PR%F the Magazine October 2022 issue

PR%F the Magazine

Michael Politz Publisher

Michele Tell Founder, Executive Director

Jennifer English Editor-At-Large

Debbie Hall Editor-in-Chief

RJ Dixon

Creative Director, PR%F Awards & PR%F the Magazine

Terry Hart

Director of Competitions

Colleen Banks

Director of Business Development

Contributors:

2 the team Yule Schmidt Renée Korbel Quinn

Jena Domingue Joshua James George Manska

Contact the Team at editor@proofawards.com

PR%F the Magazine is owned and published electronically by The Original Brand, LLC. Copyright 2019 PR%F Awards and distinctive logo are trademarks and owned by The Original Brand, LLC. All Rights Reserved. No part of this electronic magazine may be reproduced without the written consent of PR%F the Magazine. Requests for permission should be directed to: ProofMagazineInfo@gmail.com. The information contained has been provided by such individual, even organizers or organizations. The opinion expressed in each article is the opinion of its author, organization or public relation firm.

PRMagazine %F the

LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 05

THE WINE INDUSTRY'S NEW GUARD OF COLLECTORS 08

FALL INTO OCTOBER 14

THE SCIENCE OF SPIRITS 19

SPIRITED INSPIRATION 25

THE COLOR OF WINE BY URBANVINO 30

SNOWY RIVER COCKTAILS: GLITTER AND GLITZ ENHANCE COCKTAILS 36

WHY SOBER OCTOBER? 46

CELEBRATE! THE PR%F AWARDS 52

What Our Winners

have to say...

Matt Ellenthaw, CEO & Martha Outlaw, CMO Co-Founders Barrelsmith barrelsmith.com

“I was thrilled to learn of our Century award from PR%F, but when I found out that 70+ of the 80 judges who are experts scored us 100 points I was truly blown away. Wow, not sure I can put in words how that makes us feel about entering this business. Pair that with the honor of being interviewed by Jennifer English. Martha and I can’t express how proud this recognition from PR%F makes us feel.”

FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Dear Readers,

We are thrilled to feature PR%F Award-winning Snowy River Cocktails decorating products that add a new level of color and creativity to any cocktail. Snowy River 4th of July Cocktail Salt and Margarita Cocktail Salt were both awarded Double Gold medals at the 2019 PR%F Awards, with an entirely new group of salts and sugars nailing the Double Gold status again in 2020 and 2021. PR%F Awards judges rave about the consistency, rich flavors, and colors of these cocktail enhancements, year after year.

We are pleased to announce that the PR%F Awards Spirits, Wine & Beverage competition is set to be held in Las Vegas on November 5 and 6 at the William F. Harrah College of Hospitality at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. PR%F Awards has partnered with the college of hospitality as a platform to provide valuable education and experience to its students. PR%F Awards is the first spirits and wine competition to partner with a top-accredited college university.

More than 40 students will participate behind the scene learning how to create, manage and operate the world's largest spirits competition. In addition, a senior student will provide a best of show tasting evaluation for tequila, whiskey, and vodka. PR%F judges and partners will also become part of the curriculum, instructing, mentoring, and working with students of the college throughout the year.

The PR%F Awards competition is heating up, and the date to submit has been extended to accommodate top buyers and all samples must be in by October 15.

Our November issue of PR%F the Magazine will highlight incredible brands that give back to a cause or charity of their choice. If you give to a special cause or highlight a special organization as a recipient of some of your proceeds, we want to hear about you. Drop me a note at Michele@proofawards.com. We would like to help you build awareness of your philanthropic platform.

Don’t lose the opportunity of getting your brand in front of our many judges, all beverage buyers from across the US. Enter your SKU, and you automatically go into two separate competitions—PR%F Awards Masked, the coveted double-blind tasting competition, and PR%F Awards Unmasked, the total package, where our judges taste and rate your product while evaluating your bottle, price point, look, feel and taste to see if it will be a perfect fit for their shelves. Enter today at  www.proofawards.com.

Cheers & Namaste!

from the desk of Michele D. Tell

Michele D. Tell Executive Director, PR%F the Magazine Founder, PR%F Awards

MILLION MILER

OAXACAN APPLE

ALOHA RICKEYPRICKLY PEACH

The Wine Industry’s New Guard of Collectors

Wine’s most dedicated collectors are a surprise.

By Yule Schmidt, Wine expert and COO of InVintory

What do the words “wine collector” bring to mind? Probably not a 26-year-old software developer who bikes to the office with a latte in hand. Yet some of the most enthusiastic collectors in the wine world fit precisely this mold: they’re young, hip, and super into wine.

At InVintory, a wine collecting platform, we were taken aback to find a full third of our users are un der 35

That statistic is consistent with what’s happening across the industry. According to Mintel analytics,

the wine industry's new guard of collectors

60 percent of Gen Z’ers list food and drink among their top five interests. That generation already holds $140 billion in spending power, and the oldest members of the demographic are only 24 years old. That number will only grow as that generation matures and establishes itself in the workforce.

But while this new guard is getting into wine, they’re doing so differently, melding a tradition al appreciation for wine as a representation of a place with a modern openness to exploration.

