3 Incredible Days in 3 Minutes

With just 2 weeks to go, we thought you might need a little reminder for why you need to purchase your tickets to the 2013 Atlanta Food & Wine Festival before they’re all gone!

The 2012 Atlanta Food and Wine Festival is long gone, but the memory still remains. Three spectacular days of Southern culinary supremacy with copious amounts of wine and cocktails to keep the wheels turning gave birth to the above video. In only the second year, festival organizers Dominique Love and Elizabeth Feichter succeeded in making the event more streamlined while also packing as much education, eats, and drinks into three days than anyone could possibly imagine. Can’t wait to do it all over again next year. Cheers and if you’re weren’t able to make it to the festivities, enjoy the good times above!

Atlanta Food & Wine Festival | Twitter | Facebook

Tim Gaddis at the helm

Say “Cheese”

Everyone in Atlanta (and beyond) knows all about Tim Gaddis…or do they? I had the opportunity to sit down with everyone’s favorite Cheesemonger from Star Provisions for a Q&A session to find out everything from how he got his start in the business (did you know he was a police officer first?), to his current favorite cheeses, and a preview into what he has in store for the Atlanta Food & Wine Festival, which comes to town May 30 – June 2, 2013.

Q. You’re returning to the Atlanta Food & Wine Festival this year with two different classes, can you tell us more about what we can expect?

One of the classes is going to be on Saturday, and it’s a bourbon and cheese pairing. You’ve seen beer and cheese, wine and cheese, but I thought it would be fun to do bourbon and cheese since bourbon is southern and we get a lot more southern cheeses in the shop. We love the south, we love the bourbons, it just made sense. So I made connections with the guys from The Bourbon Review, Seth and Justin Thompson, at the Food & Wine festival in 2012, and over the last year we talked about putting this together, so that one is going to be fun. The next one is on Sunday with a former colleague of mine, Liz Thorpe who used to be the vice president at Murray’s Cheese Shop in New York City. She started to work at Murray’s at the same time I did in 2003, stayed on and became vice president, taking the company to great levels, and now she’s doing a book tour. So we are teaming up to do an old world/new world cheese comparison class. We’re going to be talking about some old classic French style and European style cheeses, and bringing in their southern, American counterparts, talking about how those cheeses influenced the new cheeses, and how the two work together.

Great idea, feels like you’re getting a history lesson to go along with the tasting session.

Right, you definitely get a history lesson as well. A lot of people are familiar with the classic French cheeses, so to be able to relate that to some of the cheeses being made right here in our backyard, it puts things together for people. Like classic French cuisine, we wouldn’t be making what we make in restaurants today without those classics from Europe. And the cheeses we’re making now were of course influenced by cheeses that were made 800 years ago throughout Europe, so we’re just following along with what people have done before and putting our own spin on it.

Cheese from around the world

Q: What are you most looking forward to about the festival this year?

I’m definitely looking forward to the bourbon class. It’s been fun working with Seth and Justin leading up to it. I haven’t really seen anyone try to put those two things together before, and it’s two things I enjoy a lot. I’m also looking forward to catching some of the seminars going on. Any time Tyler Brown from The Hermitage in Nashville comes down, I’m always excited to see what he’s doing. I always enjoy his food every time I’m in Nashville. They actually just started up a farm, Double H Farms, and they’re raising their own beef. So I can imagine they’re going to be putting together something interesting around their new farm. And of course, roaming around the tasting tents – that’s always fun.

Tim Gaddis talking with customers

Q: You haven’t always had a background in cheese. I’ve seen pictures of you when you were once a police officer, and then you moved to NYC. Can you tell us more about that?

I was a police officer in North Georgia in a little town called Ellijay. After my daughter Nicole was born, we didn’t feel right about her going to day care, and felt like she needed a stay at home parent for those first few years of life. So I quit work and stayed home with her, while my wife continued her job as an attorney. When my wife went back to work after having Nicole, she worked out of Atlanta. For the first six months or so we had a home in Ellijay, and she was commuting from Atlanta. Then we had an apartment in Atlanta and a home in Ellijay, which was a lot of fun, going home to the mountains on the weekend. But then we bought a house closer to Atlanta, and I just stayed at home for the next couple of years.

