Chocolate fans, Do You Understand ‘Bean to Bar’ ? Honeymoon Chocolates Cam Loyet explains it
Honeymoon Chocolates was founded in a dorm room back in 2016 making bean-to-bar craft chocolate sweetened solely with raw honey.
Years later, bean to bar is only getting more popular. But what does it actually mean? Do you know where to go? What to look for or ask for?
So we asked Cam Loyet from Honeymoon Chocolates
What does “Bean to Bar” Craft chocolate mean? Is it as simple as a one sentence answer? Or Is it more complicated?
It’s far more complicated. In itself, it’s a little bit selfish in my opinion. There’s a lot of benefit employing those who work in origin to also manufacture the chocolate. That’s something that we’d be interested in down the road. We just can’t afford it so right now we take all the effort, all the energy and time to do it here in St. Louis.
It’s a really fun process. But you do end up taking a lot of the credit where the credit isn’t necessarily due. A lot of the credits due for the fine cocoa farmers at origin.
Can you walk me through the basic concept?
So in our industry it’s wherever you receive the dry, unfermented cocoa beans. and you roast them. What you’re doing is crafting this flavor and you’re manufacturing a product that otherwise wouldn’t wouldn’t necessarily exist.
If you have the ability to roast [in-house] and you start [you’re own manufacturing process] ]there, you’re ‘bean to bar’.
It just gives a little bit more local sense to chocolate. Whenever you open up a bar, and you don’t know where it’s manufactured and how it’s manufactured, you lose a bit of that local sense. It becomes more of a global or nationwide feel.
l got it. So the beans come from somewhere else, they arrive under your roof and the manufacturing process happens under your roof. So beans come in and a bar comes out, but it all happens under the same roof.
Yes. And it’s traceable. That’s also very important.
So when I’m at a Whole Foods, or any high-end retail groceries, there are many craft chocolate bars. What am I looking for to know the difference?
I love the idea of when a consumer looks at a list of 9 bars, they instantly go ‘is it a dark, milk or or white. If it’s dark, what percentage do I like?’
It starts with, what percentage do they like? And then from there you go into this dialogue with the consumer when they try your product.
But it really does start with what the consumer likes. You can’t necessarily force an 85% bar onto a consumer that enjoys white chocolate.
But you look at the ingredients on them. There are some good makers that use Lecithin just because it makes the product easier to work with, but it does make it less of a clean label product. So you look at the clean label from nutrition.
You are gonna look and see if it’s single origin to check to see where the cocoa comes from. Just because it does highlight the farmers’ work a little bit more. There’s some big makers that combine origins because they have more of a fruity flavor versus a more chocolate-forward cocoa bean. So then they combine them. But I do find that it kind of does take away from the efforts that do happen earlier on in the supply chain.
Thank you, Cam.
Visits Honeymoon Chocolates at: https://hmchocolates.com
On Instagram, at: www.instagram.com/honeymoonchocolates
On Facebook, at: https://www.facebook.com/honeymoonchocolates
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WeHo’s Newest culinary experience: Blue Birdy Gastropub Opens on Sunset Strip Near legendary Whiskey A-Go-Go
Sunset Strip’s Blue Birdy Gastropub Opens Near legendary Whiskey A-Go-Go
Located two doors down from the legendary Whiskey A-Go-Go is a brand-new culinary experience.
Blue Birdy offers up some super tasty gastropub fare on the iconic Sunset Strip.
Blue Birdy opened its doors to amazing success in early 2024, due largely to its chef and owner JC Mahdavi.
JC is no stranger to success since he’s been in the restaurant business, having owned Joxer Daly’s in Culver City for many years. His formula is great food mixed with solid cocktail recipes. Joxer Daly’s is an Irish Pub/Sports Bar with a neighborhood feel, a true staple in the culinary landscape of Los Angeles.
He brings that same philosophy to Blue Birdy but with more of an upscale vibe.