A study by Harris Group found that 72 percent of millennials would rather open their wallets to experiences than to material items. Wine is just such an experience. With one glass, wine lovers can travel the world, dig through history, and explore different cultures.

Especially over the last few years, while global travel was restricted, young drinkers have taken to transportive glasses to get their travel fix—not just to the classical regions of Bordeaux, Burgun dy, and Tuscany. In a bottle of salty Croatian white wine, they can catch the energy of the Dalmation Coast. With a crunchy, high-energy Beaujolais Nouveau, they can ring in the fall harvest. In a La grein, they are immersed in all the mystery of the alpine Alto Adige region — power, pleasant fruit, and wild value (despite only 1,000 acres planted worldwide, bottles of this rare varietal can still be snagged for under $50). Wine is such a magical medium to explore new places and understand a culture, even when drinking from afar.

These globe-trotting tendencies are, in part, picked up by necessity: First Growth Bordeaux, Grand Cru Burgundy, and top Barolos aren’t in the budget for most young consumers (after all, they have avocado toasts to buy). While older generations may stick to noble grapes and laud ed regions, younger drinkers are looking to less er-known varietals and exploring different areas

that offer more bang for one’s buck. Hunga ry, South Africa, Pfalz, and the Douro—places making wines that offer great value and are just as steeped in tradition and history as well-known blue chip bottles.

Still, the wine industry is worried about the new guard. They’re demanding, conscientious, and have myriad interests with which wine must compete.

Reports across the industry have noted that wine sales have lagged over the last few years. In 2021, wine sales declined 2 percent, according to Silicon Valley Bank. Executive vice president Rob McMillan warned that sales of American

the wine industry's new guard of collectors

wine could plummet by 20 percent if this trend re mains on the current trajectory. But the report also acknowledged that sales of bottles under $9 are shrinking. Sales of wine priced above $15 are higher than ever. People may be drinking less, but they’re drinking better quality. A s per-bottle spending in creases, they’re becoming more discerning and no longer content with bulk-produced wines made with Mega Purple color and artificial oak extract.

According to the Evolution of Retail report from data platform Euclid, 52 percent of millennials feel that brands must align with their values. That of ten means purchasing from brands that make an impact or small-scale producers that share similar sentiments of social responsibility. Maybe that’s a Savigny producer working to restore the soil with

nutrients after years of large-scale farming or a California producer who promotes biodiversity in the fields and pays workers a living wage. Gens Y and Z tend to ask questions like how it is grown, where it is made, and how did it get here.

Younger consumers also don’t drink like older generations. In the 70s and before, people generally drank one of three things: wine, martinis, Scotch on the rocks, or a similar sipping spirit. Neither craft beer nor cocktails had yet become popular. How many times did Don Draper from Mad Men reach for a Negroni? In the last 20 years, the craft beer industry has exploded, and cocktails abound. Today’s drinkers aren’t just sticking to wine; they’re starting their meal with a spritz, moving into wine during dinner, and maybe ending their night with an Amaro.

Not only have tastes evolved, but the new guard has also changed how they commu nicate about wine, get information, and buy. Spoiler alert: it’s all happening online.

While collectors previously picked bottles based on publications and scores, the younger gen erations are digitally native. To find new bottles, they’re browsing through Instagram or maybe even trending TikToks, influencers with whose palates they align relying on their recommenda tions to stock their wine racks.

Their preferred shopping experience has also changed. Traditionally, purchasing a bottle meant walking into a store and standing in front of an in timidating wall of bottles.

Consumers should still find a local shop with knowledgeable staff, but online shopping, be it from wine clubs, digital bottle shops, or directto-consumer shipping from wineries, is a nice complement for the times one wants to explore alone. Listings are decked with tasting notes,

10 the wine industry's new guard of collectors

stories, and other things that make it easier to find the perfect bottle.

While it may sound like Gens Y and Z have forged an entirely new vinous path, lined with funky bot tles and iPhones, a continuous thread ties them back to the generations that came before: the importance of enjoying wine with other people.

The idea that wine is better shared is perhaps the most important thing to understand about wine, and experience-driven younger consumers have latched onto this ethos. They get that wine is less about the scores and labels than about the peo ple they are drinking with and about the memories they are creating. They may post about it online, but not with bottle shots and florid tasting notes. Instead, they share scenes from “Wine Wednes days” with co-workers or reels of a friend sabering a Champagne bottle at a backyard barbecue.

One of the challenges we constantly discuss at InVintory is how to do justice to the real-life, tan gible elements of wine in a digital space. How do we elevate your collection from an assortment of dusty bottles to a living repertoire of your life’s memories?

That question applies to wine drinkers of all ages, and our younger collectors often inspire InVintory in devising solutions. We use technology to take the work out of tracking bottles and experiences, so that collectors can focus on enjoying them with others (the part that matters), just as young afi cionados use digital means to enhance their wine adventures, whether by sourcing obscure bottles online or sharing memories on social media.

Old school wine collectors prioritizing labels and market values aren’t going anywhere. Still, today’s new wine consumers are young, enthusiastic, and, perhaps unintentionally, have been at the vanguard of driving the wine world back to a more

the wine industry's new guard of collectors

authentic appreciation of wine as a conduit of place and experience.

