READY-made cocktails could soon be delivered to the doors of Oxford residents due to a new 'first of its kind' business venture.

Mathias Rothmann and Caitlin Langford run Bearded Viking Drinks, and want to be able to deliver bottled versions of popular cocktails to doorsteps across the city in the near future.

The couple has applied for a licence allowing them to sell alcohol from Oxford City Council, which is currently being processed.

Though the coronavirus has led many food and drink businesses to move towards a delivery model, the duo behind Bearded Viking said their plan has been in the pipeline since last year, and the pandemic has only added a sense of immediacy to it.

The idea for Bearded Viking Drinks came about when Mr Rothmann and Ms Langford, who are from Denmark and Glasgow respectively, started experimenting with making cocktails at their home in Temple Cowley.

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He said: "We have both worked in hospitality and had exposure to how to make cocktails. I ended up with a selection of spirits at home and started thinking about how to turn them into cocktails -- but I found I couldn't often be bothered.

"I thought if I cannot be bothered, then others will be feeling the same and then they might want someone to do it for them."

The began by ordering drink mixing equipment and experimenting at home, and also tested how cocktails would keep when stored in glass bottles.

They were awarded a business development grant funded by the EU via Oxford City Council, which helped them to pay for extra equipment including a bottling machine, and also hired storage space at Big Yellow Self Storage at the Horspath Estate to ramp up production to an industrial scale.

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Picture: Ed Nix

As far as they both know, their company is the only one of its kind, with the closest businesses being wholesale companies selling bottled cocktails.

The couple wants to have a standard range of cocktails which are a twist on favourites, including a orange-infused version of the Old Fashioned, and a 'crystal-blue' Martini.

They plan to allow Oxford residents to place orders on their website, then deliver the drinks by post.

Ms Langford said: "It has been about six months we have been planning this, but we realised with everything happening lately this is a good time for us to begin."

The couple both hold science PHDs and work full time jobs around Bearded Viking.

The name for the company was inspired by Mr Rothmann's Danish heritage and his long beard.

He said: "When I was dreaming up this thing, I half joked about calling it Bearded Viking Drinks and I though Caitlin would laugh at me. But she liked it and my mum liked it; and it conjures up a vivid image."

Being cocktail afficionados, the couple both have favourite mixed drinks.

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While Mr Rothmann enjoys an Old Fashioned, Ms Langford recommended a basil gimlet, made with lime juice and a gin infused with the herb which is sold at Terruño, a bar on Cowley Road.

The licence application is the 'next big step' for the pair and is currently under review by the city council.

A note on the council's website said officers are still working from home to process applications during the coronavirus lockdown.

The Bearded Viking Drinks licensing application can be seen at the Oxford City Council website public.oxford.gov.uk/online-applications by searching for reference 20/01229/PREM.

The company's website is beardedvikingdrinks.co.uk and it can be found on Facebook and Instagram.