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New Local Brand Joins the Popular Cocktails-by-the-Can Trend
Drop Needle Drinks is a new entry into the ready-to-drink cocktail market, with three sparkling wine and fruit-juice-based products now available at many local restaurants and liquor stores.
During the pandemic Nallely Suarez Gass, an Oak Park resident, and three colleagues at a national beer company started thinking about shifting trends in alcohol consumption and began to dream about making their own products.
“People are shifting to wanting to have a cocktail in their hand and we saw beer sales going down. We saw even some of the seltzers going down, which is why we saw an opportunity to make something that was wine based,” Gass said.
Ready-to-drink cocktails currently make up 12% of the U.S. alcoholic beverage market, according to several groups that study the industry. That percentage is expected to grow in the coming years. While this sector of the market has historically appealed to women, according to Gass men are starting to pick up pre-made cocktails as well.
Drop Needle Drinks come in three flavors, all made with real fruit juice: The Modern Mimosa is a blend of orange, tangerine, and clementine juices. The Berry Rosé Sparkler features blackberry and raspberry juices. The California 75 is a riff on a French 75, this time with lemon juice and notes of juniper and elderflower. All are made with sparkling wine from a family vineyard in Paso Robles, California. Each one is less than 9 grams of carbs and is gluten-free.
The first step for the company was to secure distribution in the Chicago area.
“Right now, we are door-to-door selling, knocking on every bar door, every restaurant door, every liquor store, every convenience store. Trying to build the brand so that then we can pursue the bigger stores,” Gass said.
Local distributor Burke Beverage was the first to deliver the drinks to market. Robert’s Westside was its first retail account. Now cans can be found at Sugar Beet, where a four-pack sells for $16.99, Carnival Grocery, La Tequileria, Taco Mucho, The Beer Shop, plus almost 100 other locations and counting.
“I felt really loved, because the local places have been really, really supportive,” Gass said. “Our goal is to cover the Chicagoland area, then we’ll branch out to other markets.”
Gass grew up in the city of Chicago and later moved to Texas to work for PepsiCo. When she moved back to the area, she knew that she wanted to settle in Oak Park.
“I just love how it feels. We rented for a little bit while we found our dream home. And it’s been 13 years now.”
Feeling the groove of a place, time or event is exactly what the name Drop Needle means.
“It’s about that moment when the party reaches a different level. When you’re having a good time and then, something happens. You’re with the right people. You have the right drink. And all of a sudden, you hear a song, or someone takes out a guitar and it’s like you feel this shift in what you’re experiencing.”
That’s a Drop Needle moment to Gass.
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New Release Alert: Stellar Craft Distillery Unveils Whiskeys Finished in Beer and Wine Casks
Whiskey fans have been waiting for the American single malt category to finally get its own legal definition for about two years, and a coalition of distilleries just sent a letter to the TTB urging action on the matter. In the meantime, both legacy and craft distilleries continue to release this still under-the-radar style of American whiskey. One of the best is Seattle’s Westland Whiskey, which just announced the release of two new single malts finished in beer and wine casks.
These new entries in the Cask Exploration Series were conceived of as a tribute to Westland’s home in the Pacific Northwest, so the distillery team worked with local breweries and wineries—and there indeed many in the region—to source used casks. “We’re delving into the vast possibilities of cask finishing with these new releases,” said master blender Shane Armstrong in a statement. “The Pacific Northwest is known for its exceptional beer, wine, and whiskey. These expressions bring those delicacies together.”
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The first expression in the pair is the Beer Cask Finish American Single Malt Whiskey (this is not the first time Westland has used this type of finish, as the distillery worked with various local breweries for its Cask Exchange series). This whiskey was made from a mashbill of specific varietals of malted barley, some of which is commonly used to make beer, including Washington Select Pale Malt, Munich Malt, Extra Special Malt, Brown Malt, Pale Chocolate Malt, Pilsen Malt, and Maris Otter Malt. It was aged for a minimum of eight years—originally in new American oak and ex-bourbon and rye whiskey barrels, and then in casks that were previously used to age Scotch ale, stout, brown ale, doppelbock, saison, and stock ale. According to the official tasting notes, the result is a bright whiskey with a malt-forward flavor that has notes of vanilla pastry cream, caramel sauce, and lavender green tea on the palate.
