Meet Katie and John Burns: Owners & Founders

We had the good fortune of connecting with Katie and John Burns and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Katie and John, what is the most important factor behind your success?
Aside from our focus on brand awareness, Slalom Fox has been successful mainly because the cocktails taste great! While marketing is important, it’s the taste that keeps customers coming back for more. We’ve also been told our brightly colored matte cans are what initially attract people to grab them off the shelves. Our commitment to ingredients and company integrity is what we value the most and we believe this translates into providing the customer with a better drinking experience.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
We are most proud of the quality of our cocktails. All of our recipes were created by us, in our kitchen. Slalom Fox is different from other canned cocktails in that we use real ingredients instead of flavors. We wanted to create a true craft cocktail experience and we do that by using real juices, herbal extracts and spirits. Challenges present themselves at every turn when you own a company. The hardest part initially was deciding to pull the trigger. Like anything else there are ups and downs but the key is to remain focused on the vision. We are committed to making Slalom Fox a success in Colorado and ultimately throughout the US. Our branding and name reflect Colorado culture. We encourage people to take our cocktails along on their outdoor adventures such as camping, hiking, at the lake or apres ski. Slalom Fox aside- When we aren’t slinging drinks, John and I are busy trying to keep up with our five kids.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Longmont has really grown in the twelve years that we have lived here. When we are entertaining out of town guests we like to take them to some of our favorite local spots. Wibby Brewing and Lefthand are two of our best local breweries. The Roost has an amazing rooftop patio, delicious cocktails and fare. Babette’s, Summit Tacos and Georgia Boys are other Longmont must-eats. For more upscale dining, Sugar Beet is our pick. The Denver Art Museum or Red Rocks are great for day trips. If time allows, some of our favorite towns to visit around the state are Marble, Redstone and Vail.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Our friends and family have been integral to our success. They were our taste testers and cheerleaders in our early stages of research and development, they helped us spread the word when we launched Slalom Fox and they continue to support us as we grow as a company.

Website: slalomfoxcocktails.com
Instagram: Slalomfoxcocktails
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katie-burns-50aa4987/
Facebook: Slalom Fox Cocktails

Image Credits
Greg Lipinski Courtney Wilson