InVintory is available on iOS and the web. Prestige is priced at $9.99 per month or $99 annually.

PR%F readers can take advantage of a 50 percent discount on Prestige by signing up on the web with the code PROOF50.

For more information, visit invintory.com and @ invintory on social media.

Yule Schmidt is a wine expert and current COO of InVintory, a novel wine platform that helps collectors track bottles with ease and bring their wine experiences to life.

Fall into October

Discover these seasonal drinks

By Debbie Hall

Chido

Fallis in full swingwith thoughts ofcooler temperaturesand Halloween. Check out pumpkin spicelatte with tequila, alight vermouth, andrefreshing ready-to-drink cocktails as leaves change colorand everyone isready to relax and enjoy.

Chido has arrived to bring warmth this autumn! It’s the tequila cocktail that’s always ready for a good time. Try their pumpkin spice latte to savor, hot or cold, infused with premium Blanco Tequila, 100 percent Arabica Coffee, and pumpkin spice. Chido serves delicious flavors filled with good vibration that treats each can as a mini getaway. With five flavorfilled varieties, there’s sure to be one that captures tastebuds and lifts spirits for the good things in life; one can at a time. Try the classic sea salt, tequila, and lime margarita, all that’s needed to concoct a drinking experience that serves up positive energy and delightful moments best enjoyed with friends. They take their mixology seriously.

Visit drinkchido.com for more info and follow on Facebook @ Drinkchido, Instagram @ drinkchido and Twitter @ drinkchido.

Rockwell Vermouth

Discover a fresh American take on a classic European spirit this fall. Rockwell Vermouth lets cocktail lovers shake, stir, and savor quality vermouth handcrafted in California. Select from Classic Sweet or Extra Dry to suit a taste (pro tip: mix them together in a glass over ice). These vermouths are concocted with native herbs and spices of North America to spice up any occasion.

Enjoy their popular recipes and explore the many cocktails anyone will be inspired to make, such as martinis, margaritas, or simply straight over ice. The vermouths are perfect for entertaining and enjoying the beautiful fall days and nights.

Visit rockwellvermouth.com and follow on Facebook @ RockwellVermouth and Instagram @ rockwellvermouth.

Spa Girl Cocktails

The refreshing, better-for-you cocktails are made for fun, outdoor entertaining, and enjoying the season.  The convenient cans are filled with premium vodka that rocks in any setting so guests can take the spirit of California sunshine throughout the season. What a fabulous, guilt-free way to celebrate with friends this fall. Add edible flowers, a squeeze of fresh citrus, and fresh berries for a seasonal delight. It’s the highest-proof, besttasting, lowest-calorie, lowest-sugar, and most award-winning canned vodka cocktail on the market, available in a little can that packs a big punch! It is plant-based, all made without artificial sweeteners, flavors, or colors.

Check out their recipes and enjoy the six delicious selections. Cheers! Visit drinkspagirlcocktails.com and follow on Facebook @ spagirlcocktails and Instagram @ spagirlcocktails.

have to say...

“With our having received so many awards from the team at PR%F, it’s obvious this panel of experts are true spirit a cionados. Highclere Castle Gin is well on its way to becoming the most awarded gin in the world due to PR%F’s commitment to recognizing authentic, well produced brands.”

Adam

Gootkin

WHY add water to whiskey?

By George Manska, CSO, CR&D, Arsilica, Inc., sensory researcher, inventor, entrepreneur

Many spirits drinkers make a big production out of adding water to their whiskey and comment that adding a little water “opens up” spirit aromas. It’s not true, never will be, and here’s why.

20 the science of spirits

Enemy Ethanol

We enjoy spirits for the relaxing effect of ethanol (alcohol), yet for dedicated spirits lovers, airborne ethanol detracts from true aroma perception. Ethanol is the most volatile compound in finished spirits.

Leave a neat pour overnight, and taste the next morning. Less liquid with excellent trace aromas of

spirit remains, but no ethanol, as it evaporated much quicker than water. Ethanol has the lowest mass, most abundant, highest vapor pressure, lowest boil ing point, and lowest surface tension of any spirit component. That is volatility.

THE SCIENCE OF SPIRITS

When water is added to whiskey, reduced ethanol pungency creates the false impression of “opening up.” Water increases surface tension and reduces all aromas by preventing more aroma molecules from breaking the liquid surface and evaporating. Unseen surface tension is the reason a water bug walks on the water surface. If surface tension keeps a bug from drowning, it can also prevent tiny, low er mass aroma molecules from breaking the surface and evaporating. No evaporation = no smell. Aroma perceptions from tulips are made drastically weaker with only a few water drops.

Scientific research proves that ethanol:

• Raises olfactory detection thresholds (hinders aroma detectability).

• Olfactory fatigue can be caused by over-abundant ethanol (sometimes referred to as ethanol anesthesia).

• Disrupts calcium ion(+) flow, suppresses cyclic nucleotide-gated channels, delays electrical impulse firing, binds to many receptors leaving fewer to bind to aromas (science-speak for ethanol adversely affects smell-ability).

• Pungency distracts and hinders aroma identification, alters finish, and masks subtle character aromas.