Blue Birdy has a French-influenced menu. JC implements his family’s recipes, hailing from France, he knows what good mouthwatering food is and how to create it.
“I want my customers to feel comfortable at Blue Birdy,
a place that they can come to and leave the stress of their day behind,
enjoy great libations and wonderfully inspired gastropub cuisine.”
owner JC Mahdavi
Blue Birdy’s menu includes a wonderful specialty cocktail program, all made from scratch.
The Boom Ba Da packs a nice punch, with its smooth lemon flavor and gorgeous presentation.
Strawberry Fields is a nice refreshing blend of champagne vodka and strawberry puree, almost like a smoothy but with a nice marriage of citrus essences, which has a great mouth feel. Brunch items are huge and super tasty.
Their French Toast is unlike any other, with ube, cream cheese, and sugar-filled, it’s purple and really is amazing. The Short Rib Benedict is comfort brunch at its best, a must-try.
Their Noodle Salad is perfect for the health-conscious diner as well as their tempura asparagus. Entree menu items include Lemon Herb Chicken, Steak and Fries, Fish & Chips, Teriyaki Salmon, and lots of Burgers – all simply delectable.
Whatever you order, you too will be surprised at how great their food is.
The sparkling interior gives you an elegant hipster vibe. The subtle blue flowers that adorn the overhead light fixtures really create a cool, sensual feeling.
Striations of blue linear lines are part of the overall flooring. Highlighted on one wall is a floor-to-ceiling LED flat-screen TV wall, that is guaranteed to bring in many sports fans for those big-ticket games, with many additional screens both inside and out.
Blue Birdy can accommodate inside seating as well as a front street-level patio and a back patio for more of a secluded experience, it’s the perfect spot for a private party.
There are plans for different themed nights. So far, Tropical Thursdays are guaranteed to get your Salsa on. Friday will be dress-up Drag Night, and Saturday is Shabhaye Tehran-LA. With all of the viewing opportunities, any night or day is a sports theme, but whatever the occasion, Blue Birdy will make your Sunset Strip experience one to remember.
Vietnam Celebrates Art: Jérôme Peschard Launches Art Exhibition at the Sofitel Saigon Plaza in Ho Chi Minh City
Jérôme Peschard Launches Art Exhibition at the Sofitel Saigon Plaza in Ho Chi Minh City
For the past 60 years, Sofitel Hotels & Resorts has epitomised the essence of French art de vivre across the globe. As 2024 heralds its Diamond Jubilee, commemorated with a series of exclusive events at Sofitel properties worldwide, Sofitel Saigon Plaza, the paragon of French hospitality in Ho Chi Minh City, proudly inaugurated an extraordinary celebration of art.
On the evening of June 21st, the Sofitel Saigon Plaza was the scene of a glittering event, marking the launch of a collaboration with the internationally renowned French Pop Artist, Jérôme Peschard.
The hotel’s lobby served as an elegant backdrop for an array of Peschard’s stunning oil paintings on recycled corrugated metal, showcasing his inspiration from French Indochina.
The event attracted an illustrious group of attendees, including Mrs. Sarah Hooper, Consul General of Australia to Vietnam; Mr. Daniël Stork, Consul General of the Netherlands to Vietnam; Mrs. Milena Padula, spouse of Italian Consul General Enrico Padula; and Mrs. Lê Hạnh, CEO of TVHub Vietnam. Distinguished guests also included Michelin Starred Chef/Owner Peter Cong Franklin of Ănăn Saigon, totalling one hundred and thirty of Ho Chi Minh’s leading tastemakers.
Guests enjoyed a selection of exquisite canapés, fine wines, and champagne while admiring Peschard’s captivating works. Adding to the allure, music by DJ Edge Pamute filled the space, and trendsetters Tracie May and Nykky Domodelled custom-embroidered Áo Dài, the national costume of Vietnam, designed by Peschard and couturière Giao Basson. A pop-up retail store showcasing Peschard’s merchandise collection also opened to the public, featuring a curated selection of home decor, limited edition numbered and artist-signed lacquer replicas of paintings, and an array of gift items. Both the boutique and the art exhibit will grace the Sofitel Saigon Plaza throughout the summer, concluding in early September.
