makers // Mouth.com

McClure's
Brent Bailey, April 3, 2019

Two McClure brothers spent summers learning from their grandfather how to make Great Grandma Lala’s pickles. They’re now making vats...

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{"id":4705632,"title":"McClure's","created_at":"2011-11-27T02:09:03-05:00","body_html":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cimg src=\"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0100\/5392\/files\/McClureBrothersCombo_medium.jpg?11284\"\u003eTwo McClure brothers spent summers learning from their grandfather how to make Great Grandma Lala’s pickles. They’re now making vats of pickles, relish and Bloody Mary mix just outside of Detroit, Michigan, and producing small batches for research and development in Brooklyn.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eJoe just finished his doctorate in physiology, is a classical musician and oversees large-scale production in Michigan. Bob’s an actor, comedy writer and manages new product development and brand management in Brooklyn. The business also includes Mike (Dad), a veteran of the grocery\/retail industry who loves to ‘put ‘em in the jar’ every day, and Jennifer (Mom), who started making this recipe at age 5 and, in addition to working as a massage therapist, handles all things pickle-related.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eEvery cucumber is hand-sliced, every jar hand-packed. Most pickles use cold brine (requiring less time for fermenting), but McClure’s uses a hot brine of peppers and garlic and ferments the cucumbers for four to five months! The result is a pickle with kick.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e“I love talking to the farmers to see what’s coming in,” Joe says. “I like getting my hands dirty.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","blog_id":1310142,"author":"Brent Bailey","user_id":23116578850,"published_at":"2019-04-03T18:23:00-04:00","updated_at":"2020-03-10T17:10:36-04:00","summary_html":"","template_suffix":"","handle":"mcclures","tags":""}
Plymouth Artisan Cheese
Brent Bailey, April 3, 2019

Plymouth cheesemaker Jesse Werner was born and raised in Vermont but went halfway around the world before starting his career...

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{"id":13378925,"title":"Plymouth Artisan Cheese","created_at":"2014-04-04T13:09:11-04:00","body_html":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0100\/5392\/files\/plymouthartisancheese_80c58574-c14a-4803-91af-698fed47ec45_medium.jpg?45218\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePlymouth cheesemaker Jesse Werner was born and raised in Vermont but went halfway around the world before starting his career in cheesemaking. He completed a degree in sociology in Massachusetts, a certificate in business English in Seville, Spain, and an MBA in Prague, Czech Republic. All those degrees just weren't enough. He was hungry for something more. Back in Vermont in 2008-09, Jesse attended the Vermont Institute of Artisanal Cheese to study cheesemaking – its chemistry, microbiology and design principles. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNow, he heads up cheesemaking at one of the oldest cheese operations in the country, founded in 1890 by John Coolidge, father of President Calvin Coolidge. \u003cspan\u003ePlymouth produces artisanal raw cow’s milk cheese with milk from a single herd on a local farm -- talk about terroire! They are granular curd cheeses, a style brought to the New World by its first European settlers. They r\u003cspan\u003eequire a lot of time and manual labor (the curds and whey must be repeatedly stirred and drained), so they're incredibly rare. Not only is Plymouth preserving this distinctive American heritage style, they're also making some of the most delicious cheddars we have ever tasted. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e","blog_id":1310142,"author":"Brent Bailey","user_id":23116578850,"published_at":"2019-04-03T18:22:00-04:00","updated_at":"2019-05-14T14:45:02-04:00","summary_html":"","template_suffix":"","handle":"plymouth-artisan-cheese","tags":""}
Undercover
Brent Bailey, April 3, 2019

Diana Levy has been a serious chocoholic for as long as she or anyone can remember. From stashing boxes of...

