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NYC is getting a Coffee and Margarita Upgrade! Jordan’s Skinny Mixes Reveals Tasty New Flavors in Exclusive Interview for ExpoWest 2023

By Joe Winger — 2 years ago

Yum! Jordan’s Skinny Mixes Reveals Tasty New Flavors in Exclusive Interview for ExpoWest 2023

Say yes if you love coffee. Say yes again if you love cocktails. Say yes a third time if you love ‘em, but wanna be healthier and save some money.

If you said yes to *any* of the above, you’re going to want to listen, because we just had twenty minutes with the woman who makes all those things happen for you.

This week at ExpoWest 2023 Jordan’s Skinny Mixes has a lot to share!

Jordan’s Skinny Mixes Margaritas

Their Naturally Sweetened line of margarita mixes is made with real lime juice and sweetened with agave and contains 75 % less sugar and calories than other leading brands. The four margarita mixes flavors are Classic, Peach, Spicy, and Strawberry Key Lime, and they do not contain any artificial sweeteners, flavors, or colors.

Jordan’s Skinny Mixes natural line of skinny syrups is available in 4 guilt-free flavors, including Vanilla Bean, Salted Caramel, Cinnamon Dolce, and Chocolate Mocha

Their natural line of skinny syrups is available in 4 guilt-free flavors, including Vanilla Bean, Salted Caramel, Cinnamon Dolce, and Chocolate Mocha, for your coffee, tea, protein shakes, baking, or just about anything.

Jordan’s Skinny Mixes was founded in 2009 by female entrepreneur Jordan Engelhardt. The beverage brand was created with the simple desire to enjoy a margarita that wasn’t loaded with sugar and empty calories. Now with over 100 products, this female-led team is on a mission to craft beverages that cut the sugar and keep the fun from coffee ‘til cocktails.

Skinny Mixes can now be found in over 13,000 specialty retail locations across the United States, Canada, Australia, and Europe, including Target stores, Skinnymixes.com, and Amazon.

Jordan Engelhardt is an impressive person, so when I had the chance to meet up and have a conversation, it was an easy yes.

Just to give us some background, what were you up to before launching back in 2009?

Back in 2009 I was a recent college graduate working in real estate as an appraiser. I launched this product [Jordan’s Skinny Mixes] right when the recession was basically at its peak. It had just started and the market crashed pretty heavily in Florida where I was living at the time.

So I found myself without work, and this idea that I felt pretty strongly about.

What are some of the biggest changes you’ve navigated in the industry over those 10 years?

Oh, there’s been a lot. The world has evolved much more to natural products, which is why we’re here at Expo West as we just have launched our new natural line so this is pretty big for us.

Also, the customization of flavors over the years have just gotten more and more prevalent.

Millennials, and the population in general, really like the variety of flavors, and being able to customize everything. And then Covid really drove at-home consumption of coffee. So I think all of those trends over the last 10 years have really helped drive this company’s growth.

When Covid forced everyone to stay home, did that become a “lucky opportunity” for the business and boost at-home coffee drinking?

It was certainly fortunate in some ways, but in many other ways [not as much]. We were selling to many grocery accounts. We’re selling to a lot of specialty stores which had no choice but to close their doors. So we lost quite a bit of distribution during that time, but were able to make up for it online [with website e-commerce]. So [with market] penetration and trying to drive consumer growth, in that capacity, yes, it was fortunate. But it was also a little bit scary [for us], like many other businesses at the same time.

What is the biggest misconception in general about skinny mixes?

People don’t necessarily understand the versatility of our syrup and how you can not only use it for coffee, but you can use it for baking and protein shakes, and just anything.

Flavored syrups are great for iced teas. You can simply just add a dash to water and transform your water.

Once we got the samples this week, the amount of random things we’ve tried [the skinny mixes] with just to see how it’d go.

I love it! It’s part of the fun and part of the great relationship we have with our consumers. They

have so much fun experimenting and making these recipes, and then including us on that.

So [experimenting with the syrups on different foods] just became a benefit over the years. It’s certainly something we think about now.

We have this really amazing closed Facebook group that has really active members. It’s called “Skinny mixes. Share your recipe”. You can see the amount of creativity that our users come up with and then they share their recipes.

One person put it with sweet potatoes, they used it on egg sandwiches. Interesting wild things that you would never think about.

Can you share a little bit about the inspiration behind the line and how you develop the flavors?

Yes, of course. We have a great relationship with our consumers, and they asked for it. When they ask, we listen. We do a lot of innovation. We launch a lot of flavors.

So that’s where it came from and it’s really done. We’ve gotten into Target with this line. We take a lot of pride in listening to what our customers want, and this is what they wanted

What’s the development process like for these flavors?

We have several partnerships with different food labs and beverage labs. We start by verbally explaining to them what we’re looking for. We have a big panel at our company and we just do a lot of tasting. It often takes quite a bit of time because we take a lot of pride in making sure it tastes exactly what we were visualizing.

We can come up with anything from “Mermaid” to “Unicorn”. The different food labs across the country are amazing and they make it happen.

It’s a slow, methodical approach. Then we have a larger tasting panel and we keep going until we find just the right mix.

That’s incredible. What’s the timeline from concept to finished product?

It varies widely. It could take a couple of months or it could take over a year. Probably on average, about 4 to 6 months.

Do you ever try to create flavors and they don’t end up working out?

Oh, it happens all the time, especially in the beginning. We’re innovating constantly. Trends change fairly quickly. We’ve been fortunate with a robust website where we can test things quite easily and pivot.

Are there any teases as to what flavors might be next?

Well at the show we’re launching our naturally sweetened flavors. French vanilla, caramel, peppermint, mocha and pumpkin spice. Maybe some new seasonal offerings after that. We’re constantly innovating, constantly looking at new categories.