I knew once my daughter started school I would have to go back to work, but if I had gone back to the police department, I would have been starting over. I had always been interested in cooking, and during those years I was a stay at home dad I did a lot more of it. So I decided to go to culinary school. My wife made a joking remark, or at least I think she was joking, that I should pick out whatever school I liked, and if I can get in, we’ll figure out how to go. So I decided on the French Culinary Institute in New York, as I thought it was one of the best choices. If you want to go to where the best is, you go to New York City, that’s the food capital. And I got in. So we sold our house, and my wife was able to continue working out of our apartment in Brooklyn.

Tim Gaddis at work

A couple of months into culinary school, I had a few internships including at Union Pacific and with Rocco Dispirito. But they were only internships, so I wasn’t getting paid. Then Rob Kaufelt, the owner of Murray’s Cheese Shop came to school one day, and did a presentation. He said if anyone needs a job we’re opening up a new store at Grand Central Station and I need some retail people. So I bugged him until he said to come on down, and they hired me. And that’s when I fell in love with cheese. Of course because I spent money to go to culinary school, I thought I’m going to eventually go work for a kitchen. I interviewed with a couple of kitchens in New York City, and each time they asked “why do you want to leave Murray’s?” and after two or three times being asked that, I realized I actually don’t, except to come back to Atlanta. So I stayed at Murray’s until we moved back.

Star Provisions/Bacchanalia

When we moved, I started looking around trying to find restaurants, cheese shops, etc. to work in, and came across Star Provisions. This was back in December 2003, when there were no other cheese shops in town at the time. I sent my resume to Chef Anne Quatrano, and Rob at Murray’s was nice enough to give me a good recommendation. It was right around Christmas, so Chef Quatrano needed someone that could just jump in and start cutting cheese, and I haven’t moved from this spot since.

Q: Clearly thing have changed in the past 10 years since you first started, going from being the only cheese shop at the time to everything we have now. Have you had to do anything to compete with the changing times/offerings or have you always been doing something here that’s so unique that the formula didn’t need to change?

I don’t think the formula needed to change. I think its just you do what you do best and you stay the course, and you don’t try to change just because of what someone else does. That’s really the best way to do it, and even back then when I came back down, being a southern boy, my passion has always been all things southern. So at the time, for example, I had Sweet Grass Dairy cheese, because I still wanted to offer something local. But of course no one wanted that, as everyone wanted French and European, or the Wisconsin and California cheeses. But since then I’ve seen what people are looking for now has shifted from European cheeses to the local southern cheeses.

Cheese case at Star Provisions

Going back to the history and the cheese class I’m doing with Liz, cheese has been made exactly the same way for hundreds of years, and it really hasn’t changed. It’s three ingredients – milk, salt and rennet, and a few other cultures and starters working their way in there, but for the most part those are the three basic ingredients for cheese, and they’ve been doing it that way since the beginning, and that’s what fascinates me. Cheese is just simply a means of preservation. Anytime I get people who talk about wanting a “fancy” cheese or “gourmet” cheese, it always kind of bugs me a little bit, because 300 years ago it was just a farmer trying to preserve his milk. They weren’t trying to be gourmet, they weren’t trying to be fancy, it was purely preservation.

You were ahead of your time, but what’s interesting is that you just did it because that’s what you knew and loved.

Right, it’s just the region that I loved. And if you go to a cheese shop in Normandy or Italy, they’re selling cheeses that were made down the road. They’re selling stuff that’s local and they’re not trying to sell what was made in England or Scotland, etc. This is what was made down here. This is what we have. This is it. And of course we want to offer as much selection to the customer as possible, but I think it’s important to also offer what’s local, or at least regional. Over the last 10 years I’ve noticed people a lot more interested in what’s going on locally.