This premier event highlighted the vibrant intersection of art, culture, and gastronomy, celebrating a unique fusion that will enchant visitors throughout the season, encapsulating Sofitel Hotel and Resort’s world of prestige and luxury.
“I’m deeply grateful to Sofitel Saigon Plaza for granting me such a fantastic platform to showcase my art. Although I am French, my heart is Vietnamese, and I’m thrilled to share my homage to Vietnam with their guests and visitors during the 60th Anniversary celebration of Sofitel Hotels and Resorts.” – Jérôme Peschard
“Marking 60 years of exceptional hospitality, we take pride in being a part of a legacy that consistently sets the standard for excellence in Asia, providing a unique experience for all modern travellers to explore Ho Chi Minh City through a French-inspired perspective.” – Mario Mendis, GM, Sofitel Saigon Plaza
ABOUT SOFITEL SAIGON PLAZA:
Sofitel Saigon Plaza harmonises the sophistication of French art de vivre with the vibrancy of local Vietnamese culture, delivering a luxury hospitality experience enriched by genuine heartfelt service. Conveniently located in a tranquil enclave on Le Duan Boulevard, Sofitel Saigon Plaza places you in the heart of Ho Chi Minh City’s business, cultural, and shopping district. The hotel boasts 286 rooms and suites adorned with refined décor and deluxe amenities, a fitness centre featuring advanced exercise equipment, and an outdoor swimming pool with breathtaking city views. Sofitel Saigon Plaza also features five dining establishments serving local and French cuisine, seven polished meeting rooms, and an opulent ballroom equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, making it the ideal destination for business, leisure, meetings, and gatherings.
ABOUT JÉRÔME PESCHARD:
Dubbed the “Gauguin of Vietnam,” Jérôme Peschard is a self-taught artist whose work reflects a life richly lived and creatively charged. His art bridges the past with the present, blending East and West, while drawing profound inspiration from his adopted home of Vietnam. Characterised by the use of oil on rusted corrugated iron sheets salvaged from local construction sites, his pieces reflect the very essence of Saigon – its history, development, people, culture, and vibrant spirit. Peschard’s unique fusion of Western pop art with Asian influences, inspired by comic book legend Jack Kirby and modern art icons like Basquiat and Warhol, continues to evolve as he explores new themes in his storytelling. In the dynamic energy of Vietnam, Peschard not only found his place in the world, but also his distinctive artistic identity.
Art Beyond the Glass (ABTG) returns for its 12th event on Sunday, June 30th, 2024 – The Original Bartender Art Festival
Art Beyond the Glass XII – The Original Bartender Art Festival Celebrates Cocktails, Art, Community & Inclusivity for All
Art Beyond the Glass (ABTG) returns for its 12th event on Sunday, June 30th, 2024, at the legendary Catch One nightclub!
More than 100 of LA’s top bartenders will make cocktails and showcase their artistic talents, with proceeds donated to Self Help Graphics & Art.
Since its inception, ABTG has raised more than $250,000 for arts-based nonprofits in LA and across the country.
Co-founded by Daniel Djang and Zahra Bates, ABTG is the original celebration of bartender artistry and widely regarded as one of the country’s premier cocktail culture festivals.
From painting to photography, live music, DJs and more, every ABTG showcases the creative pursuits of bartenders when they are not behind the bar.
“It’s hard to believe that what began as a casual conversation at Sunny Spot
in November 2011 has grown into this extraordinary event,”
Co-founder Daniel Djang
“The cocktail creativity and artistic talent of the bar community in LA and beyond never ceases to amaze me. We are so grateful for the generosity of our sponsoring brands and the numerous venues that have welcomed us into their spaces. Can’t wait to reunite with the extended ABTG family at ABTG XII!”
