Guest Feature: Selectively Sober with Creative Phase

Guest Feature: Selectively Sober with Creative Phase

This new blog series is all about shining a light on our industry and sharing stories from other bartenders, creatives, and business owners who love making cocktails. We’re so excited to see how other people incorporate Iconic Mixers into their home bar, whether that be a cocktail, cooking, or any other unique perspectives we can dream up. 

To kick it off, we have Kaylee Farrow from Creative Phase. AKA the co-owner of Iconic Cocktail Co. and the person writing this blog. (I know, I know. It’s a little weird but can you blame us for using every single resource in our power?) 

Kaylee Farrow has been wearing many hats for Iconic Cocktail over the last six years; one being the co-owner and founder of the business with her husband, Matt Farrow. Like many companies who endured the global pandemic, Iconic needed to adapt and their operations needed to change; mostly for the better. 

Amongst the turbulence that was 2020 (and 2021), Kaylee went through her own adaptations- which brings to exactly why we’re talking on the blog today. While we can attribute so many reasons for this major shift of Kaylee starting her own business, it comes down to one thing; sobriety.

Selectively Sober with Creative Phase. 

It would be impossible to talk about starting the Creative Phase Collective without talking about my new journey into sobriety. Both happened about six months ago, coincidence? I think not. 

Long story short - I came from a career that was surrounded by cocktails. I started in the restaurant industry where going out for a drink at the end of a shift was like going to church. Further and further down my career path, alcohol became this load-bearing pillar in my life. It was my everything; developing cocktail recipes for Iconic’s blog, working events, celebrating long days with a drink, talking about opening a distillery, the dream of owning a restaurant...hell, even my engagement photos were taken at the dive bar. 

Every turn I took, I had a drink in my hand. 

After the crazy year that was 2020 and 2021, I simply felt like something was missing, or rather...something in my lifestyle was no longer serving me. And that was drinking. After many, many, many attempts to control my drinking with 30-day cleanses, only drinking on the weekends, or switching to low ABV, I finally decided to try sobriety once and for all; July 18th, 2021. 

Along with this truly life changing decision, I had to take a good look at my career. As I listed my goals, the thought of “maybe I need to consider an alternative career path” kept ringing in my ears.

Enter the Creative Phase. My new creative freelancing platform where I can offer my skills to small businesses of all kinds. More of a mental shift, Creative Phase has a ton of opportunity to flex my creative muscles and find work outside of ‘industry’. Right now, my number one client is Iconic Cocktail where I create captivating content (you might see a lot more Mocktails and Free Spirits here) but it has also opened so many new doors. 

So is this blog post just a way for me to test out a new blog format for Iconic? Absolutely. Enough of my rambling. Let’s get into being Selectively Sober. 

Step 1: Expand your horizons with platforms that celebrate lifestyles around sobriety. 

Right now, my favorite is Sober Girl Society. Based out of the UK, they are a cheeky social media account that delivers motivational tidbits exactly when I need them. Plus, their cute pins and sober milestone badges are incredibly more cool that the chip they give you in AA. (IYKYK)

Step 2: Come prepared with your own goods. Always. 

If I’m going to a social event, I come prepared. Always. Even though I know most NA spirits are glorified flavored water, it’s the mental action of creating cocktails by pouring from a spirit bottle that makes me feel a part of the event. Exploring the NA spirits of the world is my new favorite pastime. I’m loving everything that Lyre’s Spirits has done. Seedlip is also a favorite in this house. 

Step 3: Find a new favorite drink. 

If Matt and I were on the Newlywed Show and the question was “If Kaylee was a cocktail, what would she be?” we’d both get the answer right with an Aperol Spritz. As soon as I discovered Sanbitter Red and made this free spirit Aperol spritz, I knew from that very moment I could do this whole sobriety thing. 

More Than a Phase Spritz 

-Combine all in a glass with ice and garnish with an orange peel. 

-Click for the reel

 

More Guest Features to Come! 

We hope you enjoyed this feature! We plan on sharing more just like this one. Stay tuned to learn more about Guest Features and discover a brand you didn’t know or a topic worth reading.

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