A perfect opportunity to get to “know your community”, William Grant & Sons invites MCC invitational attendees to stop by their suite at the Andaz hotel this weekend and celebrate the spirits community. Tell us your story, why you love the industry and predict the next cocktail craze by blogging, tweeting, sharing an instagram and facebooking #chilledWGS. We want to hear from you! This is a live diary for industry professionals by industry professionals. Chilled will be interviewing attendees and posting our favorite mixologists – and it could be you!

Click here to visit the William Grant & Sons and Chilled Media Lounge

The April Flavor Artist of the Month Winner is Mixologist Alex Velez! Enjoy Alex’s video submission where he demostrates how to prepare his original cocktail recipe, Aztec Fire Elixir featuring Yuzu Luxe Sour. Alex works as a bartender for 315 Bistro and Luminaria at Inn & Spa at Loretto in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Accepting video submissions for May!

Create and share a video of how you use our products in your original dishes or beverages. If you are selected as the Flavor Artist of the month, you will receive $1,000, be featured in Chilled Magazine and more! Visit www.perfectpuree.com/flavorartist for contest details.

The Perfect Purée of Napa Valley

To request a distributor list, call (800) 556-3707 or e-mail info@perfectpuree.com and include your city and state.

Like The Perfect Purée on Facebook

Follow The Perfect Purée on Twitter

Hope Family Wines unveiled a new label today for its Troublemaker wine (SRP $20), which will roll out this spring to wine stores and restaurants in all 50 domestic states and select international markets. The new packaging features an abstract red and black image, with a minimalistic back label that reads: “You know who you are.” Troublemaker Blend 6 is a multi-vintage blend composed of 50% Syrah, 20% Grenache, 10% Mourvèdre, 10% Zinfandel and 10% Petite Sirah.

“Since introducing Troublemaker in 2010, the wine has become our fastest growing release. We’re thrilled to have found a niche audience for the wine and that we’ve been able to expand production to keep up with the robust demand,” says winemaker Austin Hope.

“Troublemaker is a fun drinking wine, so we decided to have some fun with the label too. Our goal is to offer a wine in a package that speaks to the inner-Troublemaker in all of us.“

Visit www.hopefamilywines.com

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Name: Ms. Lisa Michelle

Hometown: Washington Heights

Nationality: Dominican

Birthday: January 26,1988

Sign: Aquarious

Where You Bartend: Bar1Mixology Inc.

How Many Years Bartending: 5

Favorite Cocktail: The Diplomat

Favorite Beer: Milk Stout

Favorite Shot: Dirty Hudson

Favorite Bar In The World To Have A Drink: Dyckman Bar NYC

Ms. Lisa Michelle’s Own Signature Cocktail: The Diplomat

• 1.5 Oz Captain Morgan Spiced Rum
• 0.5 Oz fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 0.5 Oz tarragon infused simple syrup
• 1 Oz pineapple juice

Preparation: Pour all ingredients in a mixing glass, add ice, shake and strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a dash of fresh black pepper & a mint spring.

Any Links You Would Like To Share: Instagram/Twitter: @Mslisa_Michelle @bar1mixology www.bar1mixology.com

Prohibition Era Manhattan

Created by Brother Cleve

• 2 oz. Wild Turkey 81 Rye
• 1 oz. Cinzano Rosso vermouth
• 1 dash Angostura Bitters

Preparation: Garnish with an olive and a lemon twist. Stir all ingredients with ice in a mixing glass until well chilled and strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with an olive and a lemon twist.

Wise Guy

Created by Elmer Mejicanos of Capo’s in San Francisco

• 2 oz. Wild Turkey 81 Rye
• 3/4 oz. Fresh lemon juice
• 3/4 oz. Agave syrup
• 1 teaspoon Orange Marmalade
• Pinch fresh cracked pepper
• Fresh Oregano

Preparation: Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a glass with one large ice cube. Garnish with fresh oregano.

Strawberries may also help fight cancer because vitamin C is one of the antioxidants that can help with preventing this disease. Additionally, strawberries help fight wrinkles with their vitamin C, increasing the production of collagen, which helps to improve skin’s resilience and elasticity.

Strawberries are great for heart health. The phytochemicals in this super fruit counteracts the effects of LDL (low-density lipoprotein- the bad cholesterol in the blood) which causes plaque to build up in the arteries. In addition to this, strawberries provide an anti-inflammatory effect, which is also good for the heart. The antioxidants and phytochemicals found in strawberries may also help to reduce inflammation of the joints, which may cause arthritis.

Strawberries are packed with fiber, but the best thing about them is they are naturally low in calories, fat-free and low in sugar and sodium. So eat your strawberries, or better yet- drink your strawberries- incorporate them into your cocktails!