The second of the pair is the Wine Cask Finish American Single Malt Whiskey. The barley used for this mashbill consisted of Washington Select Ale Malt, Munich Malt, Extra Special Malt, Brown Malt, and Pale Chocolate Malt. This whiskey was also aged in new and used oak barrels, this time for a minimum of five years, and then finished in five different types of wine cask: Tempranillo, WA Red Blend, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Petit Verdot. Official tasting notes describe a fruity whiskey with notes of chocolate raspberry turnover, Earl Grey tea, and dried strawberry on the palate. Both of these whiskeys were bottled at 46 percent ABV.
The Cask Exploration Series is being released in limited numbers, with about 11,000 bottles of the Beer Finish and 14,600 of the Wine Finish. The initial launch will be at the distillery and from its website (SRP $75 for each expression), while a national rollout will begin in September with the potential of future batches on the way in the coming years. You can find the rest of the Westland lineup available to purchase from websites like ReserveBar.
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Scots Woman Attacks Ex-Lover with Vodka Bottle After 40th Birthday Celebration
Both the traumatised victim and his girlfriend fled the scene out a window before police arrived.
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A woman tried to kill her ex-lover with a broken vodka bottle after being out to celebrate her 40th birthday.
Louise Soutar stabbed Craig Johnston at his flat in Kirkcaldy, Fife in the early hours of last August 2.
The blood-soaked victim had to escape out of his living room window to get away from crazed Soutar. Mr Johnston needed emergency surgery at hospital, but luckily survived.
Mum-of-three Soutar, now 41, today pleaded guilty to an attempted murder charge as she appeared in the dock at the High Court in Glasgow.
She will be sentenced next month. Prosecutor Lynsey Rodger told how Soutar and the victim had remained on “friendly terms” after their split.
Mr Johnston now had a new partner and regularly stayed at her flat. Soutar turned 40 on August 1 last year and had gone to see the pair before heading for a family meal.
She later went back to the flat where she had a drink with her ex and his girlfriend. All three then went in a taxi intending to go to Soutar’s home in the town.
During the journey, an argument began between Soutar and Mr.Johnston. This led to the driver ordering them out. The trio then returned to each of their homes.
Mr. Johnston and his partner were asleep when they were awoken around 5 am by Soutar shouting to get in. She believed she had left her phone there earlier.
Soutar was allowed in as Mr. Johnston walked into the kitchen. Miss Rodger said, “Soutar then picked up a vodka bottle by the neck and went into the kitchen.
She shouted: ‘See you f***ing Craig.’ Soutar then hit him on the head with the bottle. It broke and Soutar stabbed him repeatedly on the head, neck, and stomach.”
Mr. Johnston punched his attacker to get her away. Both the traumatised victim and his girlfriend fled out a window before police arrived.
Mr. Johnston was rushed to hospital where he required a blood transfusion. He had multiple cuts to his face, skull, ear, and neck as well as two wounds to his stomach.
The court was told he has been left scarred for life. Soutar, still of Kirkcaldy, had been on bail prior to the hearing.
Judge Lord Clark told her: “You will be remanded in custody.” Sentencing was deferred for reports until September 10 in Edinburgh.
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Las Vegas Food & Wine Festival Canceled: Official Announcement
Event organizers mentioned that they promptly refunded all ticket purchasers upon being informed that the event could not be held at Resorts World.
Why Blue Cheese Could Be the Worst Companion for Your Whiskey
Nutty, sweet, smoky, caramelized, spicy, herbaceous — these are just some of the words that can describe both whiskey and cheese, so it is definitely possible to find a bottle and a bite that complement each other well. However, according to John Montez, Assistant Manager of Education at Murray’s Cheese, there is a category that you should absolutely skip if you are sipping on whiskey. “I rarely pair spirits with fresh cheeses,” he explained to Food Republic. The reason? “You want to try to match intensities. You don’t want one thing to overpower the other,” he said.
Fresh cheeses like ricotta, feta, and mascarpone just have too subtle a profile to stand up to bold whiskey. “Something like [burrata] is so delicate in flavor that it could be lost to a whiskey,” Montez added as an example. You lose the luscious creaminess and subtle saltiness that make this type of mozzarella filled with stracciatella so yummy. If a mild cheese is on the menu, consider pairing it with something similarly delicate such as a mineral-driven cava or Champagne, a light-bodied and fruity red wine, or a crisp beer.