Q: What future trends are you seeing as it relates to cheese? Any shifts that you’re keeping your eye on?

Local is really the biggest thing that I’ve seen and what you’ll see more of at this cheese shop. I’ve stayed friends with cheesemongers throughout the nation, and everyone is focused on the same thing, on what’s going on in their local areas. But what I have noticed with southern cheeses especially, is that it helped that the American Cheese Society Conference was in Raleigh, NC last year, so it really introduced the whole nation to what’s going on in the south. Now I’ve noticed more often cheesemongers I’m friends with in New York and Philadelphia saying “Tell me more about this dairy down in the south that I keep hearing about. Do you have a contact for them?” – it’s nice to see them interested in what we have going on here.

Selection of cheeses at Star Provisions

Q: What would you say are your top three must have cheeses for the moment?

There are so many cheeses… they are all just so good. But if I had to narrow it down: Many Fold Farm – in Chattahoochee Hills, south Fulton county Georgia, has their condor’s ruin – the name comes from the Condor family who used to run a dairy in that area (in ruin). It’s ash ripened, pyramid shaped, sheep’s milk cheese. You see a lot of that ripened, pyramid goats milk, but this is a sheep’s milk. They are the only sheep’s milk producer in Georgia, and one of only 3 in the southeast. They are definitely forging the way, as you don’t see a whole lot of sheep’s milk cheeses being made throughout the U.S. compared to cow and goat, because they produce less milk and its expensive to produce cheese from, but they make amazing cheese.

Mini Fold Farm – Condor Ruin

The second one is another one from Georgia, the Fort Sonia from Nature’s Harmony Farm. It’s an alpine style cow’s milk cheese. Tim young is the cheesemaker, and he makes the cheese spring through fall when his cows are eating fresh grass. That’s the only time he makes the cheese. So the cows are always feeding on fresh grass, never on anything supplementary, so its really just rich, earthy, grass fed, buttery cow’s milk cheese. It’s really deep, as you get the grass fed milk and the grassy flavor. The age really starts to come through as you also get caramel notes, butterscotch, a little bit nutty, sweet – a delicious cheese.

Nature’s Harmony Farm – Fort Sonia

The third one would be something I just cut open – a wheel of Bayley Hazen Blue from Jasper Hill Farm, just a gorgeous, phenomenal cheese. It’s always a great cheese and a staple around here, I love it. Sometimes I cut open the wheel and it’s just so fabulous. I would imagine that most of them I will have over the next few months are going to be equally as good, because you definitely see that change in season especially from a small farm like Jasper Hill. I always pay attention to the batch number on the cheeses, so I know exactly when that’s going to happen – when to watch for different flavors.

Jasper Hill Farm – Bayle Hazen Blue

You know my favorite right now is the Capra Gia chèvre which you introduced me to, and when the season changes to cold, it’s back to the Winnimere (also Jasper Hill)…

Capra Gia Chèvre with Violets (Georgia)

Goat cheeses are great for spring, because the goat farms will dry off their goats in the winter, they’ll get pregnant and have kids in the spring, and then when the kids finish nursing they start producing milk again for cheese making, so that’s why you see a lot of fresh goats milk cheeses in the spring. They can be made year round, with the proper approach, but the flowers and the grass starting to come up for their feed makes a big difference. They’re not just eating straw in the barn, they’re eating fresh grass and flowers. It makes a world of difference in the taste of the cheese.

Q: Any final thoughts?

Come visit us for cheese tastings at the shop. We host them every third Thursday, every month (the next one is this Thursday, May 16th at 6pm – French 101). There are about four to five cheeses, two wines, and a different theme each month. Last month was Many Fold Farm, which I liked as it is great being able to do something with the local farm. That way the cheese makers can come up, talk about their cheeses, tell people how it’s made and how they came up with the idea. It’s nice to give customers the opportunity to make that link between their cheese and the cheesemaker. Everybody comes in and talks to me day after day, but to actually be able to put them in my position, to talk directly to the cheesemaker – it’s a unique experience for them.