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{"id":12687189,"title":"Undercover","created_at":"2014-03-05T14:03:24-05:00","body_html":"\u003cp style=\"float: left;\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"\" src=\"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0100\/5392\/files\/UndercoverDianaSnow_medium.jpg?42420\" style=\"float: left;\"\u003eDiana Levy has been a serious chocoholic for as long as she or anyone can remember. From stashing boxes of candy in her closet as a kid to working at a Godiva store during high school, Diana has always taken pride in always saying yes to \u003cem\u003eeverything\u003c\/em\u003e delicious. Pair her passion with a husband who advises chocolate companies and three sweets-loving teenage daughters, and it became clear that her relationship with chocolate was meant to be. Diana knew her cocoa obsession needed to be put to work! So after careers in politics and options trading, Diana decided to do what she’s always really wanted to: start her own chocolate business. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe result, Undercover Chocolate Co., may be unlike any other chocolate company. When Diana started her Milburn, New Jersey-based company, her goal was to make decadent chocolate-covered goodies. But then when her two daughters (and fellow chocoholics) were diagnosed with celiac disease, Diana’s chocolate goals shifted. After experimenting with every ingredient she could find, she finally found the perfect combination: crispy organic quinoa with just enough chocolate. “Just enough” has even become part of her tagline!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“It’s true, I confess. I’m the ultimate double agent: a health-conscious chocoholic!” – Diana Levy\u003c\/p\u003e","blog_id":1310142,"author":"Brent Bailey","user_id":23116578850,"published_at":"2019-04-03T18:22:00-04:00","updated_at":"2020-03-26T17:30:49-04:00","summary_html":"","template_suffix":"","handle":"undercover","tags":""}
Iconic Cocktail Co.
Brent Bailey, April 3, 2019

Like all good stories, the story of Iconic Cocktail Co. starts with a first date and a shared dream of opening a...

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{"id":1354268690,"title":"Iconic Cocktail Co.","created_at":"2018-04-05T16:10:56-04:00","body_html":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0100\/5392\/files\/Iconic_Cocktail_Co.jpeg?v=1522958963\" alt=\"Iconic Cocktail Co. - Kaylee Nedley and Matt Farrow - Phoenix, AZ\"\u003eLike all good stories, the story of Iconic Cocktail Co. starts with a first date and a shared dream of opening a bar. You know how it goes: boy meets girl, boy and girl fall in love, boy and girl attempt global cocktail domination. But nothing’s quite that simple, is it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTo learn more about Matt Farrow and Kaylee Nedley and the story behind Iconic Cocktail Co. we talked to Kaylee about what she learned working in an ice cream parlor, how she and Matt started their company and what small-batch production \u003cem\u003ereally\u003c\/em\u003e looks like. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHow did you two meet?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe met in the restaurant industry! I was finishing up my degree in filmmaking and working at an ice cream parlor that was attached to a popular Phoenix restaurant. Matt was the general manager of that restaurant and he was actually the one who hired me. For the first 2 years of knowing each other, Matt was just my GM and I was just the girl running the ice cream parlor. To this day, I still feel like that is why we work so well together. I have the fondest memories of Matt helping me write the schedule. He taught me how to order equipment, how to read a PNL, and how to become a better leader.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhen did your relationship become more than the classic GM-“girl running the ice cream parlor” relationship?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe started hanging out (at the neighborhood dive bars) and it wasn't long until we started scheming our own restaurant and bar concepts. We spent many nights bouncing business ideas around, always knowing that we would have something of our own someday but never knowing exactly what that was. And we also fell in love – there's that too.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHow did the idea for Iconic Cocktail Co. come about?\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe started a cocktail catering company, but it quickly turned into a handcrafted mixer after doing our first bartending gig. For our signature cocktail menu, Matt would take the time to carefully craft each component. Our host asked if we had any sort of giveaway for their attendees and we thought, \"Hey, what if we bottled this grenadine syrup and gave them the recipe to recreate this cocktail at home?\" And that's when we realized we had something special that we could share our love for craft cocktails to our community. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat were the first flavors you started making?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe started with our first seasonal flavor, Cranberry Thyme, and with two other signature flavors, Ginga Syrup and Spiced Honey.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAnd what did that first season of selling look like?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe worked with a local print shop to get a label in time for Christmas but we designed everything ourselves. We started sharing on social media and then sold our cocktail mixers like Girl Scout Cookies. With a minimalist order form, we asked our friends, family and co-workers if they would like to buy a cocktail mixer and we would deliver in time for Christmas. Matt and I made just about 100 bottles to fill the orders and delivered them throughout the valley. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAnd then you were off to the races!\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAfter that, we figured out how to get into a commercial kitchen and get the correct permits. We sold at local events and farmer's markets (and you can still find us there every Saturday) and worked with small boutiques and restaurants who were interested in the product. Everything was (and still is) produced in small batches, filled, sealed, labeled all by hand. We take whole fresh ingredients and turn them into a delicious and simple cocktail mixer. We pride our company on supporting local and keeping things real.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhere is Iconic Cocktail Co. at today?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eToday, we're still in that same commercial kitchen but we now operate out of an office and moved everything from our home. Our team is small but mighty. Our Brand Ambassador, Brian Speer, has been helping us at the markets since the beginning with growing our wholesale and representing our brand at events. We have a part-time production assistant that we hope one day will be able to take over all production. We still really want to open that bar someday but currently, Matt and I run Iconic full time with heaps of passion and optimism.\u003c\/p\u003e","blog_id":1310142,"author":"Brent Bailey","user_id":23116578850,"published_at":"2019-04-03T18:21:00-04:00","updated_at":"2019-04-03T18:21:42-04:00","summary_html":"","template_suffix":"","handle":"iconic-cocktail-co","tags":"","image":{"created_at":"2018-04-05T16:10:56-04:00","alt":"","width":240,"height":144,"src":"\/\/www.mouth.com\/cdn\/shop\/articles\/Iconic_Cocktail_Co.jpeg?v=1522959056"}}
Nutkrack
Mouth Team, March 26, 2019

