As part of the Morning Lazziness series highlighting empowering women who are making a remarkable impact with their ideas, I had the pleasure of interviewing Alice Christison.
Alice Christison is the founder of Cocktail Week, a nationwide series of cocktail-focused events that celebrate the hospitality industry and talented mixologists across 19 major UK cities.
After graduating with a law degree from the University of Dundee, Alice discovered her passion for events and marketing while working with local hospitality businesses. In the wake of the pandemic, she decided to create Cocktail Week to support the struggling hospitality sector.
What began as a local event in Dundee quickly evolved into a UK-wide series, now partnering with over 700 bars and generating an eight-figure economic impact. In July 2025, Alice took Cocktail Week international with its first edition in Dublin.
Despite the rapid growth, some things remain the same—Alice is still committed to her original mission: championing the hospitality industry and bringing people together over great drinks. Looking ahead, she plans to expand Cocktail Week to even more UK cities and launch a new series of cocktail festivals, beginning with the first festival in Glasgow later this year, proudly sponsored by Diageo.
In this interview, she offers a candid look at the realities of entrepreneurship, sharing both the challenges and the victories that described her path.
What’s the origin story behind your business, and how does it reflect who you are beyond the entrepreneur title?
The idea was born during the post-Covid recovery, when hospitality was on its knees.
I had studied law at the University of Dundee, but my real passion had always been people, events, and bringing communities together. Add to that my love for food, restaurants, vibey bars, and cocktails and it felt natural to channel that energy into our Cocktail Weeks!
Our first cocktail event in Dundee was a leap of faith. It started as a small, local initiative to drive footfall back into bars but it worked. What started as a local event to drive footfall into Dundee’s bars quickly grew into a nationwide event series across the UK and Ireland.
Instead of standing by while venues struggled, I wanted to create something that filled seats, boosted sales, and restored confidence to an industry I cared deeply about. Today, we’re in 20+ locations, partner with over 800 bars, and have delivered an eight-figure economic impact. At its heart, the mission has never changed: champion the hospitality industry and bring people together over great drinks.
Your work blends purpose with business — what’s the “why” that still gets you out of bed on tough days?
Because it matters. Every event we run puts money back into local economies, fills bars with customers, and shines a spotlight on the incredible food and drink scene in each city. We’re not just organising events; we’re keeping staff in jobs, helping bars hit record sales, and giving guests something to look forward to. On the hard days, I think about the businesses who have told me our event works and helps the industry.
It’s also about the people I get to do this with. My business partner Ross has been an incredible support since day one, and our wider team is a group of people I truly enjoy working alongside. I feel incredibly lucky not just to be building our company, but to be building it with people I love working with.
Many brands offer similar services, but few capture hearts — what’s your secret to building deep emotional resonance with your audience?
We make Cocktail Week feel like they city’s event, not ours – treating each city also like it’s our hometown. From collaborating with venues on bespoke drinks to engaging influencers who already have a local following, everything is co-created. People don’t just attend; they feel part of the story. We design events that are authentic to that place, we also make sure the fun experience has a clear purpose.
What’s been your most effective marketing strategy, and can you walk us through the creative thinking or risk-taking behind it?
We’ve made our venues and the cocktails the heroes of our marketing. Instead of making the brand the star, we spotlight the events’ cocktails and venues stories and vibes. This not only drives participation from the venues, but also helps attendees discover the city’s best. We call this our “collaborative marketing” model. Instead of just pushing from one central account, we equip 800+ venues with beautiful content, then let them amplify it through their own channels. We tap into their audiences rather than starting cold. The risk is relinquishing some creative control. But the reward is millions of organic impressions and massive city-wide events.
How do you listen to your community — not just in surveys or analytics — but in ways that help you anticipate their unspoken needs?
By being on the ground. I (And our team) make it a priority to spend time working with the venues, talking to bartenders, managers, and guests. When we had our biggest year of growth last year, I personally visited every single cocktail week location because nothing replaces seeing and hearing things first-hand.
We also observe customers. Social media comments and DMs often reveal more than our attendee feedback forms – spotting a casual “wish they did X” is often how we design the next feature. Experiencing the events in person is invaluable. Walking the streets, feeling the vibe and watching how people interact with the festival gives us insights you can’t find from our offices. It’s fun but it’s also how we learn, adapt, and make each year bigger and better.
Which campaign, collaboration, or strategic shift felt like a true turning point in your brand’s public image?
Partnering with national drinks brands like Diageo was a huge moment. It validated Cocktail Week at a national level and gave our participating venues access to world-class product collaborations.
In your own words, how do you measure success beyond profit, in terms of legacy, influence, or cultural impact?
For me, success is walking into a city during Cocktail Week and seeing venues full, bartenders busy, and customers excited and enjoying themselves. It’s when local media frames it as the event to be at.
Can you recall a moment when a failure became a story worth telling in your press or brand narrative?
There has been so many moments in the last 5 years where we didn’t know whether we could pull it off. However, I believe theres no such thing as failure, only life lessons.
From print issues, to being let down by key stakeholders – we have been through it all! Each thing makes us learn, adapt, quickly find solutions and ensure it never happens again!
What’s a daily or weekly ritual that keeps you grounded and in touch with your brand’s mission, even when business gets chaotic?
I am a routine girl through and through. Work is my number one passion, training my second (I am obsessed with running, hyrax and fitness.) On top of that, my head of barketing, Ralphie bear (Our Show Cocker Spaniel), keeps me sane, along with evenings spent with my partner David – he keeps me focused. When times get really tough? I review event feedback – good and bad. It keeps me connected to the real impact and reminds me who we’re serving.
How do you approach innovation in a way that makes your brand both trend-aware and timeless?
We keep the format simple: great drinks, great venues, great people but we layer in watching trends closely and reacting quickly. Our collaborations, cocktails, and marketing each year are a priority. That way the core experience feels familiar while evolving, scaling and growing every year.
If you could pass down only one piece of wisdom to the next generation of entrepreneurs, what would it be and why?
It’s all about the people you surround yourself with and truly believing in the work you do. Challenges come, and there are days that feel impossibly hard. What makes the difference is having the right people with you for the journey. It’s not just the wins that matter, but the journey.
Winning recognition in your industry is no small feat — what behind-the-scenes decision or move do you believe made that possible?
We decided early on to really prioritise results – venue sales reports, wristband numbers, customer satisfaction. Even as we scale we have never let these things slip and our transparency on our event and willingness to work closely with key stakeholders in each city has built trust with venues, sponsors, and key players in the industry.
How have public recognition, awards, or media features shifted opportunities for your brand in unexpected ways?
It’s opened doors with global drinks brands and local councils who now actively seek us out, seeing the economic impact we’ve proven elsewhere. We’ve had award winning venues approach us directly wanting to be part of the events. All of which has accelerated our growth into new cities.
If someone hears your name or sees your work just once, what’s the one message or feeling you hope they leave with?
That we make cities come alive, and spotlight incredible food and drink destinations, give people a reason to visit their city and make a difference to the hospitality industry.
Where’s the best place for our audience to follow your journey and explore your work?
By attending one of our events! Or follow our story on LinkedIn or I am a lover of Instagram.