Origin of the “Water Opens Up” Myth

For sixty years scotch producers have promoted tulips to create a glass icon specific to their spirit (marketing genius). Tulips, adopted from the sherry trade, are tiny-rimmed glasses designed for 18-22% ABV (alcohol by volume) fortified wines. Drinking 40% ABV spirits in tulips creates a pungent nose-bomb of concentrated ethanol triggering the above effects.

Using tulips ignores ethanol effects and initiated a scramble to find ways to alleviate disgusting pungency, including adding water, breathing through mouth and nose simultaneously to lessen intake, and acclimation

science of spirits

by wafting. Techniques may delay initial pungency, but ethanol remains. Much less ethanol reaches the nose in open, wide-rim glasses; tulips concentrate ethanol at the nose. Try side-by-side comparisons.

The Blenders’ Solution

Scotch blenders are more marketing experts than scientists and are dedicated to the tulip as a blending tool. They freely admit the ethanol problem and discovered that diluting samples to 20-23%ABV saves noses for longer blending sessions. The water needed to dilute cask strength (43-60% ABV) whisky to 20% ethanol is greater than 1-part water to 1-part whiskey. Add 1 1/8 to 1¼ ounce of water to 1 ounce of cask strength whisky. Scientific research proves that dilution to these low ABV levels radically alters the olfactory profile and flavor expression. No one we know drinks whisky with that much water.

Consumer Adoration

Most water adders use only a few drops, yet in the search for perfection, in good faith, they adopted the experts (blenders) tulip glass without regard to usage. Emulating experts makes sense only if; (1) both tools and usage are adopted simultaneously and (2) if they are both effective. In this case, the experts need to consider science.

Eliminate the Problem

The most effective solution to combat ethanol effects is to use wide-rim glasses that disperse ethanol, such as tumblers, cocktail glasses, or the NEAT glass, designed to direct ethanol away from the nose. Tulips are the fraternal, iconic credential badge of straight spirits drinkers. Most unconsciously place their need for fraternal identification far ahead of their desire to understand their favorite spirit’s nuances. Spirits are naturally diluted by saliva, and retro-nasal aromas are the major component of “finish.” Ortho-nasally sniffed ethanol affects both ortho- and retro-nasal (finish) perceptions.

22 the science of spirits

Water Source is Important

Two water characteristics are of major importance to mouthfeel and overall perception; (1) pH measure of acidity, and (2) mineral ion traces (Ca, Fe, Mg, and others). Some enthusiasts purchase water from specific distilleries to add to their whiskey with special water droppers.

Many spirits critics/authors lump spirits by geography assigning area-charac teristic “traits” (e.g.) Speyside scotch whisky water sources vary widely in min erality and pH all along the 107 miles of River Spey. Many area water sources are rivers, tributaries, and underground springs upstream or unconnected to the namesake river. Each distillery has a unique still design, methods, grain, and yeast sources, all of which affect the final product taste perception. Assigning traits to geographical boundaries is a futile and misleading exercise that, in the end, severely disadvantages many great distilleries.

THE SCIENCE OF SPIRITS

Only Two Reasons to Add Water

(1) “I like it that way,” and (2) uncomfortable palate burn. If you like it that way, at least now you know the true science. For palate burn, smell the whiskey, savor aromas, and take notes before you dilute.

Discarding tulips “opens up”

whiskey:

Ethanol can cause aroma misidentification and hide subtle aromas. Remove it from the nose with an open vessel for accurate aroma profile perception. Adding water only helps with tulips. Getting rid of concentrated ethanol is key to better ortho-nasal and retro-nasal aroma perception. The science that opposes long-standing tradition inevitably sparks controversial discussion, so know when to pick your battles

George F Manska

Chief of Research and Development, Arsilica, Inc., engineer, inventor of the NEAT glass, and sensory science researcher.

Mission: Replace misinformation with scientific truth through consumer education.

Contact Information: Phone: 702.332.7305

Email: george@arsilica.com

Business mailing address: 452 Silverado Ranch Blvd, Ste #222, Las Vegas, NV, 89183.

THE

Taste Nordic Legend

At the heart of NYKUR VODKA is the combination of two ingredients — the superior organic grains from the sun-kissed region of Northern Italy and the water from the depths of the Kirvi volcanic mountain of the Faroe Islands. The magic is in the grains, and the spell is the water.

From the very beginning, our philosophy was to create a premium organic vodka that is smooth, unlike any thing on the market. it is our in-depth expertise on the anatomy of vodka and its processes that have influ enced Nykur Vodka as it is today.

SMOOTH IS NOT A FLAVOR THE WATER IS SMOOTH

VODKA is usually 40% ABV and 60% water. Using anything less than pristine flavor-neutral water will adversely and significantly affect the vodka’s taste and smoothness.

We found nature’s purest water buried 1.5 km deep within the Kirvi volcanic mountain range. Since its discovery when tunneling through the mountains in 1988, the locals have loved the water.

TASTING NOTES Clear color. Aromas and flavors of lemon mousse and hints of turmeric with a satiny, crisp, dry light body and an effortless, interesting, medium-length finish with nuances of almond milk.

A richly textured, delicately nuanced Vodka for martinis and beyond.