Switching over to coffee, what inspired you to launch coffee syrups?

12 years ago the company started with cocktail mixes. With the popularity of Starbucks and people going through the drive through and having what they thought was guilt-free drinks but was not necessarily guilt free.

They didn’t realize how many calories they are consuming with their Frappuccino or their latte.

It immediately seemed like another way to really help people not have such a sugar laden beverage every single day.

That’s why the coffee syrup was developed. Since cocktail mixes are so seasonal, coffee syrup is something that consumers consume daily. So it was a natural extension for the product line with the coffee syrup

You have some new coffee flavors launching as well

Listening to the trends and looking at the popularity of the most popular flavors just through our [tasting] panel. and you know, just having a great team that’s out and about, and looking at menus, and using some common sense, if you will, and reading up on trends, it’s then a 3 prong process.

You’re getting a lot of positive attention at ExpoWest. What in your opinion, makes for a successful trade show?

Taking the step to take the risk to be there and have your branding there; and be open to meeting consumers and buyers in the trade. We try to make it fun. So we serve cocktails, and we’re going to be serving espresso Martinis today. Yesterday we served Margaritas, and we had a speakeasy happy hour. It helps people really understand the brand, and come by and see us. I think that’s most important, really put your brand out there and your brand’s personality and just have fun with it.

Can you talk a little bit about the mission behind Jordan’s Skinny Mixes?

Our mission summarized is crafting beverages that cut the sugar and keep the fun for a healthier, more flavorful lifestyle and to make everyday moments simply sweeter.

What is your biggest call to action for the audience?

I’d love the consumers to experiment at home. I’d love for them to make their latte at home. Make that morning coffee at home. So many people will say it’s going to be a better experience.

Try our products. You’re going to save calories. You’re going to save time. You’re going to save money.

Shop Jordan’s Skinny Mixes products online and view recipes at https://www.skinnymixes.com/

Check out Jordan’s Skinny Mixes latest and greatest recipes by following on Instagram – @skinnymixes, Facebook- @skinnymixes, TikTok – TikTok , and Pinterest – @skinnymixes

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Global Movie Lover Chris Gore Chooses Best Destination in the world, Attack of the Doc Available April 24

By Joe Winger — 2 years ago

Global Movie Lover Chris Gore Chooses Best Spot in the world, Attack of the Doc Available April 24

Attack of the Show! was unique, way ahead of its time and was a milestone that had a huge impact on geek culture. Available for streaming and more as of April 24, 2023.

This deep dive documentary features pop icons including Wil Wheaton, John Cena, Joel McHale, Peter Jackson, Kumail Nanjiani, Whitney Cummings, Danny Pudi, and many more!

“Attack of the Doc!” is written, directed & produced by Chris Gore.

Today I sat down with Chris Gore, the writer / director / producer of “Attack of the Doc!” to talk about the huge effort of editing a generation of content down to a tight 90 minutes.

You’ve traveled the world, from Comic-Con cities to film festivals and gaming projects. Do you have a favorite destination?

When I was doing G4 TV, I went to Paris; I went to London. When I was doing Video Game Magazine in the 1990s, I traveled to Germany, France, all over.

I will say one of my favorites is Austin, Texas where I went during South by Southwest for a number of reasons. One, the people. The people are very authentic and real in Austin, Texas. The food is incredible. The bar scenes.

I have a lot of love for San Diego, California, where I go at least once a year when I go to San Diego Comic-Con..

Even though I’ve been to Paris and [around the world]. Places like Birmingham, Alabama; I like a small town that has a walkable downtown where there are real people that I can connect with. I live in Pasadena, California that is sort of a mini version of San Diego’s Gaslamp. It’s beautiful. The people are real. There’s every kind of bar; there’s your college bar, there’s a dive bar, there’s your hipster bourbon bar.

Pasadena is this mix of everything. You’ve got rich, poor, blue collar, all the colors of Benetton. You’ve got families, you’ve also got young and old. You don’t see a lot of that in other parts of LA. LA is a very young city, Pasadena’s old and young; and I like that. I just like different types of people. That’s an attraction to me. So I live in one of my favorite places. That’s perfect.

Food is a big deal, like barbecue in Austin, Texas.

“Attack of the Doc!” is written, directed & produced by Chris Gore, produced & edited by Bobby Schwartz, co-produced by Walter Areas, with additional co-editing by Anthony Ray Bench and Phillip H. Eubanks, and with an original score composed by Austin Smith. This deep dive documentary features pop icons including Wil Wheaton, John Cena, Joel McHale, Peter Jackson, Kumail Nanjiani, Whitney Cummings, Danny Pudi, Eric Andre, Jerry Stiller, Joe Rogan, Jimmy Fallen, Kel Mitchell, Anne Meara, Stan Lee, Sara Jean Underwood, Carrie Keagan, Riley Steele, Tom Green, Anthony Daniels, Michael Winslow, Joey Kern, Joan Rivers, Chris Hardwick, Robert Kirkman, Greg Nicotero, Jessica Chobot, Tony Hawk, and Alison Haislip, among others as we search for the truth.

“Attack of the Show! was unique, way ahead of its time and was a milestone that had a huge impact on geek culture. Its core audience is one of the most coveted around the globe. I think viewers of the original show will be down for learning the history of the network and the show which helped usher in the age of nerd culture. Frankly, G4TV and Attack of the Show! are responsible for making it cool to be a nerd,” states Gore. “And at the end of the day, I hope the documentary entertains fans and reminds them of a time when a TV show could be dangerous and provide some laughs without fear of being canceled. Everyone who worked on the documentary is a super fan, so this movie was made by fans for fans.”

