.

“That was a huge milestone,” she notes. “It showed our products have global appeal.”

The company has since expanded distribution into Canada and partnered with Safco International, one of the largest distributors in the UAE. “It was surreal going to Dubai earlier this year and seeing our products behind the bar in five-star hotels,” McCarthy says.

Product range and trends

Drinks Botanicals now offers more than 50 SKUs, including citrus garnishes, edible flowers, and natural syrups. Its bestsellers include dehydrated passion fruit slices — a product McCarthy says is particularly difficult to replicate in-house.

“There’s a way we’ve developed to dry passion fruit slices that works really well for our clients,” she explains. “It’s become one of our biggest sellers.”

The company is also expanding into emerging trends such as matcha powder and dehydrated spices. McCarthy emphasises the importance of staying ahead of consumer preferences:

“Drinking habits have changed dramatically in the last decade. Mocktails are huge, RTDs are booming, and people expect higher quality when they go out. If you’re not innovating constantly, you’ll fall behind.”

Recognition and awards

McCarthy’s leadership has earned recognition at national and international level. Drinks Botanicals was named One to Watch at the National Enterprise Awards, and the company has been shortlisted for the High Potential Export Award. McCarthy also participates in EY’s Winning Women programme.

“These programmes have been invaluable in terms of learning from other business leaders and surrounding myself with the right people,” she says.

Challenges and opportunities

Running a fast-scaling export business is not without challenges. McCarthy highlights staffing, maintaining quality at scale, and keeping ahead of competitors as ongoing priorities.

“As we grow, it’s about bringing people on board who share the same vision and ensuring quality never drops. That’s absolutely critical,” she says.

She also acknowledges that being a young entrepreneur had its hurdles: “At the start some people didn’t take me seriously. But I always tell others, if you believe in your idea, just go for it. You don’t want to look back and regret not trying.”

Despite challenges, the company reported sales growth of 87% year-on-year in 2024 and has recently invested in a new warehouse facility to support further expansion.

Value proposition for hospitality

For operators facing rising costs and consumer expectations, Drinks Botanicals positions itself as both a premium solution and a cost-saving measure.

“When people go out, they’re paying a premium and they expect a premium serve,” McCarthy says. “Our products help venues deliver that while cutting waste and saving time. It’s actually cheaper to buy in garnishes from us than to do it in-house.”

She adds that the company’s products also fit seamlessly across both alcoholic and non-alcoholic serves: “We’re not competing with spirit brands or brewers. We’re an add-on that enhances the serve — whether it’s gin, whiskey, or a zero-alcohol cocktail.”

Huge opportunities ahead

McCarthy’s long-term ambition is clear: “We want Drinks Botanicals to be recognised worldwide as the premium brand for garnishes and syrups. We’ve made great progress, but this is just the beginning.”

For the hospitality trade, the company’s rapid rise highlights a broader industry shift: premium presentation and consistency are no longer optional extras. As McCarthy puts it:

“The industry is evolving constantly. Consumer demands in one country can be completely different in another. That’s why staying close to operators, researching trends, and adapting quickly is so important. If you’re ready to adapt, there’s huge opportunity.”