We had the good fortune of connecting with Melissa Baker and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Melissa, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
When Quinton and I started thinking about canned cocktails in 2017, no one else was putting actual spirits into cans and making real cocktails to-go. Of course a lot has changed since then, but at the time everything was malt beverage or total sugar bombs. Having lived in Colorado since our early twenties, we were always camping & boating and bringing a bottle of vodka and some mixers around was so inconvenient! I owned two restaurant / bars in Steamboat and Quinton was a bartender in Denver, so I sold everything and he quit his job and we went all in on canned cocktails.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
We pride ourselves on making real, craft cocktails, that happen to come in cans. We use the same ingredients you would use behind the bar. Nowadays there are lots of companies putting drinks into cans but few are using actual real ingredients. We still make all of the flavorings ourselves, even if that means more work.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Union Station is always our first stop when we have visitors. Quinton was working at Mercantile when the idea for Candid came about, so it has always been a special place for us. While we’re downtown we would stop at fellow former Mercantile bartender’s spot, Brass Tacks. If we were out to show someone all the best bars in town we would have to head to Englewood to show off the Englewood Grand. After that we would probably head out of the city! We love hiking, rafting and camping so when friends are in town, we have to show them Colorful Colorado!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Quinton Bennett is really the inspiration behind Candid. He comes up with all the flavor combinations and handles all the production. We make a pretty good team as I do all the boring paper work and he makes all the tasty drinks!

Website: www.candidcocktails.com

Instagram: @candidcocktail

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-baker-63555315b/

Facebook: @candidcocktails

Image Credits
Diana Davis Ross Bernard

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutColorado is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.