BEVERAGE TASTING INSTITUTE 2021

Spirited Inspiration

Written and Photos by: Renée Korbel Quinn @SpiritedSFL

Go behind the scenes on a

DISTILLER FOR A DAY Mixology Experience

Join Renée for an exclusive behind-thescenes look during her recent Distiller for a Day mixology experience at ChainBridge Distillery.

The experience is a one-of-a-kind distillery and mixology experience with award-win ning distiller Bela Nahori from ChainBridge Distillery and award-winning mixologist Gregory Genias from BootlegGreg Cocktail Co.

This distillery and hands-on mixology class started with a tasting of award-winning vodkas, gin, rum, brandy, and specialty spirits. It then turned into a fun and educa tional distillery tour where we learned how their spirits are made. Then, we were trans ported to a hands-on mixology workshop learning how to make three South Flori da-focused signature cocktails.

MEET THE PERFECT “PEAR”

Greg and Bela wanted to share their vision and create a unique, fun, and educational experience to teach people about making spirits and cocktail creations using only real ingredients. This is how their distillery and mixology experience was born.

“Greg and I met a while back at the distillery, where I learned about his experience and teaching the value of using fresh ingredients in cocktails. We both had the vision of com bining our beliefs of the importance of fresh ingredients, and we knew it was the perfect ‘pear,’” explains Bela.

BELA operates a family-owned distillery that produces artisan small-batch spirits hand crafted with produce from local farms—spe cializing in unique, high-quality brandy, spe cialty spirits, vodka, gin, and rum. They offer tours, tasting, craft cocktails, and a tasting room. Bela comes from a wine-making fam ily. He grew up in the famous Tokaj Region near Hungary’s northeast border with Slova kia (with the wine) and the Hungarian culture of Palinka, where he learned the process of working with fresh fruits and capturing the flavors and aromatics of these fruits in their spirits.

GREGORY, better known as Bootleg Greg, was born in the hills of Cockpit Country Tre lawny, Jamaica. His transformation into Boot leg Greg began at an early age with the help of his father, a self-proclaimed bushman and moonshiner. They exposed a young Gregory to the inner workings of plants and herbs and their benefits to the human body. Today, he is the co-owner of Bootleg Greg Cocktail Com pany, a concept cocktail, and health-con scious beverage company. He manages and streamlines beverage programs at various restaurants and bars across the country.

Bela

Gregory

The Color of Wine by UrbanVino

By Jena Domingue Creator and CEO of UrbanVino House of Brands

Nicole Anderson and HER wine was recently part of the celebration during fashion week in New York City. This was a showing of the cool kids, and Nicole’s wines were clearly the life of the party.

This is a chic and fun wine brand with all the makings of a cult favorite. You will im mediately fall in love with Nicole, the hero winemaker. The 32-year-old creator, known for her bubbly personality, started out three years ago wanting to create a wine with a purpose. Her first goal was to deliver a de licious, juicy, fruit-forward, and memorable wine. Her second mission is to ensure that each person who engages the brand knows they are cared for and important. HER stands for Having Evolved Repeatedly. The wine represents how we continually evolve to become better versions of ourselves. The brand is also a commitment to loving and putting ourselves first. After working full time and releasing the wine, Nicole found that she hit a place in life where she need ed to take a break and discover what it is that actually makes her happy and brings her joy. She did just that; now, Nicole sees her purpose as helping others find their happiness.

She is a self-described apple-flavored peach— born in Brooklyn and raised in Atlanta. Nicole contributes her entrepreneurial spirit to be ing raised in a rich cultural environment. Growing up seeing Black CEOs and business owners, having a Black mayor, and seeing herself reflected in leadership was a huge part of her vision becoming a reality. As a newbie getting started in the wine industry, she faced several challenges—many no’s, closed doors, and gate-keeping of informa tion. But Nicole was not deterred. Led by her resilient spirit, she found a pair of winemak ers willing to take the journey with her. From ideation to launch, the process took her close to two years.

That same resilience would serve her very well when Nicole was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer last December. For most, that would be a blow, and maybe we would expect her to pull back. On the flip side, Nicole says this is truly her happiest year ever. She is now focusing full-time on building her brand and has chosen to live intentionally and in her power every day. While she still has chemotherapy, surgeries, and additional treatments on the way, this powerhouse is focused on her mental

the color of wine by urbanvino

health and spreading joy, and sharing HER Wines with the world. Nicole documented her journey through cancer diagnosis and treatment. With the help of MontyAngelo Productions, a production company based in Atlanta has taken her content and produced a documentary meant to inspire others to live intentionally despite the challenges life may throw our way as well as educate those who have loved ones or may be going through this themselves about the realities of a cancer diagnosis and how that can completely shift a life. Nicole pulls back the layers and is unapologetically raw and vulnerable, revealing all sides of herself— even the not-so-perfect moments.

Best of all, the big reveal is due out in October, just in time to celebrate Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

When hanging out in ATL, Nicole is your bestie for a bottomless mimosa brunch; her adventurous side has allowed her to skydive and travel extensively. If you’re lucky, you might come up with a taste of Nicole’s

32 the color of wine by urbanvino

famous lemon pound cake or apple cake— she loves baking and enjoying live music.