Some of the best culinary discoveries are the result of fortunate mistakes. Chef Eric Rupert’s caramelized pecans just happen to...

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{"id":29935566882,"title":"Nutkrack","created_at":"2019-03-20T14:55:11-04:00","body_html":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0100\/5392\/files\/NutkrackFounderCrop_large.jpg?v=1553611452\" alt=\"Nutkrack founder\"\u003eSome of the best culinary discoveries are the result of fortunate mistakes. Chef Eric Rupert’s caramelized pecans just happen to be one of those good mistakes. One hectic restaurant night ten years ago, Eric dunked a pound of pecans into the wrong pot. Before tossing the botched batch into the trash, he gave one of the nuts a little taste. It was lucky he did.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis simple mistake grew into a passion and obsession that led to Nutkrack. Eric called in 40 (that’s 4-0) samples of candied pecans from all over the country. While many were tasty, he often found that the cloying sweetness of the caked on sugar often hid the complex flavor of the nut. And sometimes the nut itself was under roasted and soft. He set out to right these wrongs, “honoring the perfection that the humble pecan already is.” In his opinion, nature and the pecan growers already do the bulk of the work, and he wanted to highlight that.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHis minimalist approach to pecans follows this mindset. Once he receives the pecans from New Mexico, they undergo through a three step, three ingredient process: coat with sugar and canola oil, carefully toast to draw out the natural flavor, and season with salt. That’s all there is to it: simplicity and small-batch. He started to give the pecans as Christmas gifts, but one night he and three friends casually devoured 3 pounds of the nuts in one backyard sitting, convincing him to start his company. In the matter of only five years, he went from website to a brick and mortar in Madison, WI. Eric left his day job and brought on his sons, Kellen and Colson, along with a former colleague Jessica Benish to assist with operations.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe caramelized pecans arrive in an unforgettable jar, the label emblazoned with an old-school surfer dude hanging 10 on an oblong... pecan. We’d say this mistake has turned into a perfect 10.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","blog_id":1310142,"author":"Mouth Team","user_id":48867525,"published_at":"2019-03-26T10:46:00-04:00","updated_at":"2020-03-11T10:30:46-04:00","summary_html":"","template_suffix":"","handle":"nutkrack","tags":"candied nuts, candied pecans, caramelized pecans, Chef Eric Rupert, Eric Rupert, Madison Wisconsin, Nutkrack, Nutkrack candied pecans, Nutkrack caramelized pecans, Nutkrack pecans, praline, Wisconsin made, Wisconsin maker","image":{"created_at":"2019-03-26T10:46:08-04:00","alt":"","width":913,"height":609,"src":"\/\/www.mouth.com\/cdn\/shop\/articles\/NutkrackFounderCrop.jpg?v=1553611568"}}
Bow Hill Blueberries
Mouth Team, March 21, 2019