Cheese Tasting May 16th, 2013 at Star Provisions

So you don’t have to be an expert to come to the tastings, it’s for everyone at every level, and you’re going to learn something no matter what?

Right, you definitely don’t have to be an expert. You either like the cheese or you don’t. It’s all just about getting to know what you like.

Star Provisions is located at 1198 Howell Mill Road, Atlanta, GA. Reservations for the cheese tasting can be made at 404-365-0410 ext. 132. Cost is $25 and includes cheese & wine; Tickets for the 2013 Atlanta Food & Wine Festival can be purchased here. Festival dates are May 30 – June 2, ticket prices vary.

A craft beer, wine, and margarita fest…

Do you like Craft Beer? Do you like Salsa? Do you like Hip-Hop? Yeah, exactly! High Gravity Cinco takes place at the Georgia Freight Depot – a HUGE 25,000 sq. ft. venue featuring indoor and outdoor spaces for you to sip in fresh air or bask in chilling air conditioning.

Visit HighGravityHipHop.com for more information
The HGHH Experience:
- Souvenir tasting glass
- Unlimited responsible tastings
- Live Salsa Band
- Free Salsa Lessons
- Live DJ spinning Latin Hip Hop & House
- Mechanical Bull Rides
- Inflatable Games
- Art Gallery feat. David Patterson
- Food Vendors
- Souvenir Gift Bag

Tickets are only $50
http://highgravityhiphop.com/store/products/tickets

Celebrate National Cherry Month with these picks…

The Black Cherry designation refers to the mahogany color of the cherry flesh. Just a few varieties have dark skin. The most well known cherry variety is the Bing cherry. Lambert, Chelan, Sweetheart and Tulare are varieties to seek out as they are candy-like sweet, plump and juicy.
 
Black Cherry (Sweet Cherries) have all the right stuff for making jam and cherry pies for National Cherry Day. Cherry sodas and ice creams are popular fountain standards. Chocolate & Cherry? The Black Forest cake and chocolate covered cherries are a must have. Many cherry lovers look forward to finishing their cocktail, simply to enjoy that cherry garnish.
 
BingO ! Enjoy a cocktail with Black Cherry throughout your entire libation with Southern Comfort Black Cherry. Bonus feature: add Southern Comfort Black Cherry to your jam, cherry soda, desserts and of course, cocktails…
 

Cocktails

Southern Cherry Manhattan

• 2 ¼ oz Southern Comfort Bold Black Cherry
• ¾ oz Sweet Vermouth
• Dash of bitters

Directions: Combine ingredients with ice in a shaker. Shake well. Strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a cherry.

SoCo Chocolate Covered Cherry Shot

• 1 ¼ oz Southern Comfort Bold Black Cherry
• ½ oz dark crème de cocoa

Directions: In a shaker filled with ice, add ingredients, shake and strain into a shot glass.

SoCo Cherry & Cola

• 1 ½ oz Southern Comfort Bold Black Cherry
• 4 oz cola

Directions: Fill a tall glass with ice and add Southern Comfort Bold Black Cherry. Top with cola and stir. Garnish with a cherry.
 
Happy National Cherry Month!

Jack is changing the game…after 100 years.

After 100 years of tradition, Jack Daniel’s changes their recipe (known as the mash bill or grain bill) and introduces a white whiskey, Jack Daniel’s Unaged Tennessee Rye. This limited edition Distiller’s Run is now available in Atlanta. Many view this release as a piece of history and a collectable item. Others simply enjoy a unique expression from Jack Daniel’s. When tasters at Jack Daniel’s sampled it after distillation, they said this should not wait to be released. Jack Daniel’s Unaged TN Rye is offered only in a small batch, limited supply. The majority of the new rye whiskey will mature in Jack Daniel’s barrelhouses for a future release.
 