Her delicious wines offer a selection of six varietals. They are naturally flavored wine blends with three white, two reds, and two bubbly choices with fun names like  A Toast To Me, Mama Needs A Break, and  In My Feelings in flavors of mango, peach, and apricot.

Visit herwines.com to find your favorite flavor and enjoy these amazing wines from HER. Follow her on Facebook and Instagram @ Itsherwine.

Visit UrbanVino.com or Apple Podcasts to listen to the UrbanVino Podcast, and visit YouTube for the video version. Connect with Jena on LinkedIn @ Jena Domingue and Instagram @ urbanvino.

Jena Domingue is the creator and CEO of UrbanVino House of Brands and Senior Vice President of Sales and Talent and Culture at WineDirect. She is also US Ambassador (California) for Liquid Icons, a global agency working with ultra-premium wine brands worldwide, offering scholarships and apprenticeships specifically geared to promote diversity and inclusion in wine education and hospitality.

the color of wine by urbanvino

to say...

“Winning the perfect score Century Award and Best of Show in 2020 - in the middle of COVID

was like a breath of fresh air.

Awards opened big doors that were once closed for Hardy like providing an introduction for Hardy Legend 1863 to be on the shelves of Delta Airlines Delta SkyClub lounges. It was such an opportunity for our brand! ”

GINTERIOR

GINTERIOR is the Old Tom Gin Made in FVG, which emphasizes FVG’s interiority by highlighting the quite unique quality, nature and purity of the FVG Region. GINTERIOR is the vintage soul spirit which reflects the Victorian tradition: its delicacy gets a modern key review thanks to the skillful mixing of various natural botanicals with some excellences of our territory, such as the Fiumicello City’s Peaches, “Crambe Tataria‘s” seeds, as present in the Pordenone‘s Area dry grasslands «I Magredi», Marasca’s Cherry Honey of the Karst Area, the Dandelion Infusion, typical of the Carnic Valleys.GINTERIOR is an all generis drink: a unique blend, dry and pervasive, as an harmonious perceptive symphony of elements never combined together before.

www.xedequa.com - info@xedequa.com

The ingredients making up Ginterior are responsibly created by selected suppliers and plant nurseries, preserving the biodiversity of the Regional environment.

THE OLD TOM GIN MADE IN FVG: VINTAGE SOUL, MODERN SPIRIT.

glitter and glitzenhance cocktails

Stuart Cutler

glitter and glitz enhance cocktails

By Debbie Hall

Photos courtesy of Snowy River Cocktails

theaward-winning Snowy River Cocktails dec orating products add a new level of color and creativity to any cocktail. Its cocktail sugar and salt rimmer range offer a naturally colored, Kosher, gluten-free option for cocktail and margar ita decorating. It also features a popular range of cocktail glitters in over a dozen colors, adding a new dimension of glitz and glamor to any drink.

Snowy River 4th July Cocktail Salt and Margarita Cocktail Salt were both award ed Double Gold medals at the 2019 PR%F Awards, with an entirely new group of salts and sugars nailing the Double Gold sta tus again in 2020 and 2021. PR%F Awards judges rave about the consistency, rich fla vors, and colors of these cocktail enhance ments, year after year.

PR&F Magazine spoke with Stuart Cutler, CEO and President of Snowy River Cocktail Co., about the many award-winning cocktail products.

PR%F Awards Double Gold Snowy River Cocktails Raises the Bar

How did Snowy River Cocktails get its start?

Stuart Cutler: Snowy River cocktail decorating prod ucts were born out of bar/restaurant demand for an all-natural cocktail decorating with sugar and salt. There are a lot of artificially colored products in the market, and our partners requested something new and more versatile, which gave them a lot of cre ativity while ensuring only natural ingredients were used. So, based on our 15 years of experience in the food and baking industries, notably through our sister company Ultimate Baker, our team set out to develop a range of products for the cocktail

industry which met our standard for quality, versatili ty, and ease of use. Over the last four years, we have launched many new products, from our Cocktail Sugars and Glitters to our recent launch of Cocktail Confetti and Cocktail Salt Flakes.

Why was this something you wanted to create?

Stuart Cutler: We firmly believe in natural products and the removal of synthetic and artificial colors from our food and drinks. At the same time, many bartenders are look ing for new innovative ways to capture their guests' attention with simply stun ning cocktails.

Snowy River products meet those requirements and allow bartenders various decorating tools that can be readily used stand-alone or together to cre ate something truly special.

What is Snowy River Cocktail Flakes?

Stuart Cutler: A cocktail is more than just taste; it's a whole sensory experience that starts with the overall presentation and looks of the cocktail through to the balance and texture of the drink. Importantly, the rimmer style and flavor need to align with the overall taste and experience you are trying to achieve. Snowy River cocktail salt flakes have been crafted and designed by experienced bartenders and mixologists with a view to turning any cocktail into a true masterpiece. Their elegant look, cocktail paired taste, and ease of application make Snowy River cocktail salt flakes a "musthave" for home and professional bartenders. Our new salt flakes range is available in six fun colors, adding new options to our more traditional Kosher

salt products. Both retail and wholesale packaging options are available.

