Free People Walnut Street Opening

Yesterday I left work around 5pm to head to our brand new store on Walnut Street in Philadelphia.  We were having a private celebration for home office employees, family and friends before the doors officially opened this morning. From the moment I walked through the carved wooden door, I felt like I was in a very special place.  If you live in the area, I definitely recommend making the trip to see the store in person – but if not, I hope these photos can do it some justice!

{friday cocktail: the root rx}

Our friend Josh recently told us about these new liqueurs by the small company on the East Coast called Art In The Age.  They currently only produce three flavors; Root, Rhuby and Snap.  This stuff is not easy to find, currently it is only sold in two locations;  the Cask online store and ONE store in Southern California, Hi-Times in Newport Beach.  Lucky for us, we spend time in Orange County often and picked up a bottle of Snap and Root before the holidays.  After playing around with a few different recipes, we decided on this one for today's post.

The Root Rx:

1 oz. Famous Grouse

1/2 oz Root Liqueur

1/2 oz. Domaine de Canton

1 oz. lemon juice

1 barspoon Oban Scotch

Shake Famous Grouse, Root, Domaine de Canton & lemon juice in a cocktail tin with ice. Strain over ice into an old fashioned glass. Float Oban scotch on top.

Cheers!

12 Most Interesting New Products for Cocktails

The Twelve most interesting new products for cocktails? Certainly there are more than 12, but for the intent of this assignment, I chose 12 that influenced me in positive ways this past year. Sure there are some recognizable brands and a couple of under the radar finds. I was a Ministry of Rum judge in 2010, so Rum fits the profile as do bitters and of course Bourbon! This year I was named the “On Whiskey” Columnist for OKRA Magazine in New Orleans- and that led me to the discovery of Absinthe- another historic spirit enjoyed in New Orleans, location of Tales of the Cocktail. Twelve? Only Twelve? I’d better get cracking!

Riding the Wave

The event culminated with a presentation and conversation by Dr. Sylvia Earle and Ted Turner. As guest sipped organic Root cocktails, Ocean Elder Sir Richard Branson joined the converstaion by video while actress and activist Daryl Hannah emceed the evening. 

Art in the Age ROOT 

While we certainly enjoy cozying up to a good gin and tonic to help take the edge off, the foodie in us often desires something a bit different, more tantalizing to the taste buds. That’s where the uniquely delicious, certified-organic Art in the Age ROOT comes into play. “What’s that?” is probably running through your mind right now.

Well, here’s what the creatively innovative Philadelphia general store has to say about the origins of its delectable decoction:

"ROOT traces its heritage all the way back to the 1700s when colonists were first introduced to the Root Tea that Native Americans would drink as an herbal remedy. Brewed from sassafras, sarsaparilla, wintergreen birch bark, and other roots and herbs, Root Tea was used to cure a variety of ailments. As colonial settlers passed the recipe down from generation to generation, the drink grew in potency and complexity. This was especially true in the Pennsylvania hinterlands where the ingredients naturally grew in abundance. These homemade, extra-strong Root Teas were a favorite in colonial homes and public houses all over the northeastern colonies."