Attack of the Doc! Synopsis

Before the rise of big tech, social media and Marvel movies, Attack of the Show! chronicled nerd culture’s unlikely acceptance as mainstream. G4TV’s flagship show launched the careers of hosts Olivia Munn and Kevin Pereira and was beloved by fans – a unique celebration of geek culture before it was cool. Diving into colossal cream pies, wearing fat suits for comedy and putting internet servers where the sun don’t shine – anything could happen on an episode of Attack of the Show! It’s been years since the show went off the air and one question has lingered: what really happened to G4TV and Attack of the Show? Enter Attack Of The Doc! — the new film written and directed by Chris Gore, promises to answer one of pop culture’s longest running mysteries.

Available as of April 24 and watch the trailer here.

Follow the documentary and its journey available on Video on Demand and TVOD/Digital platforms on April 24th, 2023, which is the 21st Anniversary of the launch of G4TV.

NYC Geek Culture is Begging to see Chris Gore’s “Attack Of the Doc!” available April 21

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NYC Geek Culture is Begging to see Chris Gore’s “Attack Of the Doc!” available April 24

By Contributor — 2 years ago

Chris Gore’s “Attack Of the Doc!” Comes To Audiences Across North America Timed to G4TV’s 21st Anniversary

Prolific author, film critic, founder of Film Threat, regular on-air personality for G4TV’s “Attack of the Show,” and beloved comic con staple, Chris Gore makes his directorial debut with “Attack of the Doc!” “Attack of the Doc!” addresses all the questions left unanswered by the cancellation of G4TV and Attack of the Show!

The show’s hosts Olivia Munn and Kevin Pereira

Host Olivia Munn

Perfectly timed to the 21st anniversary of G4TV this year. G4TV’s Attack of the Show! was a birthplace for nerd culture on broadcast TV and where audiences watched the careers of the show’s hosts Olivia Munn and Kevin Pereira begin their ascent.

Host Kevin Pereira

“Attack of the Doc!” world premières April 21st

Oscar winner and filmmaking legend James Cameron appeared on the show

“Attack of the Doc!” will world première on April 21st offering Q&A’s with Goreat the Frida Cinema in Southern California, and will be available through Indie Rights for audiences across all TVOD/Digital platforms and Video On Demand throughout North America on April 24^th, 2023, which is the 21^st Anniversary of the launch of G4TV.

“Attack of the Doc!” writer, director, producer, and geek culture legend Chris Gore

“Attack of the Doc!” is written, directed & produced by Chris Gore, produced & edited by Bobby Schwartz, co-produced by Walter Areas, with additional co-editing by Anthony Ray Bench and Phillip H. Eubanks, and with an original score composed by Austin Smith.

This deep dive documentary features pop icons including Wil Wheaton, John Cena, Joel McHale, Peter Jackson, Kumail Nanjiani, Whitney Cummings, Danny Pudi, Eric Andre, Jerry Stiller, Joe Rogan, Jimmy Fallen, Kel Mitchell, Anne Meara, Stan Lee, Sara Jean Underwood, Carrie Keagan, Riley Steele, Tom Green, Anthony Daniels, Michael Winslow, Joey Kern, Joan Rivers, Chris Hardwick, Robert Kirkman, Greg Nicotero, Jessica Chobot, Tony Hawk, and Alison Haislip, among others as we search for the truth.

“Attack of the Show! was unique, way ahead of its time and was a milestone that had a huge impact on geek culture. Its core audience is one of the most coveted around the globe. I think viewers of the original show will be down for learning the history of the network and the show which helped usher in the age of nerd culture. Frankly, G4TV and Attack of the Show! are responsible for making it cool to be a nerd,” states Gore. “And at the end of the day, I hope the documentary entertains fans and reminds them of a time when a TV show could be dangerous and provide some laughs without fear of being canceled. Everyone who worked on the documentary is a super fan, so this movie was made by fans for fans.”

Attack of the Doc! Synopsis

Before the rise of big tech, social media and Marvel movies, Attack of the Show! chronicled nerd culture’s unlikely acceptance as mainstream. G4TV’s flagship show launched the careers of hosts Olivia Munn and Kevin Pereira and was beloved by fans – a unique celebration of geek culture before it was cool. Diving into colossal cream pies, wearing fat suits for comedy and putting internet servers where the sun don’t shine – anything could happen on an episode of Attack of the Show! It’s been years since the show went off the air and one question has lingered: what really happened to G4TV and Attack of the Show? Enter Attack Of The Doc! — the new film written and directed by Chris Gore, promises to answer one of pop culture’s longest running mysteries.

Tickets available here for the April 21^st premiere, and watch the trailer here.

Follow the documentary and its journey available on Video on Demand and TVOD/Digital platforms on April 24th, 2023, which is the 21^st Anniversary of the launch of G4TV.

President Bill Clinton and Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton in Conversation with David Rubenstein at NYC's 92Y May 4

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President Bill Clinton and Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton in Conversation with David Rubenstein at NYC’s 92Y May 4

By Joe Winger — 2 years ago

President Bill Clinton and Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton in Conversation with David Rubenstein at NYC’s 92Y May 4

Join President Bill Clinton and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton — two of the most consequential world leaders of our time — in a major conversation on their pathbreaking lives in politics and the power of transformative leadership with David Rubenstein.

For in-person tickets

For on-line tickets

During his time as president, Bill Clinton led longest economic expansion in US history, including the creation of 22 million jobs. In her decades of public service, Hillary Clinton has broken barrier after barrier, working tirelessly to improve the lives of all Americans through health care legislation, economic policy, and diplomacy — and in so doing became an icon for women and girls the world over.

In celebration of our 150th anniversary, the Clintons come together on our stage for the first time ever in a candid discussion on their remarkable lives — what they’ve learned from one another, how they have influenced each other’s leadership styles and politics, their hopes for the future of America, and much more.