How is Snowy River different from other cocktail rimming salts?

Stuart Cutler:  Snowy River cocktail decorating products are designed by bartenders for bartend ers, both home and professional. We undertake rigorous testing with the industry to ensure our products are natural, look amazing, and are quick and simple to use. We are one of the only brands that use all-natural ingredients, no synthetics or preservatives, Kosher, dairy-free, GMO-free, and naturally colored by us using real fruit and vege tables. Our Double Gold awards at the Las Vegas Proof industry awards are a testament to the de sign and quality of our products.

Can Snowy River products be used in other things besides a cocktail?

Stuart Cutler: Definitely, Snowy River products are widely used in the cake decorating and food indus tries for decorating cakes, pastries, cupcakes, do nuts, and on many other desserts and treats. Our cocktail glitters are used in the beverage industry to add sparkle and color to non-alcoholic drinks as well as kids' drinks. Our new salts are also great as an addition to salads, steaks, or other foods when ever a salt flake is needed.

Stuart Cutler: Here at Snowy River, we believe a cocktail is a full sensory experience. People drink with their eyes long before they actually taste a cocktail. So our goal is to make products that allow for the creation of simply stunning cocktails. From the look to the color to the texture, Snowy River cocktail products offer the range and versatility to decorate any drink. To this end, our cocktail salt flakes meet all of these design and product quali ty aspects and look simply stunning on the rim of margaritas, Palomas, and other cocktails that look for a part or full salt rim.

Why should someone use a product like Cocktail Flakes, whether they're a beginner or an expert cocktail maker?

40 glitter and glitz enhance cocktails

Have we heard rumors of a new Backbar program?

Stuart Cutler: Snowy River Backbar program is an exciting new range of mixers and shrubs designed specifically for the bar and restaurant industry. From our new Dirty Mix to Grenadine, Orgeat, and a range of tasty, easy-to-use infused shrubs, Snowy River Backbar offers all the flavor, versa tility, and balance bartenders require to make the perfect drink. Importantly, Snowy River Backbar continues our focus on natural ingredients, which are all proudly US-made, free of synthetics and artificial colors. We have tested our Backbar pro gram with customers and bartenders over the last few months, and the feedback has been amazing. We are in the final stages of preparation for launch and expect to have these products available by early October.

Do you offer decorating tips and cocktail recipes?

Stuart Cutler: We love supporting customers, and bars make stunning cocktails. So we share many recipes and cocktail decorating ideas on our website while also designing custom menus for bars, special events, and other corporate functions.

Snowy River products are available on its website at snowyrivercocktails.com, on Amazon and Walmart as well as a growing number of gift and liquor retailers across the US. New distributors and wholesale accounts are always welcome.

glitter and glitz enhance cocktails

COCKTAIL SALT FLAKES

• Range of blends, all naturally colored

• The finest grade salts and ingredients

• Vegan, Gluten Free, Dairy Free, and Certified Kosher

• No synthetics or preservatives

• Made in the United States.

• Snowy River cocktail salt flakes are available for wholesale and retail sale as well as in bulk and private label custom orders, including six-ounce bottles, 1-pound bag, 5-pound bag, and 25-pound bag options.

MASKED

The coveted double-blind tasting competition

Double Gold Award

UNMASKED

The total package competition

Century Award

Perfect. To receive a Century Award is to be de ned as perfect. It is a 100-point perfect score, unanimously, from all judges present at the awards tasting program. Unanimous. Only a selection of these brands makes it to the prestigious level. It is the ultimate accolade and the utmost level of achievement in a spirits and wine brand. Unparalleled.

Outstanding. Spirits and wine awarded a Double Gold are beyond industry standards and celebrated with prominent elegance in their respected categories. These brands de ne nesse and make a palate dance with superiority. When you achieve this award, your brand de es gravity.

Gold Award

Great and distinguished with high praise and worthy of celebration. Our Gold award is a high merit of achievement. These are the brands that set the bar beyond standard heights and reach it — at all costs and are classi ed as some of the best brands in the arena. Hue, Taste, Texture, Power, Length, and Echo all balance to create a superb avor and moment.

Silver Award

Rated as good and recommended for the public, our Silver award recipients demonstrate a noticeable well-balanced presence between avor and complexity, taste and nish. Many of our Silver recipients can be found nationally in stores, restaurants, bars, and online.

Bronze Award

Our Bronze award recognizes these brands to be fair, well-crafted, attractive to nose, taste, and nish—worthy of recognition.

Stuart Cutler CEO/President

to

By Joshua James

Millions of Americans drink less because they don’t want to feel bad and age faster. There is a collective consciousness focusing on health, and that Hundredth Monkey Effect has made the Multi-Trillion Dollar Wellness pendulum swing even quicker. A perfect storm of Covid-drinking and thousands of startup beverage brands coming out around the same time gave people a choice that didn’t really exist before, at least not quite like this.

why sober october?

The trend toward lower ABV beverages happened around when Aperol Spritz started trending, and hard seltzers like White Claw were about to be in many col lege kids’ hands. Let’s call it 2016 when I was starting to make a lot of these Spritz at the St. Regis in Kauai, and then a whole lot more when I started bartending at fine dining restaurants in NYC.