Art Beyond the Glass is taking place for the third consecutive year at Catch One, which is graciously being donated to ABTG XII for this exclusive event.
Located on Pico Boulevard in the heart of Los Angeles, this landmark nightclub was opened by Jewel Thais-Williams in 1973 as Jewel’s Catch One, a pioneering LGBTQ+ disco. Featuring state-of-the-art sound and lighting, the massive venue spans two floors and multiple indoor and outdoor spaces.
For the 12th annual Los Angeles event, Art Beyond the Glass is honored to be raising funds for Self Help Graphics & Art (SHG), which fosters the creation and advancement of new artworks by Chicana/o and Latinx artists through experimental and innovative printmaking techniques and other visual art forms.
Since 1973, SHG has been at the intersection of arts and social justice, providing a home that fosters the creativity and development of local artists. SHG establishes international collaborations and partnerships nationwide and creates worldwide cultural exchanges.
ABTG is once again partnering with their fiscal partner Another Round Another Rally, a nonprofit financial resource for the hospitality industry.
ARAR co-founder Travis Nass: “It is an honor to be a part of one of the most creative, innovative industry events across the country. We have always loved ABTG, and it is such a pleasure to be able to work with them again this year. We could not be prouder to work with this wonderful organization.”
ABTG will feature dozens of Bartenders from LA’s top bars and restaurants, including All Day Baby, Apotheke, Bar Flores, Bar Next Door,Death & Co, Fanny’s, General Lee’s, Level 8, Lustig, The Mermaid, Mother Tongue, Nativo, Roger Room, Scum & Villainy, The Varnish, along with pop-up bars and a special Legacy Team.
“Art Beyond the Glass has become so important to the bar community,”
Clare Ward
ABTG Head of Production
“Bartenders are makers. We make drinks. We make art. We make community. This is the perfect event to celebrate everything we do.”
Guests will also be able to buy bartender art, shop handmade items by bartenders, and bid on silent auction items.
ABTG XII is being made possible by its generous sponsors: Amaras, Bacardi, Balcones, Barr Hill, Beam Suntory, Bushmills, Calisco, Deutsch Family, Dirty Sue, Filthy Food, Flor de Caña, Fords, Hedonistas, High West, Jack Daniel’s, Juliette, Kin, Liquid Alchemist, Mal Bien, Mommenpop, Montenegro, Pinhook, Proper 12, Real Del Valle, Ritual, St Benevolence, St George, Seedlip, Silvergrin, Spiribam, Tito’s, Tromba, True Believers, Underberg, West Coast Ice, and Zomoz.
Ticket information: ABTG XII will take place from 3pm to 7pm on Sunday, June 30, 2024, at Catch One.
General Admission tickets are on sale at the Catch One website for $65 per person until 3pm on June 30.
If still available, tickets will be sold at the door for $75 per person.Tickets to this event are only available for guests 21+ and over.
The all-inclusive ticket includes entry, cocktail samples, art gallery, entertainment and bar bites. In addition, guests will be able to purchase bartender artwork, buy raffle tickets and bid on silent auction items such as artwork, photography, rare spirits and more. All proceeds fromABTG XII will be donated to Self Help Graphics & Art.
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About Art Beyond the Glass:
Art Beyond the Glass was founded in 2011 by Daniel Djang and Zahra Bates as a special event for bartenders to showcase their artistic talents when they’re not behind the bar. From cocktails to paintings, photography, live music, DJs, spoken word and more, ABTG is a celebration of bartender artistry inside and beyond the glass. Proceeds from every ABTG event are donated to a local arts-based nonprofit – to date, ABTG has donated more than $250,000 to these vital community organizations.