We take it for granted, but many of the items that we all consider “natural” in the produce aisle weren’t...

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{"id":29935665186,"title":"Bow Hill Blueberries","created_at":"2019-03-20T15:02:24-04:00","body_html":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0100\/5392\/files\/Bow_Hill_Farms_Family240x160_large.jpg?v=1553178914\" alt=\"Bow Hill Blueberries family\"\u003eWe take it for granted, but many of the items that we all consider “natural” in the produce aisle weren’t available even as recently as 50 years ago. One such item was the tiny blueberry. First domesticated by a botanist in New Jersey in 1912, the blueberry was previously only found in the wild. It wasn’t until three decades later that the crop was stable enough to be exported throughout the United States. Early adopters included the Anderson clan of Washington State’s Skagit Valley, who cultivated three heirloom varieties in 1947 and founded Bow Hill.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eToday, more than 70 years later, those original bushes are still growing on the 6-acre property, but they’ve been joined by 4,500 new plantings. This expansion is pioneering of a different sort, now led by the Soltes family who took over the property in 2011. It’s a family affair in the truest sense. Harley is chief farmer and researcher, accompanied by his wife Susan, who runs marketing and product development. Daughter Amelia designs all the branding and packaging, and son Wylie (the youngest, still in high school) chips in by working summers in the packing shed. During the harvest, they enlist 25 kid and adult volunteers to hand-pick the 60,000 pounds of berries. This small but earnest army has been able to revitalize the soil and care for each individual plant, eventually earning organic certification in 2014.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWatching the operations of Bow Hill, you’d be forgiven for thinking that the Solteses are lifelong farmers. The reality is much more complex. Harley and Susan, a photojournalist and director, became interested in farming through a work assignment. Harley’s last project as a journalist led them to the Quillisascut Farm School. Soon, it wasn’t only Harley who was visiting the school—he and Susan were taken by the curriculum. It wasn’t long before Susan enrolled in classes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNow the family is continuing the story of the blueberry by expanding the farm’s offerings. Pickled blueberries, jam, vinegar, sauces, bon bons, and ice cream... but of course, the Soltes family still offers grazing passes to eat blueberries right off the bush, just as nature intended.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","blog_id":1310142,"author":"Mouth Team","user_id":48867525,"published_at":"2019-03-21T10:36:00-04:00","updated_at":"2019-06-06T16:55:01-04:00","summary_html":"","template_suffix":"","handle":"bow-hill-blueberries","tags":"Blueberries, Bow Hill, Bow Hill Blueberries, Bow Hill Farm, Harley and Susan Soltes, Skagit Valley, Soltes family, Soltes family farm, Washington State blueberries","image":{"created_at":"2019-03-21T10:36:05-04:00","alt":"","width":480,"height":320,"src":"\/\/www.mouth.com\/cdn\/shop\/articles\/Bow_Hill_Farms_Family240x160.jpg?v=1553178965"}}
Giddy Up Nuts
Mouth Team, March 21, 2019

We all get the Sunday scaries sometimes. Whether it’s the final day of vacation or after a particularly relaxing weekend,...