Read more: 18 Unusual Craft Cocktail Ingredients You Should Try At Least Once
Though avoiding a whiskey and fresh cheese pairing is a good rule of thumb for optimal enjoyment of both, that doesn’t mean that a delightful pairing is impossible. “I remember being pleasantly surprised by a fresh goat cheese paired with a [four] grain whiskey from Great Jones Distillery,” John Montez told Food Republic.
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To pull off this pairing, use mild cheeses as a canvas for bolder flavors that can match the intensity of whiskey. Fresh mozzarella with a tangy agrodolce pulls out caramelized fruit notes in a whiskey, and charcoal-grilled halloumi echoes a whiskey’s smokiness. You could even pair a sweeter whiskey or bourbon with an amped-up cheesecake for dessert. “At the end of the day pairing is both a science and an art. Sometimes, against your better [judgment], you just need to throw some paint at the canvas and see what you get,” Montez encouraged.
The best thing you can do is get out there and experiment with the understanding that not every pairing is going to sing. However, when it works, it works, and finding that surprisingly perfect pair is so fun. “I truly believe that there is a whiskey for every cheese and a cheese for every whiskey,” Montez said confidently. All you have to do is give something unexpected a try. The worst-case scenario is that you are stocked up on booze and cheese, and in our book, that’s a pretty great place to be.
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Read the original article on Food Republic.
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How to Create the Foamiest Cocktails with Just One Surprising Ingredient (No Egg Whites Required)
The combination of eggs and alcohol has a long history, going back at least to the Middle Ages in Europe. By the Golden Age of cocktails, which ran from the 1860s to the 1920s (ending with Prohibition in the United States), bartenders were incorporating raw egg whites into a variety of fizzes and sours that are still imbibed today. But it wasn’t until the mid-2000s that a French chef, Joël Roessel, and a group of other foodies developed an amazing vegan replacement for egg whites. It’s called aquafaba, and it’s the liquid that canned chickpeas (AKA garbanzo beans) are packed in.
Roessel originally used aquafaba to make meringue, but it happens to double as a way to make delicious, super foamy cocktails. So whether you’re vegan or just weirded out by raw eggs in your cocktail, use aquafaba in place of egg whites when making your next gin fizz or whiskey sour. It’s a very easy ingredient to try (so long as you follow the right ratios), with a fascinating science behind it.
Read more: 13 Types Of Beer Glasses And When To Use Them
Egg whites are added to certain cocktails (especially shaken drinks) to give them both body and a beautiful foamy head that sticks around as you sip the beverage. Aquafaba works so well as an egg white replacement because its proteins and carbohydrates are similar, allowing it to trap air and gain a lofty structure, producing a comparable foam that can maintain its integrity. That’s why aquafaba also makes a great vegan meringue and can replace egg whites in other baking recipes — from macarons to doughnuts — making it an easy egg substitution every baker should know.
Concerned that your drink will taste like chickpeas? Aquafaba actually has very little flavor that could alter the taste profile of your cocktail, and any sort of bean-y notes tend to disappear completely when shaken. This makes it the perfect ingredient swap in for drinks with subtle flavors. The beauty of using aquafaba is that you don’t really have to do anything special. It can be swapped in directly with drinks like the New York Sour, that striking, layered cousin of the whiskey sour, as well as pisco sours, vodka fizzes, and even eggnog.
Typically, one fluid ounce of aquafaba (2 tablespoons) can replace a single egg white in a cocktail recipe. From there, simply follow the rest of the recipe’s instructions. For example, if you’re making a whiskey sour with aquafaba, toss the ingredients into a shaker without ice (this is called dry shaking) and give it a vigorous shake to properly aerate and mix the ingredients (try toasted sugar to make it even tastier), before adding ice and giving it a second shake. Pour into the glass, garnish, and serve.
There’s about 12 tablespoons of aquafaba in a can of chickpeas, so you may have some liquid left over, as well as the beans themselves. You could use the chickpeas for something to snack on while you imbibe your frothy cocktail, like spicy roasted garbanzo beans or even hummus. Both the liquid and the beans will last for about five days in the refrigerator or six months in the freezer. With all that aquafaba at your disposal, feel free to experiment with it in both your cocktails and in the kitchen.
Read the original article on Chowhound.