People Who Inspire Us: A 150th Anniversary Series

This series is made possible through the support of David Rubenstein

For 150 years, The 92nd Street Y, New York has been a vital center for culture, connection, and enrichment. And for the last 40 of these years, the 92NY Recanati-Kaplan Talks series – the premier forum for conversation in the nation – is where thought leaders and culture shapers have come to engage in the kind of unparalleled talks that leave the rest of us talking, and that open hearts and minds.

To mark our 150th anniversary, 92NY Recanati-Kaplan Talks presents a series of select events, People Who Inspire Us. This special series is conceived to feature exceptionally distinguished figures in American cultural life who have used their prominence in a meaningful way to better the world.

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Just Outside NY: Poconos Park goes ‘Full Throttle’ with LOST HIGHWAY™ Motorcycle Show & Concert May 19-21

By Rocco Delfino — 2 years ago

POCONOS PARK™ goes “full-throttle” as it makes final preparations for the upcoming LOST HIGHWAY™ Motorcycle Show & Concert slated for May 19-21, 2023.

Best described as:

“an extraordinary mashup of motorcycles and music”

the Pocono’s inaugural LOST HIGHWAY Show & Concert will be a weekend chock-full of beautiful bikes, great live music, multiple charity rides and poker runs, and a headline concert on Friday night featuring LYNYRD SKYNYRD, with The Marshall Tucker Band (both bands now celebrating their 50th Anniversary of Southern Rockdom).

Today through Sunday, April 23, EARLY-BIRD Saturday General Admission passes are available for only $19.99 (plus fees), with Friday General Admission passes available for $29.99 (plus fees) respectively.

Prices will increase on Monday, April 24, so fans are encouraged to purchase their tickets now!

Fans can also opt for the Saturday American Metal Whiskey VIP experience, which will be on sale on April 24th starting at $59.99.

For purchase options or a complete schedule, please visit LOSTHIGHWAYSHOW.COM.

In addition to daily activities that include bike games, a cornhole tournament, multiple poker runs, Copper Mike Custom Bike Show on Friday, the Deadbeat Custom Clash Ride-In Bike Show on Saturday, the Speed-Kings Cycle Showcase all weekend, and a motorcycle art gallery (curated by Strati Hovartos), LOST HIGHWAY™ Motorcycle Show & Concert’s schedule now includes performances by Struggle Jennings (“Fall In The Fall,” “God We Need You Now”), Bones Owens (“Good Day,” “Lightning Strike”), Redlight King (“Bullet In My Hand,” “Born To Rise”), and Rick Monroe & The Hitmen (“Crazy Not To,” “Fires Out”) to round out Saturday’s music.

The LOST HIGHWAY™ Motorcycle Show & Concert will also include two charity rides. Friday’s LOST HIGHWAY™ Motorcycle Show & Concert First Responders Ride in support of all first responders will raise funds for the Bushkill Volunteer Fire Company. Saturday’s LOST HIGHWAY™ Motorcycle Show & Concert Warrior Built Ride will raise funds for the Warrior Built Foundation, an organization that supports combat veterans and wounded service members by providing vocational and recreational opportunities within the motorsports industry.

Both charity rides are LIMITED to the first 125 registrants and will gather for coffee and donuts at Pocono Mountain Harley Davidson (110 Hill Motor Lodge Rd. in Tannersville) beginning at 10 a.m. Following a brief demonstration by Ride Like a Pro, both rides will depart at approximately 11 a.m. for LOST HIGHWAY™ Motorcycle Show & Concert at POCONOS PARK and be guided by Poconos Mountain HOG Chapter along a scenic route showcasing the beauty of the region.

EARLY-BIRD Ride Bundles for Friday’s First Responders’ Charity Ride or Saturday’s Warrior Built Charity Ride are now available starting at $24.99(which includes a corresponding LOST HIGHWAY™ Motorcycle Show & Concert General Admission ticket). Ride Charity Ride prices will go up on Monday, April 24, so go to LOSTHIGHWAYSHOW.COM and reserve your spot today!!

A smashing success on the West Coast and named “Best Event” by Hot Bikemagazine, LOST HIGHWAY™ Motorcycle Show & Concert was founded in 2015 by bike & music enthusiast John M. Oakes (CEO-From The Roots–the venue management/real estate company that owns and operates POCONOS PARK.

“We are thrilled for the LOST HIGHWAY™ Motorcycle Show & Concert to launch on the East Coast! We will be showcasing the finest bikes and some of the best riding the East Coast has to offer,” states Oakes, “…with great music all weekend long!” he adds. “However, the window is closing to take advantage of early pricing discounts, enter the LOST HIGHWAY sweepstakes, and enter our Battle of the Bands competition to be part of the musical lineup that includes Lynyrd Skynyrd.” He suggests, “so, maybe put that tax refund to good use and let the good times roll in the Poconos!”

LOST HIGHWAY™ Motorcycle Show & Concert’s Sweepstakes tickets are still available through Sunday evening. Fans can win a VIP trip for two to see Lynyrd Skynyrd at LOST HIGHWAY™ Motorcycle Show & Concert (including flights, hotel, a backstage tour, and more), PLUS a 2023 Harley-Davidson Road Glide Special from Poconos Mountain Harley-Davidson customized by Steve Edgar from Speed Kings Cycle Supply (or $20,000 in cash–your choice)! Proceeds go to The Warrior Built Foundation, a nonprofit organization that provides vocational and recreational therapy to combat veterans and wounded warriors. A $50 donation is suggested to greatly increase your chance of winning.

Go to www.LostHighwayShow.com* to enter!