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{"id":29935534114,"title":"Giddy Up Nuts","created_at":"2019-03-20T14:51:16-04:00","body_html":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0100\/5392\/files\/GiddyUpNutsKristy240x160_large.jpg?v=1553178989\" alt=\"Giddy Up Nuts founder\"\u003eWe all get the Sunday scaries sometimes. Whether it’s the final day of vacation or after a particularly relaxing weekend, no matter how much you love your job, the life of leisure is always more preferable. A few years ago, Kristy Mangia was struck with that familiar sense of dread about returning to her job at Disney Corporate (definitely not the happiest place on earth) when driving back from Mammoth Falls, a resort town in the Sierra Nevadas. Her caravan of vacationers stopped at a roadside gas station, and Kristy hopped out for some snacks. As she surveyed the aisles, all she could see were sugary, processed, fatty bags and packages. Now, she was both stressed about work and totally hangry.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBack in the car, Kristy mused about finding her dream job, something that she could look forward to every day. Inspired by the failed mini mart stop and her love of cooking, she told her friends about the seasoned almonds she made for family gatherings—healthy, filling, and easily transportable. The supportive group immediately hopped on the idea and started brainstorming names for her potential new company. With George Strait crooning in the background, Kristy tossed up Giddy Up Nuts.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs soon as she got home, Kristy started researching permits and even contacted a designer from her office to ideate logo and packaging concepts. Sourcing ingredients was a little easier since almond groves were in nearby Bakersfield. And her local Calabasas farmers market provided most of the herbs and spices, with a few fair-trade suppliers filling in the gaps.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKristy finally opened a stand in that same Calabasas market, with the goal of one day getting into the local Blue Table artisanal shop. As fate would have it, Blue Table was one of her very first wholesale clients. Now only five years later, not only has she left Disney, she’s built a nice line of products which include five flavors and she also donates a portion of all profits to the ASPCA and Humane Society. Most recently in the fall of 2018, she was asked to join a team of LA makers to represent the area at Paris’s Le Bon Marche and La Grande Epicerie.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom what we’ve heard, the French don’t have a term for “Sunday scaries.” At least they’re nonexistent for Kristy now. She sleeps well.\u003c\/p\u003e","blog_id":1310142,"author":"Mouth Team","user_id":48867525,"published_at":"2019-03-21T10:36:00-04:00","updated_at":"2019-06-06T16:54:29-04:00","summary_html":"","template_suffix":"","handle":"giddy-up-nuts","tags":"Calabasas farmers market, Giddy Up Nuts, Kristy Mangia, Los Angeles, Los Angeles made, Los Angeles Maker, spiced almonds","image":{"created_at":"2019-03-21T10:36:58-04:00","alt":"","width":480,"height":320,"src":"\/\/www.mouth.com\/cdn\/shop\/articles\/GiddyUpNutsKristy240x160.jpg?v=1553179018"}}
BobbySue's Nuts
Mouth Team, March 15, 2019

Come follow us on a little visual journey. Imagine an animal shelter. Got it? Now, put it on the moon....

