Our interview with Alessandro Palmarin , founder NIO Cocktails

How was NIO Cocktails founded and how has it developed?

NIO Cocktails, the leading Italian company in the production of ready-to-drink cocktails, is the brainchild of two young and visionary entrepreneurs, Luca Quagliano and myself, Alessandro Palmarin. We wanted to change the way the public consumes and experiences cocktails, offering premium drinks that can be drunk anywhere, anytime, and are available to everyone. To enjoy your favourite NIO Cocktail, you simply shake the pack and pour into a glass with ice. The idea was to fill a gap in the market and allow people to have a cocktail where and when they want.

How important is sustainability to you and are your products sustainable?

Sustainability is at the heart of the vision and values of NIO Cocktails and this has led us to become an official carbon neutral company. Carbon neutrality means we remove the same amount of carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere to achieve zero emissions. We start with our sustainable packaging, which is partly made of FSC paper from responsible sources, and the inner packaging made of special plastic with the aim of being fully compostable. The brand has also signed up to international projects to protect the environment, reduce emissions and respect land use. Last but not least, NIO Cocktails is committed to promoting and disseminating a culture of corporate sustainability based on trust and transparency, involving everyone in its network of relationships - including consumers. The brand gives advice on the correct division of the packaging between plastic and paper for its correct disposal through separated waste collection.

Are your products made with the spirits of well-known brands? 

Absolutely, yes. Working closely with our Master Mixologist Patrick Pistolesi, we decide how best to mix products to create the perfect drink. NIO Cocktails does not have a distillery and does not use unbranded ingredients, only top quality ingredients that we also name. These two elements enable us to offer an excellent product. Add to this our innovative and sustainable designed packaging.

What are your most successful tasting boxes in Italy and abroad and to which countries do you export most?

Our most successful tasting boxes are part of the “Postcards from” collection, a line dedicated to discovering the world's most fascinating places through the sense of taste. Four exclusive cocktails, curated, as always, in collaboration with Patrick Pistolesi, listed among the leading global bar tenders by the World's 50 Best Bars, capable of fusing the millennial culture of places such as Japan, France and Venice with the flavours of their region. They have been a great success, conquering Italy and the UK, the brand's current target market. We also achieved impressive results in the direct management of the German market, which ranked second. California, Singapore and the rest of Europe also reported significant figures. And NIO Cocktails is continuing to expand in Japan, Australia and China.

What innovations will you unveil in January 2024 at Milano Home?

After a period of continuous research aimed at satisfying our loyal community, who are increasingly demanding and attentive to the latest trends, we are pleased to confirm that we will be presenting a special collaboration in the run-up to Valentine's Day 2024. This has always been a key moment in our calendar.