Friday, May 19**
10:00 AM – First Responders Ride (Registration) at Pocono Mountain Harley-Davidson
11:00 AM – First Responders Charity Ride from Pocono Mountain Harley-Davidson
1:00 PM – Gates Open with DJ Party
1:00 PM –“Copper” Mike Custom Bike Show (Registration)
All day – Poker Chip Ride
1-7 PM – Motorcycle Mall & Vendor Village
2:15 PM – Battle of the Bands Winner Performance
2:55 PM – Rick Monroe & The Hitmen
5:05 PM – Seth Enslow
6:15 PM – The Jess Zimmerman Band
7:30 PM – The Marshall Tucker Band
9:00 PM – Lynyrd Skynyrd

Saturday, May 20**
10:00 AM – Warrior Built Ride (Registration) at Pocono Mountain Harley-Davidson
11:00 AM – Warrior Built Charity Ride from Pocono Mountain Harley-Davidson
1:00 PM – Gates Open with DJ Party
1:00 PM – Deadbeat Customs Clash Bike Show (Registration)
All Day – Poker Chip Ride
1-9 PM – Motorcycle Mall & Vendor Village
2:15 PM – Battle of the Bands Winner Performance
2:55 PM – Rick Monroe & The Hitmen
4:00 PM – Redlight King
5:15 PM – Bones Owens
6:35 PM – Struggle Jennings

Finally, there is still time for talented bands to enter POCONOS PARK Battle of the Bands to perform at the LOST HIGHWAY™ Motorcycle Show & Concert. Fans are also encouraged to visit the site and vote for their favorite bands to kick off Friday evening’s lineup featuring the legendary Lynyrd Skynyrd! Visit BattleOfTheBands.com for more information.

ABOUT POCONOS PARK™

POCONOS PARK™, located only 18 miles north of Stroudsburg in the Bushkill Falls region near Delaware Water Gap National Park, will operate as a boutique festival site and play host to world-class tours and productions, as well as special events. The complex includes two sizable venues: the Amphitheater at Poconos Park, a 10,000+-capacity, open-air, amphitheater with thousands of seats near the stage, and a beautiful grass lawn for thousands more to enjoy entertainment in the great outdoors. (The amphitheater can also be converted to a 3,000-capacity, fully-enclosed venue for year-round performances); and the Lake House at Poconos Park, a 14,000-square-foot banquet hall is located on a scenic 90-acre lake. (The theater can seat up to 400 people for private events such as banquets, corporate retreats, weddings, etc., and serve as a facility for first-class VIP experiences for concerts, festivals, and other large events.) For more information, please visit PoconosPark.com.

KLYR Rum Makes a Splash in Manhattan at their First Ever Bespoke NYC Tasting

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KLYR Rum Makes a Splash in Manhattan at their First Ever Bespoke NYC Tasting

By Joe Winger — 2 years ago

KLYR Rum Makes a Splash in Manhattan at their First Ever Bespoke NYC Tasting

On March 27 KLYR Rum hosted their first-ever Manhattan event at New York’s Cad & The Dandy Penthouse showroom to showcase their line of rums to a crowd of NYC’s mixology, nightlife and style scene.

The event was jam-packed.

The stylish crowd gathered to meet the founders, hear their story and of course, taste their canned cocktails. Just like a well-balanced cocktail, all three parts were mixed impressively.

KLYR Rum Makes a Splash in Manhattan

KLYR Rum Cocktails

Their cocktails are dangerously clean. They chose to make purity their guide and as a result they created a rum that ‘drinks like a vodka’ — the result is an excellent mixing partner for ice, soda, or a touch of fruit.

KLYR Water

The 99 calorie KLYR Water is made with natural flavors. Pretty classic tasting notes, with a very clean and crisp taste.

It’s a versatile cocktail that can be an easy-drink happy hour go-to or dressed-up for an elegant black-tie evening. Another good sign: 4.5% ABV.

KLYR Krush

Their KLYR Krush is a bit more. More flavor, more character, more fun. Its flavor is a gush of exotic sun-ripened oranges. Sweet, surprising, refreshing. Again: 4.5% ABV.

The Krush is an easy rooftop treat this spring and summer. It’s what I would pass around to my friends hanging out on our building’s rooftop after brunch on a Sunday Funday.

KLYR Rum Makes a Splash in Manhattan

KLYR Rum Team

Adam Lehrhaupt, Amish Patel, and Neil Kahrim started out as easy rum drinkers. Let’s be honest, most of us can relate as rum is easy to drink. But as they got deeper into appreciating the spirit, they started to tinker. With flavor, with health benefits, with mixers. They wanted a result that was purer.

To do that, they realized they had to produce their own.

A fun, but expensive hobby that has now been launched into a profitable endeavor beyond their wildest expectations – and they’re just getting started.

At the beginning, the team’s mission was very straightforward. They wanted Lexi Close, KLYR’s master distiller, to try as many versions as it took to fine-tune the perfect ratio of sugar, water, and yeast.

And now their next step is getting KLYR Rum into everyone’s hands for a taste.

The only problem with that, based on the crowd at this event, is no one just wanted one taste. They go back for a second, a third, and so. Again, it’s easy to drink.

KLYR Rum Story

KLYR Rum set out to disrupt the industry by redefining what rum can be. A revolutionary distillation process that will make the most avid vodka, gin and whiskey lovers say, ‘yes please’.

Holding on to the body of an aged rum, add the smoothness and easy drinking of a vodka. The result is a rum that is refreshingly different from shelf after shelf of countless other rums out there.

At twelve times distilled and filtered eighteen times, KLYR is an innovative, fresh take on rum that speaks to American ingenuity. KLYR Rum has zero grams of sugar, zero grams of carbohydrates, and it’s lower in calories than other, more sugary rums.

New York’s Cad & The Dandy‘s location was a perfect host for the evening

New York’s Cad & The Dandy

New York’s Cad & The Dandy‘s location was a perfect host for the evening as they cater to those who appreciate style while working with a budget.