Strawberries and Cream

Ingredients

• 1 oz. Strawberry Schnapps
• 2 oz. Half-and-Half
• 1 1/2 tbsp. Sugar
• 3 Strawberries

Preparation: Place schnapps, half and half, sugar, and 2 cups of crushed ice in a blender. Add 2 strawberries and blend 10 seconds. Pour into a glass and top with the other strawberry.

Strawberry Mojito

Ingredients

• 2 oz. Bacardi Rum
• 1 1/2 oz. Simple Syrup
• 3 Fresh Strawberries
• 4-5 Spearmint Sprigs (chopped)
• Soda Water
• 1/2 lime

Preparation: In a chilled glass, muddle syrup, strawberries, mint leaves, crush well. Squeeze the juice from the lime into the glass, add the rum and stir well. Fill glass with ice and top off with soda water. Garnish with mint sprigs and strawberry slices.

Strawberry Coke

Ingredients

• 2 oz. Strawberry Schnapps
• 5 oz. Coke

Preparation: Mix ingredients in shaker pour into a glass with crushed ice and strawberries.

Absolut Strawberry Delight

Ingredients

• 1 Part Absolut Vodka
• 1 Part Lemon Juice
• 1 Part Simple Syrup
• 1 Dash Strawberry Liqueur
• 3 Strawberries

Preparation: Fill a shaker with ice cubes. Add all ingredients, shake and strain into a chilled rocks glass filled with ice cubes. Garnish with Strawberry.

Lighting up the mixology scene this summer is the flavor of smoke.

Drinkers are hot on the trail of full-flavored smoking cocktails and mixologists everywhere are fanning the fire. Islay is famous for producing robust smoky scotch, which is a perfect way to taste smoke in a glass, but is a challenge to mix with. And although, the most die-hard Islay Scotch Whisky fans will tell you their sacred liquid is best served straight, bravely trying to tame the assertive peating and smoky flavor profile of Islay Scotch requires mixing experience and balancing skills.

In the past, all sorts of drinks have taken on Islay’s burst of smoke, a splash and a dash at a time. NYC’s Master Mixologist, Sam Ross was one of the first to venture into the smoky scene by adding ginger, honey and lemon to blended scotch with a small float of Islay to create his famous Penicillin cocktail. To keep his fire burning, Ardbeg, the ultimate Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky and the peatiest malt in the world is in search of a perfectly balanced cocktail recipe which uses a full pour of this smokin’ spirit rather than just a hint.

Think you can tame a fire-breathing, peaty dragon of a dram like Ardbeg straight from the Island of Islay? We dare you to add more than just a float.

Please enter to ignite your smokiest recipe imaginable, but remember we don’t want to choke on the smoke.

Recipes entered receive a one-year FREE subscription to Chilled Magazine and have a chance to win an all expense paid trip to visit the Ardbeg Distillery in Scotland. The top four perfectly balanced cocktails will also be featured in an upcoming issue of Chilled Magazine along with a special feature for the grand prizewinner.

Grand Prize Winner will receive an all expense paid trip for two to the Ardbeg Distillery in Scotland. CLICK HERE!

Note: Winner must not work for a retailer.

Championship Brut, a super-premium, limited edition bottling created to commemorate the Giants’ 2012 World Series Championship, and San Francisco Giants Brut Prestige are available at AT&T Park, select restaurants, bars and retailers, and can be found online at sfgiants.com/wine.

“Mumm Napa has been the celebratory sparkling wine of choice for both our 2010 and 2012 World Series Championships. We are pleased to extend this relationship with Mumm Napa to our fans in 2013, with the creation of these unique Giants wines,” said Mario Alioto, senior vice president, Giants business operations.

For sports collectors and wine aficionados, the Championship Brut ($125) is a onetime run, limited edition release of only 2,012 bottles created to celebrate the Giants’ 2012 World Series win. A prestige cuvée, or top bottling, the wine comes from specially selected lots from the winery’s best vineyards in the Napa Valley.

The Giants Brut Prestige ($27) will be more widely available throughout the baseball season. As the name suggests, this wine is a special bottling of Mumm Napa’s Brut Prestige, the winery’s quintessential Napa Valley sparkling wine. The Giants have had a long standing love for Brut Prestige: during last year’s playoff series and World Series Championship, they celebrated each series win with the wine and now it has become the official sparkling wine of the team.

“Mumm Napa and the San Francisco Giants is an ideal pairing,” said Ludovic Dervin, Mumm Napa’s winemaker (and an avid Giants fan.)

The partnership between Mumm Napa and the San Francisco Giants has expanded in more ways than one. Mumm Napa wines will be featured at tastings during select games, in the ballparkat special events throughout the season, and during team celebrations. Every Giants player will receive a bottle of the Championship Brut with a one-of-a-kind etched label featuring their number and name.