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{"id":29750329378,"title":"BobbySue's Nuts","created_at":"2019-03-15T11:02:40-04:00","body_html":"\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0100\/5392\/files\/Yzc_3CcA_large.jpeg?v=1552662483\" alt=\"BobbySue Kobren of BobbySue's Nuts in Chappaqua, NY\"\u003eCome follow us on a little visual journey. Imagine an animal shelter. Got it? Now, put it on the moon. We lost you didn’t we? Well, in the mind of Barb Kobren (a.k.a. BobbySue) this idea isn’t too far fetched. With an unrelenting love of homeless animals, a giant lunar colony for animals would be her dream accomplishment. But sometimes reality gets in the way of our far-fetched dreams… house training a dog is one thing, but try \u003cem\u003emoon\u003c\/em\u003e training. Zero gravity would really be a mess. BobbySue found herself scratching her head in an “Aww, nuts” moment.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShe stopped and took that thought literally... nuts! Armed with an age-old family recipe for savory-sweet nuts, she started small in the town of Chappaqua, NY, going market to market with her tasty new product. BobbySue’s respect and love for animals extends to all living things, which means that every ingredient in their secret recipe is carefully sourced. The egg whites for the meringue are from cage-free chickens. Every almond, cashew, and pecan is handled with the utmost care and sourced from non-GMO farms. You can taste it in every bite, whether it’s her Everything Goes Nuts (a favorite bagel seasoning) or Some Like It Hot (sweet and spicy). Gosh, we love a maker who enjoys a good pun as much as we do.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTrue to BobbySue’s passion, a portion of all proceeds is donated to help animals in need, and the company has helped thousands of dogs and cats. The next goal on her checklist? A BobbySue balloon in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade anchored by a pickup truck filled with animals ready for adoption. The moon will just have to wait.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","blog_id":1310142,"author":"Mouth Team","user_id":48867525,"published_at":"2019-03-15T11:10:00-04:00","updated_at":"2019-06-10T14:11:15-04:00","summary_html":"","template_suffix":"","handle":"bobbysues-nuts","tags":"maker bio, Makers, New York food, New York makers, nuts, snack nuts, Upstate New York","image":{"created_at":"2019-03-15T11:10:28-04:00","alt":"BobbySue Kobren of BobbySue's Nuts, Chappaqua, NY","width":599,"height":480,"src":"\/\/www.mouth.com\/cdn\/shop\/articles\/Yzc_3CcA.jpeg?v=1552662628"}}
RAFT
Mouth Team, March 15, 2019

Like many children, Genevieve Brazelton remembers seeing her parents at work. But hers didn’t work in a stodgy office. Instead,...

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{"id":29749280802,"title":"RAFT","created_at":"2019-03-15T10:31:05-04:00","body_html":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0100\/5392\/files\/Improper-7798_1200x_1ba79149-b7bb-403e-bcca-b7426910ae13_large.jpg?v=1552660337\" alt=\"Raft cocktails founders\"\u003eLike many children, Genevieve Brazelton remembers seeing her parents at work. But hers didn’t work in a stodgy office. Instead, Genevieve was exposed to the professional kitchens of Seattle. Her mom jumped around to different restaurants as a kitchen manager and line cook, and her dad, though not professionally trained, opened and operated a family establishment in the city. It was only natural that when it came time for Genevieve’s first job, she took up work in the family place. Then, during her formative years in high school and college, she picked up some spare change working as the bar manager of a San Francisco restaurant Jack Falstaff (now closed).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlthough Genevieve started a career in editorial post-college, she continued to have a fascination for tinkering with fresh fruits, infusions, and other out-of-the-ordinary ingredients not often found in a home kitchen. Hello quassia root and cassia bark! (Don’t worry—we had to look those up, too.) Her curiosity led to her first batch of homemade bitters. Together with her husband Dan, Genevieve tried the potion, hoping for the best. The creation wasn’t just palatable—it was absolutely delicious.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFast forward one year. The Brazeltons moved from San Francisco to Portland, bought a house, and she got pregnant. The two continued to tweak and experiment with botanicals in their new kitchen, using only natural, sustainable and fair-trade produced ingredients until landing on the perfect Old Fashioned bitters. Only two months after baby Dylan arrived, Genevieve and Dan began bottling and selling their bitters to wholesale clients. Mason jars cluttered up the basement, and their dining room table served as the bottling and labeling “line.” Just the thought of the craziness of launching a new business coupled with the sleepless nights of new parenthood makes us exhausted! But this \u003cem\u003espirited\u003c\/em\u003e couple got it done. In fact, better than just “done.” In their first year of business, they scooped up the competitive Fancy Foods Show sofi Product of the Year for their cardamom bitters.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTheir first year was such a success that they approached Sook Goh and Roslyn Tellvik of RAFT Syrups about a collaborative cocktail kit. However, after a few conversations, Goh and Tellvik offered the chance to take over the whole Raft brand. They didn’t hesitate, and Genevieve knew right away which syrup would be their debut flavor: Citrus Rosemary, based on a cocktail from her baby shower. We have a feeling that it won’t be long until little Dylan himself will be watching her in the kitchen, picking up on the family affair.\u003c\/p\u003e","blog_id":1310142,"author":"Mouth Team","user_id":48867525,"published_at":"2019-03-15T10:37:00-04:00","updated_at":"2020-03-11T10:51:21-04:00","summary_html":"","template_suffix":"","handle":"raft","tags":"cocktail bitters, cocktail syrups, cocktails, maker bio, small-batch bitters","image":{"created_at":"2019-03-15T10:31:05-04:00","alt":"RAFT cocktails","width":1200,"height":1200,"src":"\/\/www.mouth.com\/cdn\/shop\/articles\/Improper-7798_1200x_c35ea9d0-60da-4e3f-ac86-7ff6549fc606.jpg?v=1552660265"}}
Lark Fine Foods
Brent Bailey, March 6, 2019