They provide beautifully crafted bespoke suits at highly competitive prices. Offering the finest in construction, with a full floating canvass, intermediate toile fittings and detailed hand finishing, this is the custom suit that every man wants. Available at all their locations – Savile Row, the City of London, Stockholm and New York – their highly skilled tailors deliver the best in hand crafted bespoke tailoring.

For more on KLYR Rum

For more on New York’s Cad & The Dandy

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‘Let’s Tell the Truth about Kosher Wine’ Gabriel Geller visits to reveal his favorite wines for Passover

By Joe Winger — 2 years ago

‘Let’s Tell the Truth about Kosher Wine’ Gabriel Geller visits to reveal his favorite wines for Passover.

Passover is almost here, starting on April 5. Today we are talking with wine reviewer and Kosher.com expert Gabriel Geller about the truth of Kosher wine.

And well… A lot of people are mis-informed. We have Gabriel to make it all easier.

Passover is coming up. So what is wine’s role in Passover?

Wow! So of course you know, it really depends who you are talking to.

If you talk to the more Orthodox Jews, they’re gonna say they want wine that comes from Israel. Something that’s affordable, and that’s easy to drink, and that’s red.

The rest of us have the custom that, specifically, for Passover there’s the 4 cups of wine at night.

They want a red wine and they want something that’s easy to drink, because there are 4 cups that you have to drink during that meal. They want something that they can drink easily and quickly. So something that’s not too tannic or acidic, something that’s really not too expensive, because they need a lot of it. They’re gonna have a lot of friends.

Then we can talk to people who are not as strictly observant.

They’re just looking for good wine. They know that they need to have 4 cups of wine for the seder, so some will say “let’s try 4 different wines, any type.” Others will say “Well, maybe let’s have a wine that will pair well with what I’m going to serve as the meal.”

And so you’re gonna have a really wide variety of requests from different people. So I usually try to address every segment of the market.

Let’s talk about Kosher wine. What’s difference between Kosher wine and other wines?

Okay. So for that I’m going to pick up this bottle [he holds a Drappier Champagne]. This is a very nice bottle of champagne. If you look at the front label and at the back label. Now you go into a wine store that you know sells a pretty good champagne, whether you’re looking for the kosher version of it or not.

You’re not going to see any difference between the two [bottles], except for this little symbol here, which means orthodox.

You need the name of the Kosher agency that certifies that.

That’s why this is kosher.

There’s the kosher version and non-kosher version. The difference between the two [bottles], besides the symbol on the label is the fact that from the moment the grapes are crushed coming from the vineyard, to when the wine is sealed, and all that it’s set up to serve, and Jews who handle the hands on the process.

Everything else is exactly the same.

The fermentation, the acidity, the secondary fermentation; and that goes for every single kosher wine. The only difference in terms of process and ingredients. The process itself has to be done by observant jews and that’s that’s pretty much it.

Of course the ingredients should be kosher, but that’s usually the case. You know there’s some fining agents that sometimes can be non-kosher. That’s very rare. I would say that 95%, maybe even more, of all wine produced in the world do not have any non kosher ingredients. It’s really about who handles the process.

Gabriel’s choice: Carmel Volcano Merlot 2020

Shop more of Gabriel Geller’s wine advice here.

Wine Pro Etti Edri Reveals the Perfect Wines for Passover

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Wine Pro Etti Edri Reveals the Perfect Wines for Passover

By Joe Winger — 2 years ago

Wine Pro Etti Edri Reveals the Perfect Wines for Passover

Carmel Winery’s Etti Edri had a few minutes to stop by and talk about Passover, her favorite wines and some incredible family meals to pair with those wines.

Carmel Winery has great wines for Passover. Tell us about them

When you are a winery that produces one for 140 years and Rothchild has been so happy and proud about us, we always have to mention him. I always love mentioning the consecutive harvests that we carry.

It’s not an easy thing, especially not in Israel, especially during the Muslim era, especially when, during the Ottoman era, we continue to produce great wine in Israel, which is a great thing.

And I am privileged to work in such a winery that, the first Prime Minister of Israel used to work there. So this is a great thing. It’s not just the history of it all, but it’s also the one-step-after-the-other, it never stops, we’ve been continuously working.

It’s the love of the work, and the love of the land, and the 108 families of growers that have escorted us since day one.

This is not just about wine making, but it’s also to preserve the philosophy that we’ve been making wine for a thousand years and we want to be making wine another 5,000 years. We will keep it going, which is not an easy thing.

So of course I come from Carmel. What’s important for me is to talk about Carmel Winery, that we are able to produce wines from a wide spectrum of wine.

When we sit together for Passover. There are younger people: 18 year old’s, 20 year olds, but it’s people we wanna bring in and invite to the wine world.

Because the wine world in Israel is just since the 1970’s, even though they used to produce wine thousands of years ago. After the Muslim era until the seventh century there was no wine at all. So when Rothchild came, he had to start everything from scratch.

So what he started, we actually sustained. And when we sit together at the table for Passover there are 18 year olds, 23 and 30 year olds, parents, grandparents. That’s a lot of different wine tastes. And we all know how wine involves your palette.

Personally, I mean, I started with semi-dry wines, and today I would go for the Volcano, which is the single vineyard one, you know, the geeky one that goes into oak and large oak. But how long it stayed, and how long it was fermented, and so forth.

As opposed to my 21 year old. She says, “Mom, give me something light and fun”.

So this is what’s so beautiful about Carmel is that you can give them the “Buzz” series, which is the sparkling, a flavored wine and it’s semi-sweet, and they love it. But yet, on the other hand, my father would like the brandy which we also produce. And, me, myself, would go for the high end one. So everybody around the table can enjoy their own glass of wine, and that’s miraculous in a country like ours, it’s an achievement.

