Double Dutch Founders, Raissa & Joyce De Haas
Raissa de Haas is one half of Double Dutch, an award-winning premium mixology brand she co-founded with her twin, Joyce.
First-class, fabulous, and flavoursome, Double Dutch’s thirteen-strong range of refreshing soft drinks is the perfect pair to any event, or sister serve to any spirit.
Born in the Netherlands, made in the UK, and now enjoyed around the world, Double Dutch boasts unique, bold, and unexpected flavour pairings made with high-quality ingredients and no artificial flavouring, colours, or preservatives.
What’s your favourite drink to make?
My favourite drink to make is a Paloma. I take a bit of Tequila (maybe a bit more), add agave syrup, and finish with Double Dutch Pink Grapefruit soda (the newest product in our range)! This creates not only an intensely rich grapefruit flavour, but also adds hints of Persian lime for both sweetness and depth.
I can’t just stick to one favourite drink—it’s like choosing your favourite child! However, a drink that’s always a winner at cocktail parties is my twist on an Americano: I take 20ml of Sweet Vermouth and 20ml of Campari, and top up with Double Dutch Pomegranate & Basil.
What made you want to start selling your own mixers and tonics?
My twin sister, Joyce, and I were born and raised in the Netherlands: the birthplace of gin. The inspiration for Double Dutch was ingrained in us from an early age as our parents owned a gin and spirits shop, giving us knowledge and an eye for good flavour.
The gin market has boomed in recent years, but tonic has lagged behind. We saw a gap in the market for flavour experimentations and innovative mixers, not just to accompany gin, but also in other areas of the drinks market.
It was during our time at university that Double Dutch became a reality. We won the UCL Bright Ideas Fund, which provided us with financial investment, including a year’s free office space in London, and led us to launch the brand here in the UK.
Can you explain the Female Bartending Scholarship?
The Female Bartending Scholarship is a 12-week programme to elevate and educate female bartending talent. There is still such an underrepresentation of women in bartending, so we hope our scholarship will help build a community of female bartending talent.
We’re delighted that our scholarship is back for a second year; this year, we’re supporting a group of 8 bartenders with courses from key industry mentors covering topics such as social media, building a brand, developing signature serves, designing chic yet profitable menus, and maintaining a balance between work and life
Where do you get inspiration for your recipes?
The inspirations for our drinks come mostly from food. We are also inspired by a lot of customer feedback suggesting flavours they’d love to see in the Double Dutch range.
Can you talk about your NFT launch?
We launched our NFTs about two months ago as part of a collaboration with our friends at Wignac (a premium French organic cider) and the super-talented artist, Gabriella Anouk.
We’re very much about championing women, and so is Wignac’s ethos, which led to the partnership. The metaverse isn’t something we’d previously explored, so we saw the collaboration as a great opportunity to reach new audiences worldwide, without geographical barriers.
Gabriella has designed 30 unique cocktail artworks as part of the collection, and we also made a bespoke cocktail recipe to create the perfect pairing.
It also means people can become part of an exclusive community, securing access to invite-only events or redeeming a package that includes a print of the NFT artwork, and Double Dutch and Wignac goodies.
What’s your favourite type of alcohol?
Gin is an all-time classic because it has a wide variety of interesting flavours. It’s maybe becoming a bit of an oversaturated market, though. At the moment, I am living for Tequila and Mezcal, and I think these will continue to rise in popularity.
What has been the most difficult part of running your business?
There have been a few, and getting over the first few sales was initially tough. But, the most difficult part is probably developing new products and working with stockholding (especially dealing with the shelf life of products).
What’s your number one tip for bartending?
My number one tip is to keep the recipes super, super simple. Go back to basics, but don’t compromise on high-quality ingredients. A year ago, it was trendy to experiment with using lots of ingredients and garnishes. However, with the current economic environment and supply issues, it’s much more important to focus on using high-quality ingredients. Stick to 3 or 4 core ingredients, and don’t overcomplicate it.
What’s the meaning behind the name “Double Dutch”?
We’re called Double Dutch after myself, and my twin sister, Joyce. We were born in the Netherlands, where the “Dutch” comes into the brand name, but our drinks are made in the UK and enjoyed worldwide.
Our focus is on creating innovative and distinctive flavour combinations. We believe that no one should have to drink dull, flavourless, glass-half-empty drinks. □
Article Credits
Double Dutch’s Instagram: @doubledutchdrinks
Double Dutch’s Facebook: @doubledutchdrinks
