Atlanta bartender creates at-home cocktail kits

ATLANTA - Last year, after nearly a decade as one of metro Atlanta’s go-to bartenders and cocktail creators, Mercedes O’Brien found herself in the same situation as the rest of the world: stuck at home.

"The bar is where I lived and where I grew, and with everything shuttering its doors ... I got kind of depressed," says O’Brien.  "I just wanted to get back to my roots and decided that those people that I missed connecting with and making drinks for, they wanted something more than just a G & T at home."

And thus, a new concoction was born. O’Brien created SippN at Home, a business specializing in at-home cocktail kits and virtual classes. The bartender says she knew that people missed enjoying mixed drinks, but that many were afraid to attempt crafting them at home.

"There's an intimidation factor, where they look at a recipe card and they're like, 'Oh, well, I'm not going to make that.' [But] if you get it in a kit, where most of the heavy lifting is already done and all you have to do is juice a piece of fruit, you have a full-fledged cocktail at your disposal," O’Brien says.

WATCH: FOX 5 Atlanta live news coverage

Cocktail kit menus are posted on Instagram on Tuesdays, and kits are delivered (within a five-mile radius) on Fridays. Those who live outside the delivery area may pick the kits up on Saturdays. O’Brien says she’s busy creating a new website, which will launch soon, and expanded shipping will also be implemented. The kits come with all the ingredients except for the spirits, and step-by-step instructions are also provided.

Right now, O’Brien says those interested in booking a virtual class or ordering a kit can send an e-mail to sippnathome@gmail.com or can check out her Instagram for more information. In the meantime, to check out our adventure making a Lebanese Daiquiri with Mercedes O’Brien, click the video player in this article! 

Download the FOX 5 Atlanta app for breaking news and weather alerts.