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NATURALLY HEALTHY www.gourmetnews.com n MARCH 2020 n GOURMET NEWS N H 7 4 Regatta Craft Mixers Sets Sail in Retail Channel Waters By Lorrie Baumann Regatta Craft Mixers has launched a retail line of premium cocktail mixers with a brand that already has customers behind the bars in 25 states across the country. The line, now packaged in carefully designed cans illustrat- ing the brand's aspirational appeal, has a fol- lowing wind from consumers who favor clean ingredients and complex flavors, even when they're indulging. "Gone are the days, in my opinion, of peo- ple ordering generic cocktails with low-end mixers. The spirit game has elevated signifi- cantly in the last 10 years toward premium and premium-plus spirits. For the most part, the mixer side hasn't evolved that much, and is just now catching up," said Sam Zarou, Re- gatta Craft Mixer's Chief Executive Officer. "We're looking to complement the trend on the spirit side by offering a premium experi- ence to the consumer from start to finish." When Stan Rottell founded Regatta Craft Mixers in 2006, he just wanted to make a classic Bermuda stone ginger beer, with a balanced flavor that was a little more citrus- forward than a spicier Jamaican-style ginger beer. He built a business around the bever- age that's now Regatta Craft Mixers' Classic Bermuda Stone Ginger Beer, which has be- come popular with bartenders, especially those along the East Coast, for its small batch quality and natural ingredients. Zarou and his partners bought the thriving company in 2016 with the intention of expanding the product line and going deeper into the retail channel. To accomplish this, they would build on the market strength of consumers who had already been introduced to Regatta by their favorite bartenders and who were re- ceptive to the idea that they could duplicate their restaurant-quality experiences in their own homes. Zarou's first extension to the line was Light Ginger Beer. It's the same flavor as the brand's flagship product except that it's sweetened with organic blue agave rather than cane sugar. "Our Light Ginger Beer is 50 calories and 13 grams of sugar compared to 120 calories and 30 grams of sugar. It's just incredible refreshment, but it's also good for somebody that's looking for a lighter-bod- ied, lighter-calorie, just overall lighter experi- ence," Zarou said. Light Ginger Beer has been followed by Royal Oak Ginger Ale, Dry Citrus Sparkling Tonic and Pacific Sea Salt Club Soda. The Dry Citrus Sparkling Tonic brings out the botanicals of any gin and also pairs well with vodka, tequila or any rum. Royal Oak Ginger Ale is smooth and sweet with oak barrel and ginger flavors. It pairs well with bourbon as well as vodka, gin and tequila. Pacific Sea Salt Club Soda is a zero-calorie option with the balance of flavor and carbonation to make a great gin and soda or vodka and soda. All of the mixers are non-GMO. "The new line is resonating with its packaging and graphics, flavor profiles, and the Non-GMO Project verification," Zarou said. "As con- sumers become more interested and edu- cated on what's inside the products they are drinking, I think they will eventually demand that kind of transparency." Along with the retail launch comes the neces- sity of scaling up the en- terprise to accommodate the new market. Zarou says the company is well prepared to do that with- out compromising product quality. The distribution network is in place, and marketing and sales are tooled up and ready. Ingredient suppliers are ready to de- liver. "It's a very well capitalized business with a very smart board that is well resourced....This is not a spray-and-pray model. Everything we do has to make sense," Zarou said. "We have secured the ability to produce at scale with favorable economics for the company for the foresee- able future.... We're really focused on the best ingredients; we're a premium craft mixer. The second we stop focusing on that, why do we exist? The ingredients are un- compromisable – it's just never on the chop- ping block." For more information, visit www.regatta craftmixers.com. New Hot Sauce Brings Flavor of Brazil to U.S. Market Légal (pronounced Lay-Gal) is launching its new Brazilian hot sauce in the U.S. market. Légal Hot Sauce, owned by Homer Foods LLC and based in Hollywood, Florida, is made from a special recipe that incorporates the Brazilian malagueta pepper, which has been passed down for generations, and is now available for the first time in the U.S. With its uniquely Brazilian flavor, Légal is well-poised to shake up the U.S. hot sauce market, which has already been on fire over the last few years, according to its makers. "We wanted to introduce a taste of Brazil- ian heritage to the U.S. market, and to bring this recipe to U.S. consumers for the first time," said Gabriela Neves, co-Founder of Légal. "We're really looking to spice up the hot sauce market with our unique taste." The malagueta pepper, discovered by the Portuguese while exploring modern-day Brazil, is the key ingredient