Why You Should Avoid Cooling Down Beer in the Freezer
There’s nothing like a piping hot chug of foamy beer on a summer’s day. Right? Oh, wait. Strike that. If you plan to enjoy a few brews, you might think tossing them in the freezer would be the quickest way to chill your beer, but it’s a bad idea (and actually freezing your beer is even worse). You’ll be sacrificing the quality of your beer by putting it in the freezer.
If a beer spends too much time in the freezer, it could easily explode or, at the very least, break its seal. A broken seal will release the carbonation and lead to a flat drink. A lot of things can go wrong if you choose to freeze and then thaw out a beer to drink, but the worst consequence for a beer lover is how this affects taste. Losing carbonation isn’t the only, nor the most egregious, reason why cooling your beer down in a freezer is a bad idea.
Read more: 3 Smarter Ways To Hack A Bag Of Ice Apart
It might sound like a cool, refreshing idea if your beer actually freezes solid, but the thawing process can come with some challenges. For example, if you don’t let the beer thaw completely, you’ll end up with sips of mostly straight-up alcohol while the water content of the beer stays frozen.
Another issue with freezing and thawing beer is that it can change its color and aroma. The Beer Syndicate conducted a taste test in which participants drank frozen to thawed beer and an “unadulterated” beer. Participants were not told which beer had been thawed and were told to identify the beer they thought was different.
Of the participants, 75% were able to identify the thawed beer, and those who described the beer said it had a duller flavor, less carbonation, and less aroma. It was also noted that the thawed beer had a lighter, hazier color compared to the non-frozen beer. The haziness is caused by proteins in the beer separating and binding together after being thawed. So, though you may want an ice-cold beer, it may be best to aim for a well-chilled can instead. (Surprisingly, though, you shouldn’t be afraid to let a chilled beer get warm and be re-chilled).
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Read the original article on The Takeout.
Zodiac Sips: 12 Flavorful August Cocktails Perfect for Each Star Sign
The scorching August heat means finding central air wherever you can and enjoying the last days of summer with a cocktail in hand. Refreshing, cool drinks and even some frozen options should be at the top of the list as you take those last trips or hit those rooftop hangouts with your girls. If you’re really looking to enjoy those summer days, and mix things up on your palate, whether you’re on the beach or just daydreaming of a vacay, a rum-based option is sure to get the party started. But there are plenty of refreshing spirits out there to help you try something new.
As we dive into Leo season, here are the drinks you should sip based on your zodiac.
For a bit of childhood nostalgia, but with an adult twist, try a Dirty Shirley. It’s just a Shirley Temple but spiked with a shot (or two!) of vodka.
Dearest Pisces, you’re probably overthinking everything, including your drink order. Unwind with a lemon drop and let those worries slip away. But go easy on these, otherwise you might end up sending an emo text to an ex.
All things pickles continue to trend, so the bold and ever so slightly chaotic Aries might want to give a pickletini a shot. Similar to the classic martini, this just ups the brine factor and is a fun, trendy drink, sure to be a pleaser for anyone who typically loves dirty martinis.
A good, strong drink can absolutely help a Taurus take a second to unwind and stop being so stubborn. Whether on a rooftop, day drinking at brunch, or entertaining at home, a rosé sangria is a fun drink for the last full month of summer.
A spritz is probably on the list of every chatty Gemini. But for this sweltering summer month, give a frozen Hugo spritz a go. Refreshing and fun, just like you.
“I’m a Cancer, and we’re known for being reliable and traditional,” says Brian Jupiter, owner and executive chef of Frontier Chicago. An equally reliable drink is the old fashioned, which Jupiter describes as having comforting flavors and a rich history.
Leos never need to be told to lighten up and live a little, so a rum-heavy cocktail like a hurricane is a winner. “It’s a drink that’s perfect for a Leo who loves to make a statement and enjoy life to the fullest,” Jupiter says.
We get it, Virgo. You don’t exactly like change and want to keep all things in life fairly practical and fuss-free. You might already be a fan of a Negroni, but this month, embrace cherries before they’re out of season. You’re still keeping it classic, but with a slightly sweet kick.
Alicia Perry, beverage director of CH Projects, recommends a Livorno punch for her fellow balance-seeking Libras. “It’s balanced and warm,” she says. The Italian drink includes rum, sugar, espresso, and a hint of lemon.
“Scorpios are intense, mysterious, and passionate,” Jupiter says. A classic dark and stormy (dark rum and ginger beer) reflects that powerful, enigmatic personality.
