Meet Nicole Craven and Alexis Smith | Co-Founders of Après Hours

We had the good fortune of connecting with Nicole Craven and Alexis Smith and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Nicole + Alexis, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
As espresso martini connoisseurs, we [Nicole and Alexis] saw an opportunity after noticing a lack of our favorite coffee and caffeine infused cocktail in the ready-to-drink spirits industry. With nothing on the shelf that compared to our favorite espresso martini and with few RTD cocktail brands that are female founded as well as dairy-and-gluten free, we decided to create our own. The alcohol industry is a trillion-dollar global industry and yet it lags behind when it comes to gender diversity as it is male-dominated. Less than 2% of women own a ready-to-drink cocktail. Après Hours was made to inspire women to live a life that empowers change by breaking boundaries.

What should our readers know about your business?

We launched Après Hours in 2022 with our first product, a canned dairy-and gluten-free espresso martini in three flavors: Classic, Salted Caramel and Vanilla. With a year in business under our belt, Après Hours is flying of shelves. We’ve expanded beyond Dallas into the Austin and Houston markets, selling over 20,000 cases of our canned espresso martinis and launching in over 200 liquor and grocery stores across Texas including Total Wine & More, Spec’s, Goody Goody and Central Market.

We’re a brand focused on creating community, partnering with local hospitality, lifestyle, food and beverage and fitness brands to host curated events that bring together leaders and tastemakers in Texas. Looking to make a larger impact and give-back, we developed the ‘Après Hours Grant Program’ in January 2023, an initiative that provides funding to aspiring female entrepreneurs.

As a business owner, the hardest part is getting started. We always encourage people to leap. Failure is a part of learning and growing, and setbacks will only strengthen you and your business. The most important thing we’ve learned is that no matter what roadblocks or curve balls come your way, it’s vital to continue moving forward. Change is inevitable, but how you show up to those changes and challenges makes you stronger in the long run. We still have a lot of work to do as we’ve only been in business for one year, but we’re where we are today because of our passion and perseverance.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.

There’s nothing better than an espresso martini tour of Dallas! We’d recommend the below spots (our favs) to hit for the best ‘tinis in town (besides Après Hours, of course)!

– Bowen House: for cute cocktails and bites
– Beverly’s: for the chic neighborhood brunch spot
– The Charles: for a nighttime sip surrounded by top notch cuisine and interiors
– Leela’s Wine Bar: for happy hour or post-dinner espresso ‘tini
– Lounge 31: for light dining with a swanky vibe in the heart of highland park village

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
It’s important to have mentors when starting a business, especially those who have seen success in your industry. One person who has encouraged and supported the creation of our business, Après Hours, is our friend and mentor Devin Odell. Devin is the owner of Dynasty Spirits, an alcohol brand based in Dallas, and deserves recognition as one of our most loyal advocates.

Website: https://drinkapreshours.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drinkapreshours/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/apr%C3%A8s-hours/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drinkapreshours

Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@drinkapreshours?lang=en

Image Credits
Photo Credit: Beckley