Development

Jack Daniel’s explains the Unaged Tennessee Rye is Jeff Arnett’s exploration into the intriguing flavor drawn from premium rye. It’s the first time since before Prohibition the Jack Daniel Distillery has used a new grain recipe. Rye has always been part of the Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7 grain bill but it has never been the lead grain until now. The Unaged Rye grain bill is 70 percent rye, 18 percent corn and 12 percent barley malt. Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey is comprised of 80 percent corn, 12 percent barley malt and 8 percent rye. Jack Daniel’s Unaged Rye is the distillery’s first offering in the rye category and the first time that Jack Daniel’s has altered its grain bill for a new product since prior to Prohibition.

Flavor

Jack Daniel’s Unaged Rye uses cave spring water from the Jack Daniel’s Hollow, proprietary yeast and charcoal mellowing. While enjoying a sample with friends, the following comments were unanimous: An unexpected sweetness, a wonderful ‘breadiness’ along with being the most balanced and ’rounded’ white whiskey we have experienced. From the distillery: Although this unaged rye is not a mature whiskey, it offers a spicy, surprisingly sweet flavor. Whiskey enthusiasts and those who aspire to be “master tasters” are sure to appreciate its raw nature. It’s a chance to taste the unaged spirit as our master tasters do, appreciating what the grain adds to the whiskey before the spirit draws its flavor from the barrel.
 

Cocktails

Sipping the Unaged Rye will appeal to purists. For those who prefer cocktails, below you will find a few suggestions from Jack Daniel’s. Try the rye, appreciate the historical significance and pick up an extra bottle as a collectable.


Jack Daniel’s | Facebook

A cocktail day for the “5th white spirit”…

During National Pisco Sour Day visit one or more of the following locations and you be the judge as to who makes the best Portón Pisco cocktail in Atlanta. Seven Lamps and Prohibition – located in Atlanta – have jumped on board offering guests specials on select Pisco cocktails made with Portón, including a Pisco Sour on Saturday, Feb. 2nd.

So what is a Pisco Sour anyway?

Pisco, also known as the “5th white spirit,” is a type of brandy cultivated from grapes in Peru. A concoction with lime juice, simple syrup, a dash of egg whites and bitters is truly special to Peruvian heritage. The history of the spirit dates back to the 16th century and the Pisco Sour is nearly 100 years old, first created by the American ex-pat Victor Morris and then perfected by Mario Bruguet, who made the velvet-like addition of egg whites to the recipe. The newer iterations make use of Portón Pisco, the first premium pisco available in the U.S. It’s the white spirit’s category equivalent of single-malt scotch and combines centuries-old methods with state-of-the-art and eco-friendly technology to create a pisco of unmatched quality.

Recipe

Pisco Sour

• 1 ½ parts Portón pisco
• ½ part fresh lime juice
• ½ part simple syrup
• ¼ part egg white
• 1 dash of Angosutra bitters

Directions: Shake ingredients with ice. Strain into chilled glass. Garnish with a dash of bitters.

Participating Locations

Seven Lamps
WHAT:$7 specials on Portón Pisco cocktails including fresh fruit infused Pisco Sour.
WHERE: 3400 Around Lenox Road, No. 217 Atlanta, GA 30326 , 404-467-8950
WHY: Celebrate National Pisco Sour Day with Portón cocktails!
 
Prohibition
WHAT: Get one free Portón Pisco cocktail
WHEN: February 2nd 5:00 p.m.– 7:00 p.m.
WHERE: 56 E. Andrews Drive Atlanta, GA 30305
WHY: Celebrate National Pisco Sour Day with Portón cocktails!
 
Check out all the locations Celebrating National Pisco Sour Day with Portón cocktails:
Kaleidoscope in Brookhaven
Bourbon Bar at the Hotel Intercontinental in Buckhead
Modern Restaurant in Buckhead