People realized they wanted to be able to socialize lon ger while day-drinking, and only being able to drink two IIPA’s before they had to call an Uber just wasn’t how they wanted to change their day. The average al cohol content of beer lists across the country started to decrease, and we were well on our way to COVID. Early pandemic months had a spike in alcohol purchases for the home when people were keeping their drinking pace and consistently seeing their recycling bins fill up.

Average beer and wine sales eventually dropped 12 percent by the end of 2020, while beverage delivery company Drizly reports that the sale of non-alcohol beer is up over 200 percent, and the sale of non-al cohol wine is up 300 percent. The sale of non-alcohol spirits is up 600 percent.

One of the many silver linings to the pandemic was people had a chance to pause, process, and figure out what they really wanted to do with their life… and what they don’t. They had time to sit down and write a business plan to outline a problem and the solution: An interesting social drink to enjoy when you don’t want to drink alcohol. That solution is a multi-billion-dollar industry.

Cutting back on alcohol is trending, and still, the biggest fear someone has when they contemplate drinking less—or not at all—is that life will be boring. Hey, boring people are still dull. Funny people will continue to be funny and as millions of people are finding that out with participation in Dry January (see, that doesn’t rhyme) and books like Quit Like a Woman and This Naked Mind came out, we had a full-on movement afoot.

People started sleeping better and were much more productive when they didn’t have a hangover. Those participating in Sober October carried it on into subsequent months because they became ready. Their mindset had shifted, and they wanted to feel better more than they wanted to get intoxicated. Millennials are driving the industry, and Gen Z is totally drinking

SOBER OCTOBER AND DRY JANUARY GIVE PEOPLE AN OPPORTUNITY TO RE-EVALUATE THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH ALCOHOL.

Photo by Sangria Señorial

less than any generation before them as they want to take care of the world and their bodies. What may have started with Dry July carried right into August (nothing rhymes with August), and the stigma of having a non-drinker lifestyle started to dismantle.

Katy Pery came out with De Soi: A sexy bottle with a complex, under-sweet aperitif for the adult pal ate. Bella Hadid became co-owner of Kin Euphor ics, and Blake Lively went all in with Betty Buzz. Sobriety is being rebranded, and Mocktails will be left as a word for sugary kids’ drinks begrudgingly made by bartenders.

Any relevant bar program has to include NonAlc options like they do vegetarian or vegan. You will no longer get vibed from a bartender or your drinking buddy for requesting a non-alcoholic beverage because it is the biggest trend in food and beverage right now. You will be included and catered to as the majority of the population doesn’t really drink.

Getting drunk multiple times a week is getting a side-eye now. Not from anti-alcohol people; 80 percent of online non-alcohol sales are from people who drink. This is a movement of people #drinkingless. Alcohol has always been the default for every social situation, but now there is a new choice. The immense power of offering a desirable choice presented to consumers is impacting drinking culture. Since alcohol is so deeply embedded in a culture, that means the culture itself has forever changed. There are virtually no naysayers, the non-alcoholic movement is not a fad, and we are so here for it.

DEVILS MOUNTAIN

Temperance Cocktail @ Ocean Beach Cafe SF

1½ ounce Kentucky 74 Spiritless Whiskey

1 ounce The Pathfinder Amaro

½ ounce Cinnamon Honey Syrup

¾ ounce Aqua faba

Orange twist and grated cinnamon stick.

Add all ingredients to a shaker and dry shake without ice. Add ice and shake hard for seven seconds and double strain into coupe. Garnish with orange twist and grated cinnamon.

Joshua James, 40, took a year off drinking December, 2019 to see what would happen. Exactly one year later, and because of no hangovers, he had 50 NoBoozeReviews and opened Ocean Beach Cafe in San Francisco to house the largest selection of nonalcoholic beverages on the West Coast. He has since produced his Mindful Drinker Documentary on YouTube and built the Temperance Bar Speakeasy Lounge in a secret location in the same city.

The Devils Mountain cocktail features Kentucky 74, the richest non-alcohol whiskey from Spiritless. The Pathrinder Hemp Distiallate Amaro is something every bartender needs to know about. Aqua Faba (chickpea/ garbanzo bean liquid) adds viscosity and the honey and cinnamon ties it all together.

SAMMY HAGAR COCKTAIL Aficionado, ROCK & ROLL HALL-OF-FAMER

Our handcrafted small batch mix made from a unique blend of natural ingredients providing World Class Taste!

A bold, thick full- avored mix that won’t water down in your glass. No MSG or high fructose corn syrup.

Setting a new standard of excellence in the industry!

CELEBRATE!

The PR%F Awards

Great spirits flowed together in camaraderie and unique tastings when spirit industry leaders gathered to judge the PR%F Awards 2021, 2020, and 2019. Officially named the world’s largest spirits and wine competition in the US, PR%F Awards 2021 encompassed innovation with judging. PR%F Awards 2021 launched a new dual adult beverage competition format including two competitions in one—PR%F Awards-Masked, The DoubleBlind Tasting, and PR%F Awards-Unmasked, The Total Package. It has been three years of incredible tastings, new partnerships and the fun of Las Vegas with more to come.