Get to Know Edson Hong, CEO & Founder of LAVA Craft Cocktail Co.
BME: For those that aren’t familiar with you and your brand LAVA could you provide me with some background and history of how it all started?
Edson: The idea behind LAVA started back in 2010 when I was in hotel industry management working in the food and beverage scene with bars and restaurants. We had noticed that there was a big need for higher quality mixers. They were all low quality, boring, or made with a bunch of artificial ingredients. We had trouble with consistency, because the mixers needed so much doctoring to make them taste right. Bartenders would often pair a really nice vodka with a low end mixer, and it just didn’t feel right doing that. We decided to come up with something unique, shelf stable, much higher quality and made with better ingredients.
My business partner and I are both big bloody mary connoisseurs so we decided to start with a bloody mary mix but to make it truly unique and different. Working in food and beverage, we both knew that we wanted to use Italian San Marzano tomatoes, because they are the best in the world. All of the chefs in the culinary world use these tomatoes, but nobody tried to incorporate them into a bloody mary before. We soon found out why. Aside from being the best in the world, they are also the most expensive. But that gave us all the more reason to use these delicious tomatoes in our bloody mary mix, because LAVA is all about elevating your cocktail experience.
The name LAVA comes from the tomatoes and ingredients that we use. They are grown on volcanic soil. A lot of the ingredients we use are naturally grown that way. It makes them less acidic and allows for a richer flavor. We started coming up with different recipes and formulations with a rigorous research and development process and the goal of making our bloody mary with a homemade freshness and great taste straight out of the bottle.
Once we dialed in the formula and recipe, we started batching bloody marys in a garage with no fancy equipment. It was a big mess blending tomatoes, mixing spices, hot bottling, and more, but that’s how we got everything going. We literally started from ground zero. One bottle, one case, having to source everything down to the bottle caps. We didn’t have any rich investors or big pockets, just a VERY small personal investment to kick the tires and see where it takes us. We had a big dream. That’s what kept us going then and still keeps us going today. Because of our experience in the hotel industry and as a customer in the on-premise liquor world, we were able to leverage that network. We understood what our customers’ needs were and were able to fill that void.
BME: What has been your biggest struggle running a business? Any advice for others that want to follow in your footsteps?
Edson: Initially the biggest struggle was not having any experience in the supplier side of the beverage industry. Business development, the research and development process, pricing, logistics, and so many other things like that. However, I will say that it was also a blessing in disguise. If you fully understand the market ahead of time, it’s easy to get discouraged and lose focus. The cocktail market is huge, and had we known the enormous obstacle ahead of us when we first started, we might not have moved forward with our idea.
Having started something from ground zero I always try to give honest advice to aspiring entrepreneurs. Focus on leveraging your strengths. If you’re a marketer or designer, use those skills to help tackle larger expenses in the beginning. My background is in marketing, design, and business development, so I was able to create our brand, packaging, and website without spending money, just my sweat equity. Also, stay laser focused. Just know you can’t do everything at once. Take baby steps. We started by focusing on just the bloody mary mix. Once we had that narrowed down, we were able to incorporate more products into our brand.
BME: I’m guessing I know the answer to this already, but can you tell me what your favorite LAVA brand product is and why?
Edson: The bloody mary is super near and dear to me because it’s our signature and the first product we made. It’s our baby. Aside from the fact that we are big bloody mary fans. Honestly though it also depends on my mood. All of our products have a high level of research and development that go into them, so I have a lot of love for each of them. It really is a rigorous process but something we are really proud of doing. That’s why I can’t pick an absolute favorite. It sounds cheesy, but I think they are all special.
BME: As far as customer favorites, what would you say is your most popular product?
Edson: It was originally the Bloody Mary Mix due to the seniority of the product. Currently our most popular mixer is our Jalapeño Margarita. It is a top seller on Amazon and has garnered a bit of a cult following. We puree real jalapeños into every bottle. So you get the real jalapeno experience — the taste, smell, and heat. That’s what we want customers to get from all of our products —the real flavors, the real experience. It’s also the hardest part to achieve, but that is what makes LAVA different, unique, and something we are really proud of.
BME: Thank you so much for taking the time to share your story and background with LAVA. Where can people find your amazing mixers to try them out for themselves?
Edson: Our all natural San Marzano Bloody Mary Mix can be found in hundreds of restaurants, bars, venues, and retail stores in California and in some other states as well. We are constantly expanding into other territories. But with all things Covid, we had to pivot a lot of our focus to e-commerce. Anyone in the USA can purchase LAVA and get it as soon as next-day from our website (drinklava.com) or through Amazon. Really convenient and safe. Or, have your local store contact us to get LAVA stocked up near you. For B2B wholesale inquiries, we are distributed by Young’s Market Company (recently merged with RNDC) and also self-distribute outside of their territories, so please email us at info@drinklava.com for more information.
LAVA Recipes
Pre-Turkey Brunch Bloody
In a cocktail shaker with cubed ice add:
2oz vodka
4oz LAVA All Natural Bloody Mary Mix
Shake well. Rim glass with sea salt or tajin. Pour cocktail into glass with fresh ice. Garnish with fried potato croquettes, deviled eggs, and maple glazed thick bacon.
Beergarita: Beer Margarita
In a big pitcher add:
Cubed ice
12oz ice cold lager beer
10oz LAVA Skinny Margarita Mix
6oz 7UP soda
8oz 100% agave blanco tequila (aka white/silver)
Stir well. Pour into glass with fresh ice. Garnish with a thin sliced lime wheel inside drink.
Whiskey Sour
In a cocktail shake (no ice) add:
1.5oz bourbon whiskey
2oz LAVA Sweet & Sour Mix
0.5oz egg white
Dry shake (no ice) for 10 seconds. Add ice into shaker and shake well 5 more seconds. Strain and pour into glass filled with fresh ice.
Natasha Octon
Natasha is a San Diego based food blogger and photographer who loves cooking and developing unique recipes in her home kitchen. When she’s not cooking at home, she loves dining out on the town. Aa large section of fher blog is dedicated to local San Diego cuisine, and she’s always inspired by the amazing chefs and restaurant owners she gets to meet along the way. Follow her at