FOLLOW ART BEYOND THE GLASS:
Instagram: @abtgla Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ArtBeyondTheGlass
Catch One
4067 W. Pico Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90019
About the Author
Joe Wehinger (nicknamed Joe Winger) has written for over 20 years about the business of lifestyle and entertainment. Joe is an entertainment producer, media entrepreneur, public speaker, and C-level consultant who owns businesses in entertainment, lifestyle, tourism and publishing. He is an award-winning filmmaker, published author, member of the Directors Guild of America, International Food Travel Wine Authors Association, WSET Level 2 Wine student, WSET Level 2 Cocktail student, member of the LA Wine Writers. Email to: Joe@FlavRReport.comYou Might also like
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Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam is a Destination Dining Redefining Global Gastronomy
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Redefines Global Gastronomy as a Destination Dining
In recent years, Vietnam has become recognized as one of the must visit, premiere dining destinations on the planet.
From bustling street food markets, where the aroma of sizzling meats, zesty herbs and fragrant spices fills the air, to the abundance of premiere fine dining restaurants showcasing local Vietnamese flavors infused into classic European recipes, Vietnam promises its international visitors an unparalleled East meets West culinary adventure.
In 2016, Anthony Bourdain taught former President Barack Obama the art of the noodle slurp, while throwing back some local Vietnamese beers, and feasting on piping hot bowls of Bún Chả at a local Hanoian restaurant.
In a recent interview, Celebrity Chef Gordon Ramsey named Vietnam his top food destination in the world. The Michelin Guide recently awarded three of Vietnam’s leading restaurants their coveted stars for the 2023 season.
To say the country is achieving sensational, and well earned, praise on the global culinary stage is an understatement, and with post-Covid international tourism sharply on the rise, we thought we’d to share our top 5 picks for some of the best dining destinations within Vietnam’s bustling southern metropolis of Ho Chi Minh City.
SUBLIME SUSHI
Noriboi
Noriboi has reimagined traditional Japanese cuisine with their artistic, and highly inspired, modernist approach to their fine dining menus.
Evoking a one-of-a-kind, and simply astonishing, multi-sensory gastronomic experience, their expert team of Japanese trained Master Sushi Chefs, each a Vietnamese native, apply molecular gastronomy to craft and underscore each dish, producing sublime artistic presentations, unsurpassed by even the best restaurants in Tokyo.
Utilizing only the very finest seafood, Wagyu Beef and even rice, imported daily from Japan, and paired with regional Vietnamese and specialty ingredients, each plate is an utter triumph of taste, texture and artistic presentation.
In addition to their daily Omakase and a la carte menu offerings, Noriboi is also known for their exclusive dining events, which upon announcement on their social media outlets becomes the hottest reservation in town, sold-out within hours of their postings.
10-course Summer Truffle Omakase
They recently presented a 10-course Summer Truffle Omakase, where each dish was highlighted by the earthy and distinctive flavor of freshly shaved imported European truffles, and a Kegani Omakase, with the highly coveted Kegani Hairy Crabs, a seasonal Japanese delicacy, as the focus ingredient.
If you wish to experience truly outstanding Japanese food during your trip to Saigon, Noriboi cannot be missed.
35 Ngo Quang Huy Street, Thao Dien Ward, District 2, Ho Chi Minh City
All-Day Dining Divine
LUCA
LUCA – Eatery & Bar Lounge is a fantastic all-day dining eatery, offering its guests a bountiful array of local Vietnamese and Western dishes to choose from, satisfying even the most discerning and astute culinary palate.
It’s a favorite restaurant destination for neighborhood locals and visiting tourists alike, craving an inventive and sophisticated array of dishes, served at any time of the day. With menus designed by their talented Executive Chef An, for breakfast or Brunch, the fluffy Soufflé Pancakes, decadent Luxe Lobster Benedict and their Phở Bò Luca, an elevated spin on the Vietnamese classic, are spectacular. And for the coffee lover, try their Vietnamese Salted Egg Coffee, a staple beverage from Hanoi- rich, creamy, salty and sweet.
