There’s two ways to approach a New Year, a kale acai smoothie and an elliptical at 6am or with what truly made you happy a month ago, booze, food and good friends. Mantry takes a stab at the latter as we raise our glass to celebrate six of America’s best booze-infused products.
Morris Kitchen // Ginger Syrup // Brooklyn, NY
Enjoying a well crafted cocktail doesn’t have to mean paying 15$ in a pretentious bar. Morris Kitchen’s handcrafted ginger syrup reminds us quality cocktails at home can be cheaper than coors light. Go for the Dark & Stormy, just fill a glass with ice, add 3 oz seltzer, ½ oz Ginger Syrup and lime. Slowly pour 2oz rum on top to keep color separate, garnish with a lime. Make a round of these and we promise nobody will care you may not have the proper glassware…
Butter & Scotch // Green Chile Margarita Corn // Brooklyn, NY
There’s small-batch and then there’s making every single batch on a tabletop popcorn maker in a makeshift Brooklyn kitchen using Hatch Chile peppers smuggled in from New Mexico. Due to Butter & Scotch’s tiny production capacity, we had to wait a couple months to feature this product..however we suggest you tear into this bag before anyone else in the house gets a crack at it.
Wondermade // Guinness Marshmallows // Orlando, FL
Short of some paranoid leprechaun tripping balls about kids after his lucky charms and inadvertently making marshmallow torches at a bonfire, your mallow experience is most likely minimal. Enter Nathan Clark, who after maybe one too many pints of Guinness, may have stumbled on the perfect light as air bar snack to Ireland’s true liquid based breakfast. Cozy up this winter with our take on the Irish Hot Chocolate..just add Bailey’s, these guinness marshmallows and a good mug (recipe: mantry.com).
Reginald’s // Bourbon Pecan Butter // Sabot, Virginia
Named after a childhood dog (not a boozehound), Andrew Brooker gives a nod to his favorite pooch by slipping some hooch into a batch of fresh roasted Virginia peanuts and pecans. Our call? Fire a banana atop a couple smears of pecan butter and fresh ciabatta, finish with a drizzle of good honey.
Dogfish Head Brewery // Hardtack Chowder // Rehoboth Beach, DE
If you’re a believer that the addition of beer makes most things better, you may be happy as a clam with this can. One of the nation’s most celebrated breweries Dogfish Head partnered with a local clam harvester and ripped the recipe for Herman Melville’s classic American novel “Moby Dick” to produce a whale of chowder. Sustainably harvested Quahog Clams, Pounded ship biscuits, and salted pork is enriched with butter. Just add 8 ounces of half and half and 3oz of brown ale (try Dogfish Palo Santo Marron) and simmer over low heat, a chance to tuck into a super bowl early.
Olli Salumeria // Calabrese Salami // Mechanicsville, Virginia
A fourth generation salumi maker slow curing world-class salami in small town Virginia? Believe it. It might not be the rolling foothills of Italy by Olli Comlignoli has a foothold on building an Artisan empire stateside. Based on 160 year old family recipes this salami gets a healthy pour of Sangiovese and a light smoking over Applewood. No need to reinvent the wheel here, your favorite bottle of red, good cheese and crusty bread.