Fresh menu items and a brand new bar…

After thirteen years as one of Atlanta’s most popular Southern inspired restaurants, the owners decided it was time for a facelift. The open house at Food 101 introduced their newly designed restaurant and launch of Barrel Bar. The evening provided a sneak preview of Food 101’s inventive cocktails along with Executive Chef Justin Keith’s bar menu featuring bold flavors of the new South.
The décor has changed and the white table cloths have disappeared. Guests are now greeted with a feeling of relaxed Southern charm with weathered butcher block table tops, wood floors and a whimsical glowing “EAT” sign that radiates soft light from the center of the dining room. Their mainstay of friendly Southern manners and hospitality along with fine food served with pride is certain to have y’all come back now.
The bar and snack preview menu featured bourbon and Southern fare. Poached pears topped my favorites for the evening along with the housemade pickles as well as the smoked ribs with a spicy kick. The chicken skins, charcuterie, pickled beet hummus, beef jerky were a few others. Chef Justin takes pride in his work and appreciated our feedback on the menu items. The entire preview menu was palate pleasing to say the least.
Virtually everything we drink, whether it be wine, bourbon or rye, comes from being aged in a barrel, so “Barrel Bar” seemed appropriate to name the bar. An impressive list of small batch Bourbons, Ryes and “Shines” are showcased behind the bar. Ask Beverage Manager J.D. Doyle to explain how he has tweaked the latest batch of the barrel-aged Manhattan. There must be something special in the 101 sour mix as the Bourbon Sour was a huge hit.
Conversation continued with J.D. and Chef Justin over a cup of coffee and dessert. I could not resist the Chocolate Cake covered in ganache and garnished with flaked salt. J.D. Tells me that’s just half a piece as two ladies pass by and in unison announce “That’s the Chocolate Cake”. I offered to share only to find that they were on their way out and had already enjoyed this dessert the prior night. Looks as if Barrel Bar and Food 101 already have folks coming back for more!
Food 101 & Barrel Bar | Twitter | Facebook

Image by Yakuks Mo

Tis the season…to be drinking

For most, the holiday season can be placed in one of two categories: pure enjoyment and utter annoyance. Being a Scrooge and coming from the school of thought of the latter, I try to keep some extra holiday cheer on hand to get me through the tough times. You know the ones I’m talking about. Like when you find out that your house has been nominated to host the annual family holiday party, and your mom fails to mention that your pyromaniac uncle just got released from the institution. Yeah, it’s going to be a toasty night. Luckily we’ve got holiday cocktail recipes from our favorite brands for you to enjoy every night up until Christmas morning. Just remember to keep the fire extinguisher on hand…
Negroski

• 3.5 oz. Broken Shed Vodka
• 1 oz. Campari
• 1/3 oz. sugar
• 2/3 oz. Ruby Port or Spiced Otago Pinot

Directions: Stirred up 10 seconds (this will give best chill with least dilution). Serve up in Martini or down on the rocks. Garnish with a lemon/orange/grapefruit peel. Flame if desired.

Kahlua Gingerbread Egg Nog

• 1-2 oz. Kahlua Gingerbread Coffee Liqeur
• 4 oz. Eggnog
• Nutmeg

Directions: Mix kahlua with eggnog in a rocks glass and then sprinkle nutmeg on top.

Golden Bellini

• 1 Part Courvoisier Gold
• 1 Part DeKuyper Peachtree
• Prosecco

Directions: Shake the Courvoisier Gold and Peachtree with ice and strain into a chilled flute then top with Prosecco.

The Gingerbread Man

• 2 Parts Pinnacle® Chocolate Whipped® Vodka
• 4 Parts Ginger Ale

Directions: Shake with ice and strain into a martini glass.
 

Vixen Sugar and Spice

• 2 oz. Vixen Vodka
• 1 oz. Fireball Cinnamon Whisky
• Splash of Sour Apple Mix
• Splash of Cranberry Juice

Directions: Combine all. Shake with ice and strain into a martini glass.
 
No matter how you decide to spend the holiday season, if you’re drinking, please be sure to do it responsibly. Happy’s Holidays y’all.