For lunch, the Summer Peaches and Kale Salad is crisp, refreshing, and the perfect choice for a hot Saigon summer’s day, as is the Scallop Carpaccio with raw sweet Hokkaido Scallops, gently kissed with a drizzle of Yuzu sauce for a touch of acid.
For Happy Hour, indulge in a platter of the freshest Miyagi Oysters, perfect to pair with a late afternoon glass or two of Rosé. And for dinner, a hardy Australian Rib Eye Steak should do the trick, served with Chef’s signature Steak Sauce. At any time of the day when visiting Saigon, Luca is a great choice to experience a chic dining atmosphere and truly wonderful food.
49 Xuan Thuy Street, Thao Dien Ward, District 2, Ho Chi Minh City
American Comfort Food Infused with Vietnamese Flavors
OKRA Foodbar
Chicago, Illinois born Chef-Owner Jamie Celaya developed his menu to showcase the incredible bounty of regional produce, products, and seasonings available in Vietnam.
Described as
“International Izakaya, third culture cuisine”
which to the laymen doesn’t make sense until you experience it, Okra offers “Subtle” small plates of vegetable forward comfort food, meant for sharing, and a selection of larger portioned “Sufficient” mains for a healthy appetite.
Located in Thao Dien, in District two, this intimate and contemporary eatery with a laid back and unpretentious vibe serves up simply delicious food and craft cocktails, with warm and friendly service.
Must try dishes at Okra include their spin on Street Corn, with Cilantro, Parmesan, Chili, Brown Bourbon Butter and Pork Floss, Grilled Broccolini with Truffle Crème Fraiche & Sa Tế Chili Oil, Land & Sea-Viche, a Sea Bass Crudo with Braised Pigs Ear, Chili, Lime and Bánh Tráng, and their signature Charred Okra with Preserved Lemon-Tomato Jam, Curry Yogurt, Burnt Pomelo and Sarsaparilla-za Atar.
And to wash it all down, a chilled glass of Mùa Craft Sake on draft, also proudly brewed in Vietnam.
10 Thao Dien Street, Thao Dien Ward, District 2, Ho Chi Minh City
Contemporary Vietnamese Cuisine & Cocktails
The Triệu Institute
The concept of pairing craft cocktails with food is a gastronomic trend which has gained tremendous popularity in recent years in Vietnam, and no dining destination has perfected this principle better than The Triệu Institute.
They serve inventive contemporary Vietnamese dishes containing all the aromatics found within the gins of their namesake craft gin brand Lady Triệu, and their food and bespoke beverages blend in perfect harmony, allowing each patron to eat and drink simultaneously the bold, and singular flavors which Vietnam has become so famous for.
A popular pairing include the Cured Kingfish, pickled with a housemade Hibiscus Vinegar which takes eight to ten weeks to complete, infusing sweet, sour, and floral notes deep within the fish, and a Flower General cocktail, containing Dalat Flowerbomb Gin, Wasabi, Jasmine Syrup and Seaweed Foam; it’s a perfected combination.
10 Mac Thi Buoi Street, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
Vietnamese Cuisine Portraying a Story
Nén Light Restaurant
Deeply committed to producing preeminent modern Vietnamese cuisine which pays homage to their country’s rich and vibrant heritage, Nén Light’s team of outstanding culinary artists developed their restaurant’s concept of Conscious Vietnamese Cuisine (Ẩm Thực Nhìn) to showcase their knowledge, appreciation and deep respect for their native roots and beloved culture.
Serving wildly creative, 6-9 course storytelling tasting menus, they showcase hyper-local Vietnamese ingredients discovered on foraging trips throughout Central Vietnam, and guide each guest though a unique and unparalleled culinary journey which engages all five senses.