Sags are always down for an adventure and keep it light and unbothered. “The frozen strawberry daiquiri captures their love for excitement and new experiences. It’s a fun and refreshing drink that fits their adventurous spirit,” Jupiter says.
Perry is excited to see some low-ABV cocktails emerging and a tea-infused vermouth should certainly be on an ambitious, level-headed Capricorn’s sipping list.
A&W Offers Free Root Beer Floats with a Catch: Are You Up for the Challenge?
“Float Flex” Asks Americans to Train to Lift One of Fast Food’s Heaviest Drinks
LEXINGTON, Ky., Aug. 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — A&W, America’s oldest franchised restaurant chain, is bulking up its annual National Root Beer Float Day promotion this August 6th with a nationwide challenge for those who think they’ve got the muscle to handle one of the heaviest drinks in fast food: Want a free float? Show off your flex.
On National Root Beer Float Day, August 6, simply show off your “Float Flex”—that is, flaunt your new physique with your best muscle-flexing pose—at any participating U.S. A&W location between 2 p.m.–8 p.m. local time for a free, small Root Beer Float.
The “Float Flex“ campaign encourages Americans to prepare their bodies for the roughly 3 pounds 5 ounces of Made Fresh Root Beer and creamy vanilla soft serve in a frosty glass mug that make up the massive A&W Root Beer Float known around the world for over 100 years.
The brand tapped social influencers like Keith Habersberger of The Try Guys to get the word out, and even created a home exercise kit featuring weighted Root Beer Float replicas, headbands, wristbands, and more to help float fans pack on muscle before the big day. A&W will be promoting “Float Flex” content on their own social media channels, as well as with paid social ads targeting existing customers and other fast food fans.
No purchase is necessary. Just a suggested donation to A&W’s nonprofit partner DAV (Disabled American Veterans). Since the start of the annual promotion, A&W has contributed over $1 million for veteran-related charities.
“A&W’s iconic Root Beer Float is without a doubt one of the heaviest drinks in the quick service restaurant industry,” said Liz Bazner, VP of Marketing & Innovation at A&W. “It’s so heavy that we worried we might be missing out on a whole untapped market of folks that simply can’t handle its hugeness. This National Root Beer Float Day, we wanted to get everyone pumped up and ready to enjoy their free float.”
Anyone aged 13 and up can get a free Root Beer Float every year on their birthday, plus more exclusive deals on A&W’s All-American Food, by joining Rooty’s Mug Club at awrestaurants.com/float-flex.
About A&W Restaurants
Founded in 1919, A&W is America’s oldest franchised restaurant chain. Known for its All American Food, as well as Root Beer that is made fresh in each restaurant and served in frosty mugs, there are more than 900 A&Ws in the U.S. and Asia. Visit awrestaurants.com and awfranchising.com for more information.
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SOURCE A&W Restaurants
Inside Gratsi: How a Boxed Wine Startup is Redefining the Wine Industry
Three years ago, a group of wine industry outsiders took a bold step into the sector by offering premium, non-vintage and non-varietal wines priced at $40. The bold part? It’s boxed wine.
Boxed wine has never had a stellar reputation among even casual wine drinkers, but meeting sustainability goals has winemakers rethinking the entire process, including how wine is packaged.
Gratsi Wine’s unconventional approach has proven successful; the Washington-state brand says it is on track to sell more than 200,000 cases this year.
Gratsi’s marketing strategy—centered around connection and community—has played a significant role in its success. Inspired by the simple Mediterranean lifestyle, Gratsi aims to bring the essence of slow mornings, quiet towns, fresh food and great wine into the homes of its customers. The company utilizes captivating storytelling and vivid imagery of Mediterranean destinations across its digital platforms, offering recipes, music, movies and books to inspire and connect with consumers. Additionally, products like Gratsi glassware and a recipe book enhance the immersive experience, encouraging customers to savor life mindfully.
In 2023, Gratsi Wine expanded from its direct-to-consumer model into retail markets, beginning in Connecticut, where over 1,000 cases were sold in April. As of June 3rd, the company has expanded its retail presence to Delaware, Maryland and Washington, D.C., continuing its growth and reaching new markets.
Gratsi founder Stephen Vlahos recently shared more with Forbes about market expansion, innovative strategies, challenges and future plans for the winery.