Lets do a deeper dive on the wine.

Because I’m at the age of liking these geeky kinds of wines, I want to talk about Carmel Signature. Carmel Signature is all the premium wines under Carmel Winery’s label. It means that while we make regular table wines, you can also drink our Signature series and it has our signature on it, Carmel signature with a symbol of spies.

That symbol means it’s coming from the top vineyards in Israel. So it’s coming up from the Galilee. It’s coming from the Judean Hills. It’s always being picked from single vineyards that are growing up in the north, with really meticulous care.

When it comes into the winery, it’s separated in oak, and then after the fermentation, it’s blended together for a while until it creates a beautiful blend.

So two things I want to talk about, one is we are launching “Single vineyard”, which is a very famous among Kosher drinkers. They love it knowing it’s Single Vineyard from Carmel and they want to taste it because it’s been planted since 2010.

Also, we are launching something today that’s a bit higher. It’s called Volcano, because it comes from a special vineyard that was planted in 2010. Picked from their Cabernet Sauvignon, which Americans love.

So combine the Cabernet grapes, the single vineyard, the signature symbol, the immaculate vineyard work. Combing in all and eventually you get something that’s really really beautiful on the palate, very rich, but yet something you can age and drink 5 – 10 years from now.

Amazing, so tell me more about the Carmel Single Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2019. What meal would you pair with it for dinner?

When we are drinking such a rich and full wine, you would expect to have a matching experience with the food. So usually people would go for roasted meats, fatty meats because the wine is so rich in tannins.

I would actually go for the long-cooked lamb, because I’m Mediterranean, I’m Tunisian.

So I would put all these herbs inside, and yet these herbs would not damage the quality of the wine or the flavors it also pronounces. But long cooked. When you think about a bite of that alongside rice pilaf. You know what that is like? A mixture of the spices should match perfectly to that cabernet. The balance you would get is quite amazing.

Let’s move to a second wine.

What I want to talk about is a wine called Carmel Mediterranean. It’s also on the Carmel Signature which received 96 points by Decanter, which was a big thing for us.

The Americans that came here in 2000, when they tried it they were just blown away.

Mediterranean Carmel is a combination. It’s got Carignan, it’s got Petit Verdot. It’s got Petit Syrah. It’s got single vineyards, separated from all of Israel. It combined later on, after 8 months in oak together, as a blend.

When you taste it it feels like you are tasting some part of the Judean Hills climate, which is limestone and rocky, chalky. When you go out to the Northern Galilee, it’s just a bit wet there, there’s more rain there. So it would feel a lot more earthiness and herbiness into the wines, and combining that, together with also some of the northern shore, Carignan, which is a 100 year old vine. That just gives you a sensation on your palette that you can’t give up.

Then we say, Israel is in one bottle for Carmel Mediterranean and the Carmel Signature.

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Craft Beer News: CBMAS first-ever Best Tattoo category to help raise money for MJF Scholarships

By Contributor — 2 years ago

CBMAS first-ever Best Tattoo category to help raise money for MJF Scholarships

All proceeds of “Show Us Your Favorite Tattoo” category go to The Michael James Jackson Foundation to help fund technical education, and career advancement for black, indigenous, and people of color in the brewing and distilling industries

The Craft Beer Marketing Awards (CBMAS) announced the extension of their “Show Us Your Favorite Tattoo” charity category until May 1, 2023. This category is open at TheCrushies.com to anyone age 21+ who wants to enter their favorite tattoo for a chance to win a Global Crushie Trophy for themselves, and their tattoo artist.

Craft Beer News: CBMAS first-ever Best Tattoo category

Only $50 to enter your favorite tattoo with all proceeds donated to The Michael James Jackson Foundation (MJF Scholarships).

“We are helping literally change the face of American brewing,” said Garrett Oliver, Founder & Chair of MJF, and Brewmaster of The Brooklyn Brewery. “We sent more people of color to Siebel Institute of Technology than had attended the entire previous decade – the MJF is about genuine and lasting change.

“Over our long history, Siebel Institute is proud to play a positive role in the growth of brewing culture, and we feel privileged to be a part of the work of the Michael James Jackson Foundation towards making brewing education available to those who are traditionally under-represented in the brewing community,” said John Hannafan, Siebel Institute Vice President & Director of Education, located in Chicago, Illinois. “The contributions of the scholarship winners who have chosen Siebel/WBA education have truly enriched and enlivened the dynamics of our classrooms as well.”

The first 250 to enter their tattoo will automatically receive Post Malone’s WORLD PONG LEAGUE for free ($25 value) compliments of Spin Master Games.

“Post Malone’s WORLD PONG LEAGUE and CBMAS together makes a lot of sense, they go hand in hand!” Jason Gagnon EP/ Head of Creative Marketing for Spin Master Games

The winner and their tattoo artist will be awarded a complimentary, personalized Global Crushie Trophy and gift bag. All tattoos will be displayed in a special thank you Winner’s Gallery and be promoted with a media tour.

“Tattoos are empowering, they look awesome, and they just make life cooler!” said CBMAS Co-founder Jim McCune. “Tattoos and craft beer are synonymous. Here’s your chance to show off your ink to the world to support a great cause and help impact the life of these upcoming beer industry professionals.”

The awards ceremony will be on May 8^th at the 2023 Craft Brewers Conference. For additional information, visit craftbeermarketingawards.com.

About the The Michael James Jackson Foundation (MJF Scholarships)

The Michael James Jackson Foundation for Brewing and Distilling (MJF) began its scholarship program in 2021 to help counteract barriers for people trying to join the bev-alc workforce. Over the past two years, the Sir Geoff Palmer Scholarship Award for Brewing and the Nearest Green Scholarship Award for Distilling has been awarded to 29 individuals. It most recently awarded eight scholarships to beer industry professionals in its latest round of grants aimed to help Black, Indigenous, and people of color advance in the brewing and distilling industries.