Along with a Sake pairing, expertly curated by their in-house Sake Sommelier, and a “Conversation Pairing”, allowing servers to share the story behind the evolution of each plate, a visit to Nén Light Restaurant will guarantee a singular and unrivaled immersive Vietnamese dining experience.
122/2 Tran Dinh Xu, Nguyen Cu Trinh Ward, Ho Chi Minh City
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Los Angeles Drinkers saying ‘Yes’ to less: Sommarøy Spirits Expands wider to Whole Foods
Sommarøy Spirits Expands Grocery Footprint at Jewel-Osco and Whole Foods
No more martini-induced headaches
Dreaming of an easier way to wake up the next workday without a martini-induced headache, or seamlessly transition to a glass of wine at dinner without feeling out of control? There are now more choices for the nearly 65% of adults nationwide moderating their alcohol intake.
Sommarøy Spirits – mid-strength gin and vodka with zero carbs, lower calories and two-thirds the alcohol of traditional spirits – is expanding its grocery footprint, offering more consumers a sophisticated, full-flavor option to embrace true moderation.
The no- and low-alcohol market grew by more than 7% in 2022 according to IWSR.
With an ABV of 27.5% – one-third less than the alcohol content of traditional spirits – Sommarøy is officially defining the mid-strength category as spirits between 25-30% ABV. As a result, retailers like Jewel-Osco and Whole Foods Market are now reserving shelf space to meet consumer demand for quality spirits between non-alcoholic and full proof.
Already available in major beverage retailers like Total Wine & More, Lee’s Discount Liquor and Binny’s Beverage Depot, Sommarøy Vodka is now available in 73 Jewel-Osco stores in Illinois and Sommarøy Gin is available at 53 Whole Foods stores across 12 states, with distribution anticipated to expand significantly by year’s end.
“People don’t want all or nothing when it comes to moderating their drinking
sometimes you want a mellow buzz
without going completely non-alc
or settling for a watered-down cocktail.
More consumers can now add the solution directly to their shopping carts.”
James Cosma
CEO and co-founder
Sommarøy Spirits
Sommarøy Spirits gets industry buzz
Landing on-shelf at major grocery retailers across the country are just some of the brand’s recent successes.
Sommarøy Spirits have also been awarded various industry accolades, including the New York International Spirits Competition (NYISC) Low Proof Spirit Producer of the Year. Sommarøy Gin and Vodka have won NYISC Silver (92 points) and Gold (94 points), 2024 SIP Awards Double Gold and Gold, a 97 and 95 rating from The Tasting Panel Magazine and Gold (93 points) and Silver (88 points) from Beverage Tasting Institute, respectively.
Start your moderation-minded journey today.
To find a retailer near you, mid-strength cocktail recipes and stay in the loop with the latest news and product drops, visit SommaroySpirits.com and follow @SommaroySpirits.
Sommarøy Spirits are premium craft-distilled Vodka and Gin with zero carbs, lower calories and two-thirds the alcohol of traditional spirits.
Crafted in small-batches with legacy distilling techniques, Sommarøy Gin and Vodka are 55-proof (27.5% ABV), unflavored and gluten-free with a smooth taste that can be enjoyed neat, on the rocks or mixed in a cocktail.
In addition to availability online at shop.sommaroyspirits.com, Sommarøy Vodka and Gin is available in more than 320 retail locations across the country (and counting) – including Whole Foods, Jewel-Osco and Total Wine & More. It is also available regionally in Illinois at select and Binny’s Beverage Depot locations, Nevada at Lee’s Discount Liquors and other independent retailers.
Sommarøy Spirits can also be found in Chicago at Gibson’s Restaurant Group, Boka Restaurant Group and Ballyhoo Hospitality locations. To find Sommarøy near you, visit www.sommaroyspirits.com and follow the brand on Instagram and Facebook at @SommaroySpirits.
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SoCal, Has a Bee’s Role Changed? How Science makes plant-based honey
Southern California wonders how bees are involved? How do they actually make plant-based honey?