in Légal Hot Sauce. The pepper has been used for thou- sands of years by the natives for medicinal purposes and has also been considered a sign of good luck. Legend has it that when explorers came across the malagueta plant, gold was discovered nearby shortly thereafter. For years, the plant was used to season food in local recipes, but it wasn't until a local village woman started to create a sauce using the malagueta chile that the precursor to Légal was born. The name "Légal" means "cool" in Por- tuguese and conveys the carefree lifestyle of the Brazilian people, coupled with their spice and zest for fun. "Our recipe has been adapted from one passed down through genera- tions, and uses fresh, all-nat- ural ingredients to develop that uniquely Brazilian kick," said co-Founder Michael Fer- nandez. "Légal really does combine the spiciness of two worlds, hot sauce and Brazil, and goes well with almost any dish." Légal Hot Sauce is avail- able for purchase at www.legalhotsauce.com, at all Heatonist and Fairway Market stores throughout New York City and online at Heatonist and Amazon. The sauce retails for $8.99/bottle. Altramed Products Formulated for Pets, Too Since 1996, Altramed ® Health Products Inc. (AHP) located in Quebec, Canada, has been a distributor of ESSIAC ® products in North America. To this day, the company's aim is to create the ultimate client experience. AHP works closely with all retailers and distribu- tors and takes pride in excellent communica- tions, account management and executive abilities in order to offer clients a better way of purchasing. ESSIAC is an herbal formula that has been available since 1922. The formula was given to nurse Rene Caisse from a Canadian Ojibwa Indian. Nurse Caisse prepared her original herbal formula into an herbal tea named ESSIAC, which is her last name spelled backwards. ESSIAC is sold in powder, liquid and capsule formulas. The ES- SIAC powder will need to be brewed and prepared the old fashioned way. The herbs in ESSIAC are grown specifi- cally for ESSIAC from Canada and are har- vested at peak times in order to ensure maximum botanical potency. ESSIAC for Pets is also made from Nurse Rene Caisse's original proprietary herbal for- mula, which contains a quality blend of pre- mium burdock root, sheep sorrel, Indian rhubarb and slippery elm. ESSIAC for Pets is available in a con- venient vegetable capsule. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Ad- ministration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. For more information, go to www.essiac.info or call 888.900.2299. Lancaster Local A2A2 Organic Milk Swiss Villa is pleased to announce the offer- ing of Lancaster Local A2A2 organic cream line of milk. This non-homogenized milk presents the cream of the crop! A2A2 is nothing new – just old-fashioned milk values without the A12 genetic muta- tion prevailing in American dairy products. Some say it makes a world of difference to them in their dairy consumption. But look at what this new innovation has to offer! No light damage to this A2A2 or- ganic milk! Noluma has partnered with the company to enable you to enjoy the truly fresh flavor of milk for the entire shelf life of the milk. Beyond that, there is no compromis- ing the vitamins in this naturally grass-fed, nutrient-dense organic milk. Find the Noluma certification on the front panel of Lancaster Local milk to ensure you are getting the best. You may choose Lancaster Local A2A2 organic milk in regular cream line whole milk, low fat non-homogenized milk or de- licious chocolate whole milk that is pasteur- ized but not homogenized. Probiotics in real milk with 100 percent A2A2 protein come in Lancaster Local's drinkable yogurt. Real strawberries, blueber- ries and red raspberries flavor some offer- ings, while the plain yogurt presents itself without any added sugars or flavors. Half pints and pints fit the needs of individual servings. The plain can be purchased in quarts and half gallons as well, to provide the base for the consumer's own blends of fruits and desired sweeteners. Lancaster Local organic A2A2 raw milk cheeses deserve strong consideration for any serious cheese display. Cheddar cheese with 100 percent A2A2 organic milk will call out to the dairy-intolerant crowd for reconsider- ation. Smoked cheddar, and a variety of fla- vors of herbs and spices, further whet the appetite. Stay tuned for Colby, Gouda, Hot Pepper Pack and the Speckled Herb. Small farms in Lancaster County, Pennsyl- vania, find markets for their milk via Lancaster Local. The company defines small as less than 65 milking cows per herd. Each farm must comply with soil enrichment and preservation programs. Animal care and healthful farming practices find regulation by the coop, Lan- caster ECO (Enhance Community Organics). Sustainability requirements establish fair prices to the farmers, and so without apol- ogy, the company presents you with Lan- caster Local organic A2A2 milk in a sustainable manner. Enjoy, and enjoy it with true freshness!

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