The latest scholarship recipients of the Sir Geoff Palmer Scholarship Award for Brewing include:

Deshawn Agbonze, head brewer at Mastry’s Brewing Co. in St. Pete Beach, Florida,

Sofia Betanzos from Other Half Brewing in Brooklyn, New York,

Tony Jaquez from Outsider Brewing Company in Asheville, North Carolina,

Jamaar Julal director of fermentation at Honeysuckle Provisions and co-founder of JamBrü Ferments, a Philadelphia-based hard kombucha company,

Kevin Limon lead brewer at Angry Horse Brewing in Montebello, California,

Isabella Perez shift lead at Hood River, Oregon-based pFriem Family Brewers, as well as a part-time production employee at Goldendale, Washington-based Dwinell Country Ales and an online teaching assistant at the UC Davis extension program for courses in beer quality,

Eric Pham head brewer and innovation brewer at Prison City Brewing in Auburn, New York.

Chantel Starks distiller for Corsair Distillery in Nashville, Tennessee was awarded a Nearest Green Scholarship Award for Distilling.

About the CBMAS

The Craft Beer Marketing Awards competition accepts beverage-related marketing and design entries from around the globe (beer, hard seltzer, cider, mead, and RTD cocktails). Breweries, agencies, artists, and marketing partners are all invited to enter their top work.

Founded in 2019, the CBMAs is the first awards program of its kind in the world to focus on excellence in creativity and innovation that breweries employ in their marketing to differentiate their brands in a highly–saturated marketplace.

NEW for 2023

Crushie Trophy Redesigned

The CBMAS Crushie Trophy was reinvented to also be a fully functional tap handle. This innovation was developed in the USA by CBMAS Sponsor Steel City Taps. Winners can now purchase their Crushie Trophies year-round in the CBMAS new Trophy Shop coming soon.

Foodies: Where does NYC rank? Manhattan’s La Grande Boucherie Executive Chef Maxime Kien explains the World’s Culinary Scene

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Foodies: Where does NYC rank? Manhattan’s La Grande Boucherie Executive Chef Maxime Kien explains the World’s Culinary Scene

By Joe Winger — 2 years ago

Manhattan’s La Grande Boucherie Executive Chef Maxime Kien explains the World’s Culinary Scene and ranks NYC.

Chef Maxime Kien is the new Executive Chef of NYC’s The Group, responsible for La Grande Boucherie, Boucherie Union Square, Boucherie West Village, Petite Boucherie and more.

And by the end of 2023, they’re launching even more restaurants throughout the United States.

Born and raised in the South of France and with 20+ years of fine dining experience in Europe and the United States, today’s conversation is about the world’s culinary scene and where New York City fits on the list among the best.

What do you think of New York City’s culinary scene? Where does it fit within the world’s best?

I’m new in town. I’ve been here for three months. I was fortunate [that] I’ve been in America since 1999, so I was able to come to New York a few times before and I like the vibe of it. I like the atmosphere, I like the speed of it. There’s always something happening. Everybody’s always hustling, people are always in a rush. I lived in London for five years, so it kind of reminds me of that time. I’m really enjoying my time here.

There are few cities around the world like the Big Apple, the mix of everything, the mix of culture.

When you walk down the street, around the corner, all the food, it smells awesome.

[In New York City, ] you have the opportunity to be able to see so many different cultures, so many different foods in just one small area. Then you get on the subway and you can be in Chinatown, you can be in Koreatown, you can go anywhere and taste everything. That’s what I’m enjoying so far.

New York City cuisine can be everything and anything. You can walk home and pass by a little Korean restaurant and the aroma is gonna take you in. Or you can pass by a food stand on the street and the guy’s just doing his job making it smell great and you’re like, ‘I need to try that for lunch.’

[You can find] a shop that makes a beautiful sandwich, [and think] I need to do that. They do ketchup fresh every day. And they slice the prosciutto and the pastrami and that, and you’re like, I need to go and try that.

France for a long time was the culinary center of the world. I’m sure that some of my French colleagues and French chefs might not agree with what I’m going to say, but it’s like, it’s a mix of everything.

Then Spain came up with a lot of tapas and a lot of influences. Asian food has always been there. Even if a lot of Asian chefs, especially in Japan, actually went to Europe to train with famous French chefs to learn techniques. They were introduced to those techniques and used that to develop the culinary scene in Japan, Bangkok, Singapore, Hong Kong. Being able to use the French technique and mix it with some flavors from their own country.

But New York is easily in the top 10 culinary destinations in the world.

Tell us about the next steps of NYC’s The Group launching several restaurants throughout the United States

The company [The Group NYC] started about 11 years ago with the vision of Emil Stefkov, the owner. He opened the first restaurant and the company grew pretty quickly after that.

The company almost quadrupled its size within a few years. Then because of Covid, everything was touch and go. But now we have a few projects coming up. We have Miami, Washington DC and Chicago. We’re gonna add another eight restaurants to the portfolio. We’re gonna double the size of the company within a short amount of time.

Well, there’s a lot of moving parts between developing the kitchen and having a look at the plans — we need to do this, this is where the pantry needs to be here. You know, and they’re talking about many developments and research and the staffing. There’s so many components. It’s not only like ‘We’re gonna open the restaurant.’ There is so much work behind that. You’re looking at the location. You have to think back to seasonal and local [ingredients and menu].

It’s all different food scenes. Even if you have core items from the menu, because they’re your identity, you have to look at every single location as an almost separate entity and be able to say, ‘This dish might not work over there, but it’s gonna work right here.’ So develop all of that and being thoughtful about everything.