Traditionally bees have a massive role in producing honey. So, removing their support seems unrealistic, or does it? And sure, scientists can try to explain it. But can someone explain it in simple terms, in a way that a curious foodie could understand it?
Let’s find out in an exclusive interview with Mellody Food’s Darko Mandich.
Darko Mandich is a food entrepreneur in San Francisco. After spending almost a decade in the European honey industry as a business executive, Darko committed to reimagining the honey industry to become sustainable. Darko immigrated from Europe to California to launch Mellody, the world’s first plant-based honey brand. Darko is an advocate of saving the bees and wild pollinators.
Recently, I had a chance to talk with Darko.
From a science point of view, how are you creating plant-based honey products?
The process has to start with philosophy. When people think about science, engineering and process, what comes to their mind is what’s the science? What’s the engineering behind that? What’s the process of making something?
But I would argue that every process, every science starts with a philosophy in the first place. So for us, our philosophy was there’s honey made by the bees in the market, the real ones, that product quality-wise is amazing, but has negative baggage in terms of how it’s made. Next to that, there’s fake honey. There’s basically adulterated honey that’s made by people taking fraudulent activities and blending a little bit of real honey and a lot of rice syrup.
That’s done outside of the US by people trying not to get caught. The third group are vegan honey alternatives, made out of tapioca, dates, maple, pure sugar. These products are just not honey. Trying to impersonate honey, but it’s not honey. It’s a legit product. It’s in the market. People can buy it.
What was missing is the fourth group, which is the category that we pioneered.
Honey, the product that has the composition of real honey but that doesn’t have any rice syrups, nothing that doesn’t belong to honey. But, it’s not made by the bees and therefore by default is vegan and plant-based. So that was the category that we started, and we didn’t start it only for vegans. Obviously vegans are our early adopters. They love what we’re doing. I’m vegan myself. But I want this to be an inclusive company and brand, and therefore we launched this for everybody. For everybody who likes delicious and nutritious foods. By choosing this you’re basically voting for those little creatures to survive on this planet.
You asked me about the process.
You wanna make honey only from something that in nature that touches bees and honey, it’s very strict. Our team studied a lot of different honeys, the different anatomy of the bees, the science behind honey production. Bees land on a flower, they suck up nectar. And there’s a couple of things in a bee’s anatomy. We came up with this proprietary process where we interact with the plants, we take different parts of the plants.
What’s really exciting and cool is we can take the whole plant, break it into different ingredients, and take parts of the plant that maybe bees don’t have access to, like its roots. So we take different ingredients from different plants. We have more than 30 different plants in our product that we launched and we created this process that is basically mixing all those ingredients in a food facility in a regular culinary approach, and basically create a product that looks, tastes, and behaves like honey.
Is your honey currently available at Eleven Madison Home?
This is the product from a direct to consumer collaboration. We just launched with three Michelin star, Eleven Madison Park in New York City.
Yeah, the honey is currently available. The Specialty Tea and Honey Box launched for the Mother’s Day collection and Earth Month.
It’s a specially curated box of artisanal teas coming from different parts of the world with honey and also amazing, shortbread cookies. All plant-based, also made with our honey. That’s available right now
Sometime very soon a standalone jar [of honey] will also be available to Eleven Madison Home.
Tell us again what’s available, how to find it; and how to follow you and support you.
Yeah, follow us on Instagram and TikTok at MellodyFoods
In terms of purchasing, head to ElevenMadisonHome.com and you can purchase it there.
Saving the bees is learning more about them. Learning more about pollinators and you can do that on our social media.
And finally, if you’re equally passionate about bees and plants as we are, ask your favorite restaurant to reach out to us to offer Mellody in your favorite restaurant. It can be a vegan restaurant on non-vegan.
We are gonna work with all the restaurants that reach out to us where people ask to see our product offered, either on the menu, either within a meal, or just if you order a cup of tea and you want a side of Mellody.
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