We launched as a direct-to-consumer company during Covid, and the box was a perfect way to ship wine to customers as a 9-liter case of boxed wine is one-third of the weight and one-fourth of the size of a 9-liter case of bottles. To us, DTC is a totally different competency than launching retail. We wanted the retail launch to be focused and limited, really figure out how to convert customers in person versus online, and then scale.
We have always seen Gratsi as a large-scale commercial grocery product, so we wanted to pick a broadly representative American market and not a unique large metro like New York or Los Angeles. Connecticut was perfect for us because of its great food scene and diverse immigrant culture, and it was an avatar for the rest of the country.
Initially, we got pushback from distributors and retailers because we were first to market and no one had sold a $40 box of wine at scale. So we said, just put it in the store and we will convert customers with tastings and events. Customers in Connecticut started buying the wine in large volumes and our distributor was onboard to expand the footprint. Again, it’s important to us that we are in markets that represent the American consumer as a whole, not just a few major metro areas.
To us, the most important factor in our wines is quality, taste and price to value ratio. We wanted to be open minded as to where the wine came from. Our number one goal was to find the best wine at the best price. After tasting wine from all over, we fell in love with Washington state. We thought the wine was absolutely delicious and very reasonably priced. We had a desired profile in mind, not a bias towards a certain varietal.
The goal for our wine was to be reminiscent of young European table wines—which meant no oak treatment—young, fruity and dry wines that are easy to drink with or without food. We also thought that the bag in box, if done correctly, had a really high upside for market opportunities. It’s perfect for at-home consumption; it just needed a great wine and brand to legitimize the category.
Our wines are grown and crafted using certified Sustainable Washington and Washington salmon-safe standards, which signifies a commitment to high quality fruit, environmental stewardship and healthy communities. These standards include requirements to use natural interventions to the highest level possible, including minimal spray treatments, naturally limiting weed growth through the use of competing row crops such as wheat, eliminating harmful vineyard runoff, water quality protection, enhancement of native biodiversity on vineyard sites and fair wages and safe working conditions for workers.
And Gratsi wines are clean and keto-friendly thanks to being zero sugar and only using all-natural ingredients. Many wines are fermented dry and have very little to no residual sugar at the start of the winemaking process. However, due to the use of low quality and inexpensive fruit as well as poor winemaking practices, these wines then require sugar and a host of other additives to be added back into the wine to make a finished product that is palatable. This leads to a wine that is not clean drinking and contains considerable amounts of residual sugar. Gratsi uses only the highest quality fruit from vineyards that use sustainable growing practices and never adds sugar or unwanted additives to enhance color or flavor.
Our entire team has a deep love for and fantasy of living the slow, simple Mediterranean life. We find creators who we personally find interesting and look for recipes, playlists, travel guides and general content that we personally love. Then we just try to share it with our customers.
The biggest challenge from the beginning was converting the $12 to $30 per bottle customer to start buying boxed wine. It has been a slow grind, but once customers trade in the bottle for the box, they stay. It seems that the tide is turning and customers are starting to adopt the premium boxed wine as a full-time replacement for their $20 bottle.
As customers are focusing on how much they spend at the store, the box is a clear cost-saving mechanism. Plus, the boxed wine packaging is so efficient, it allows us to have a bigger budget for the wine itself. Once customers pay half the price as they would for four bottles and the wine is superior, it’s game over.
Our team is full of wine lovers, but no one is from the wine industry so we have taken a very elementary, common sense approach to our strategy. Do we love this brand? Is this our favorite wine to drink? Do we like the way that it tastes and how it makes us feel the next day? We were really blown away at the contrast between American and European wines, in regards to the residual sugars and additives. We just said, let’s make a wine that reminds us of a pitcher of European table wine that you would have at a cafe in Sicily. If people like it, great. If not, that’s okay, too.
We feel very confident that we know how to successfully activate a market. Our plans are to expand into more than 15 states by 2025 and all 50 by 2026. It’s time for Gratsi to hit the mainstream at scale. We do not have plans to expand our offerings as we feel we cover the spectrum for our customers. It’s possible that we offer smaller volume packaging, but it isn’t in the short term plan for the business.
Internally, our team has a fantasy of living the slow life in the Mediterranean and the name is paying homage to this lifestyle of the slow, simple life. “Grazie” means thank you in Italian, but that spelling was too expensive for us to trademark. The domain name of “Gratsi” was very reasonably priced, so Gratsi it is.
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