Naughtiness…distilled

Ladies. You’ve had a long week. Non-stop, on the go, hustling and bustling, you’ve accomplished more in one week than most do in a month. In between soccer practice for the kids, cooking gourmet meals for the family, and ruling the boardroom at the company——all while making sure that your make-up is flawless and no hair is out of place, you deserve a reward. You deserve…something special. A spirit for empowered women by empowered women that’s equal parts sexy and sophisticated. Well look no further. The ladies of Vixen Vodka have set out to develop a brand specifically for you, poised to unleash your inner vixen. Roaring is optional.

History

The story goes, that three Atlanta women each with their own unique skill sets in sales, marketing, and design embarked on a journey. And while this sounds like a remake of Charlie’s Angels set in the South, it’s by no means scripted. These empowered women, warriors in stilettos if you will, wanted to create not only a product, but a brand they could be proud of. A brand that spoke to women and celebrated their strength, sophistication, sexiness, and lust for life.
In August 2010 while on a beach weekend getaway, LeeAnn Maxwell, Jenny Policky, and Carrie King, made the decision to develop a female-centric vodka. Now I know what you’re thinking, “how many dirty martinis did these ladies have before deciding to jump in the deep end of the alcohol and spirits industry?” I mean, after a few too many cold ones, my buddies and I typically have delusions that we’re going to go into some kind of business together and turn the industry of its ear. I swear that rattlesnake farm idea we had was a goldmine…but I digress.
 
It was actually a natural progression. The ladies would take these weekend getaways where each would bring their own bottle of vodka to share stories and discuss the ups and downs of their respective week. On this specific occasion, tiring from the burn most vodkas offered and the need to wrap the flavor in something overly sweet just to drink it, the ladies decided to take action. They wanted to create a vodka that was crisp, clean, and able to be sipped without the harsh burn. A vodka that was gluten-free, light, and figure-friendly. And lastly, a vodka that was versatile and able to finally give women what they want. It was on this day that Vixen Vodka was born.

Development

Over the course of two years, the ladies of Vixen Vodka set out develop their brand. A long search brought them to Mile High Spirits in Denver, CO. Distilled from corn and pure spring water, Vixen Vodka is made in one of the only few remaining glass stills in the world. The old school ways never go out of style. By distilling the spirit five times, it creates a higher quality product with attributes of an ultra-premium vodka that is crisp and light and can be simply enjoyed on the rocks. The vodka is distributed through Georgia-based Quality Wine & Spirits and is available at select retailers.

Flavor

Vixen has all the makings of an ultra-premium vodka, but without the hefty price tag. Distilling from corn and the fresh Colorado spring water gives Vixen a light and clean flavor profile that perfectly marries with a wide variety of mixers. The crisp attribute also makes Vixen perfect to enjoy chilled as a shot or simply with a splash of tonic and lime. The versatility of Vixen is impressive when mixed with other spirits, as it doesn’t overpower or diminish even when mixed with a cordial or whiskey for that matter.
 

Cocktails

You’re not going to be seeing any funky flavors of Vixen anytime soon. I know, you’re really sad that there’s no salted caramel or pickle-flavored vodka in the near future. Sorry to disappoint, but Vixen just doesn’t need the gimmicky flavorings. It can stand on its own, but if you need to kick things up notch, try it in one of these lustful cocktails.
 


It goes without saying that these ladies have developed a brand they can be proud of. A brand with a purpose that will have women all over the ATL discovering their inner vixen.
Vixen Vodka | Twitter | Facebook

HAPPY THANKSGIVING FROM

THE EAT. DRINK. REPEAT. FAMILY!

Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of our thanksgiving. – W.T. Purkiser

On this day when we give thanks, the operative word is to give. Many families in my hometown (and neighboring areas) have been displaced from their homes and have lost everything due to Hurricane Sandy. So on this day, we ask you to donate to those in need –  you can see a list of ways to help, volunteer and donate here… and for that kind gesture we give you thanks.

thanks·giv·ing [thangks-giv-ing]

Stay tuned for details on a benefit dinner being hosted by chef Ron Eyester and High Road Craft to raise funds for Hurricane Sandy relief efforts. Follow #NYStateofMindATL on twitter for updates on the event and to see how you can help!

Follow @sasoffer