Vena’s Fizz House
Where cocktails & mocktails are created equal!
We are fond of flavors and passionate about beverage making.
Our enduring tagline, “Where Cocktails & Mocktails Are Created Equal,” embodies our unwavering commitment to providing exceptional libations for all tastes and preferences.
Vena’s Fizz House was a cocktail/mocktail bar and mixology shop located in Portland, Maine. Founded by Steve and Johanna Corman, the business began in 2013 specializing in old fashioned, all natural fizz sodas, and “mocktails”. In 2015, Vena’s obtained a liquor license and began creating a custom cocktails as well. The use of bitters and hard-to-find nostalgic ingredients, like shrubs, and switchels, are a staple in crafting our beverages.
In 2021, the venue was closed to focus exclusively on Vena’s brand of all natural, organic beverage making retail products. Our collections include Spirit Sipper Infusion Jars, all natural, freeze-dried fruit, herbs & sweeteners in mason jars that are ready to drink by simply adding alcohol for cocktails or hot water for mocktails, bitters, syrups and bitters infused sugar cubes. They are available at our online shop and at over 500 retailers nationwide.
Vena’s is also recognized as a go-to resource for mixology education. Our FIZZ ED Mixology Classes are offered both virtually and in person. Whether it’s a corporate team building event, family reunion, birthday, bachelorette party or any other occasion, choose from our themed classes or let us customize it to fit your flavor preference, with or without alcohol.
Our Private Events & Bar Services let us do what we do best. We offer everything you need to make your event beverages special. Weddings, graduations, proms, fundraising and networking events – make them stand out with drink offerings that are thoughtfully crafted – with or without alcohol. Choose from our set menus or customize to fit your event vision or preference.
VENUE UPDATE – JULY 2023
Hello Friends –
If you have a passion for beverages, the journey typically begins with following recipes carefully to understand the importance of balance in a well-crafted drink. As you gain experience, you develop your own flavor preferences and the confidence to make adjustments to suit your taste. You might add more citrus for extra sourness, more syrup for added sweetness, more bitters to enhance and balance the tas
te, or more seltzer for a refreshing fizz (our personal favorite!).
Our journey at Vena’s Fizz House mirrors much of this process. We started in 2013 as Portland’s first mocktail bar, and after two years, we gained the confidence to introduce cocktails to our menu. It was a subtle indication from our customers when we found empty nip bottles in the trash—they were enjoying our mocktails so much that they started adding their favorite spirits. That’s when Vena’s truly came into its own. We have always had a fondness for old-fashioned ingredients and natural flavors, and over the next eight years, we stirred, muddled, and shaked our way through the world of beverages, incorporating bitters, shrubs, switchels, and botanical infusions into our creations.
That passion for flavor has also led to developing Vena’s own brand of beverage-making ingredients. When the pandemic hit, we made the difficult decision to close the venue and shift our focus entirely towards marketing and creating brand awareness. Over the course of the past two and a half years, we dedicated our efforts in developing our products that include Spirit Sipper & Nipper Infusion Jars, Bitters & Tinctures, Syrups, and Bitters Infused Sugar Cubes. Today, you can find our brand on the shelves of over 700 retailers nationwide.
We have always had the intention of eventually returning and reopening a physical venue and went about purchasing a property on Congress St. in Portland. However, we have come to realize that much has evolved since we last closed our doors on Fore Street in Portland. The hospitality industry itself has undergone significant changes, and we have also undergone our own transformation. Our priorities, both personally and professionally, have been reshaped by our current focus. The transition to an ecommerce business has provided us with the opportunity to achieve a healthier work-life balance. Just as the ingredients in a beverage are adjusted to cater to individual preferences, the adjustments we have made to our business model have helped clarify our priorities.
If closing our venue in 2021 was our first difficult decision, then sharing with you that we will not be opening the intended venue is our second difficult decision. Please know that this decision was not made lightly; it involved careful consideration, professional advice, and a deep sense of gratitude.
We are incredibly thankful for the journey we have undertaken and the impact we have made. It has been a world that enabled two former school teachers to forge a path in the mocktail movement, leaving a lasting impact on the entire industry. Our efforts of authentic beverage making, where both mocktails and cocktails are given equal importance will continue on in our product brand and in our unwavering passion for flavor through our mixology classes and bar services through our Westbrook, Maine location.
While our decision not to open a large scale venue marks the end of one chapter, it also signifies the beginning of a new one. We are keeping ourselves open to other opportunities and will carry the experiences, knowledge, and memories gained as we explore new avenues and continue to contribute to the beverage world in different ways.
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
~Johanna & Steve Corman