Are you the shopper of your family? Then, you're probably familiar with that risk you take when you bring something...

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{"id":8438095,"title":"Lark Fine Foods","created_at":"2013-08-02T16:29:05-04:00","body_html":"\u003cp class=\"p1\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Lark Fine Foods\" src=\"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0100\/5392\/files\/Lark_ElaineBrooke_BW_large.jpg?v=1551818728\"\u003eAre you the shopper of your family? Then, you're probably familiar with that risk you take when you bring something new home for your family. Whether it's trying Brussels sprouts the first time or a new brand, it's treading on dangerous turf. For Brooke Carroll, she specifically remembers the first time she tried Lark Fine Foods \"cookies for grown-ups\" on her family. The year was 2010, and she had struck a home run with these sophisticated shortbreads.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eSuddenly, Brooke started seeing that little Lark logo everywhere. Small specialty foods stores carried their cookies, but strangely, it was often at her children's elementary school functions where she encountered them most. That's when she came in contact with Mary Ann McCormick and Nicole Nordensved, the mother-daughter duo behind the Essex, Massachusetts, company. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eFast-forward five years to 2015. Brooke was still a loyal customer, and Mary Ann and Nicole were looking to sell. With a background in finance, Brooke describes the purchase as almost spur of the moment, or \"on a lark,\" if you will. Tapping her friend Elaine Peterson, who had a marketing background and a penchant for baking and recipe development, the new venture took flight, riding on the wings of the soaring flavor that happens when savory meets sweet. Lark's sophisticated products feature subtle, balanced flavors like their Pistachio Cherry Sablé, Salted Rosemary Shortbread and the uber-elegant Burnt Sugar and Fennel Shortbread. Their cookies have a cool sense of having more than meets the eye – they can be dessert, but also so much more. And they recently launched a line of savory crackers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eHandmade, all-natural and preservative-free, these cookies definitely aren't kids stuff, and they've been getting grown-up-level accolades: they've received two prestigious sofi Gold Awards and four sofi Silver Finalist Awards from Specialty Foods. For the kids, they've started a summer internship program, teaching teenagers the backend of the business as well as baking skills. Brooke and Elaine took the risk, and it paid off in spades. \u003c\/p\u003e","blog_id":1310142,"author":"Brent Bailey","user_id":23116578850,"published_at":"2019-03-06T11:43:00-05:00","updated_at":"2020-03-11T12:59:35-04:00","summary_html":"","template_suffix":"","handle":"lark-fine-foods","tags":"","image":{"created_at":"2019-03-06T15:20:45-05:00","alt":"","width":532,"height":413,"src":"\/\/www.mouth.com\/cdn\/shop\/articles\/Lark_ElaineBrooke_BW.jpg?v=1551903645"}}
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