 THE RECIPE 2oz. 504Hibiscus 1oz. Herbal Simple Syrup 1oz. Pineapple juice 1oz. Mango juice 5 shakes bitters (we recommend tropical paradiso bitters) Add ingredients to a shaker with ice. Shake and strain. THE STORY We are well into spooky season, and we are THRIVING. We've come up with dozens of haunt and horror inspired cocktails this month and we're so excited to share them all with you in our spooktacular Halloween Weekend Festivities! Witch's Brew was among the first Halloween cocktails we previewed this month, and we are obsessed - we like to pretend it's made with vampire fangs, zombie fingers, spiderwebs and werewolf blood... There's apparently a shortage on those ingredients, so we settled for some fruity and botanical flavors reminiscent of the herbs you might find stewing in a witch's cauldron.
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 THE RECIPE ROAD WARRIOR 2oz. 504Silver 1/2oz. lime juice 1/2oz. simple syrup 5 shakes paradiso bitters Soda water to taste Add rum, lime juice, simple syrup and bitters into a cocktail shaker with ice. Strain over ice into a collins glass. Top with soda water to taste. (We recommend key lime soda water!) HUNDRED MILER 2oz. 504Silver 1/2oz. lemon juice 1/2oz. hibiscus syrup 5 shakes aromatic bitters Soda water to taste Add rum, lemon juice, hibiscus syrup and bitters into a cocktail shaker with ice. Strain over ice into a collins glass. Top with soda water to taste. (We recommend lemon or grapefruit soda water!) THE STORY
Our team at Happy Raptor has all manners of allergies, food aversions, dietary preferences, and immunodeficiencies. Ordering lunch for our whole team is...an adventure. When we're shaping our menu, we selfishly consider our sensitive tummies (since we are, of course, doing the first tasting) and, of course, we're thinking of our guests. Even those guests who order Starbucks with only sugar-free sugar and three different kinds of non-dairy milk while they physically walk behind the bar and inspect for gluten cross-contamination. We can joke but, in some cases, these dietary requirements are extremely important. This is especially true for our guests with diabetes. In January 2020, our co-founder Meagen's sister-in-law was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. There is no way Alexa could have prevented this diagnosis, and there is no cure. Two years after her diagnosis, Alexa crossed the finish line, biked 100 miles, and raised $4,000 for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. In honor of her big ride, we released two extra-special, low-sugar cocktails for a weekend of fundraising and awareness. For more information on the estimated sugar content in 504Rum, visit our FAQ page. (Spoiler alert: It's VERY low. Our rum is never "flavored", it's infused. We use only real ingredients, hearty Caribbean-style rum, and no unnecessary added sweeteners.) For more about Alexa's experience balancing safe cocktail consumption and T1D, click here.  On January 2, 2020, I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. I remember sitting in the hospital shortly after being diagnosed, questioning if I’ll ever have a sip of alcohol again. Being diagnosed with T1D at 26 years old brought on new daily challenges. For me, it has meant needles, juice boxes, finger pricking, bruises, lots of blood, ignorant comments, sleepless nights, insurance battles, judgmental stares, doctor appointments, and long runs cut short. There is nothing I could have done to prevent my diagnosis, and there is no cure (yet). Without proper management of my insulin, this disease could cost me my health and my life.
Regardless of the challenges, I’m a big believer in living this life with T1D to the fullest. As it turns out, I didn’t have to give up all the foods I love, and I can still have a drink on the porch with my husband. Of course, like anyone with or without type 1, it’s important to monitor my diet and how much I have to drink. If you’re someone with a working pancreas (congratulations), you may see me drinking a rum punch and ask, “Can you have that?” or “Should you be drinking that?”. The answer is “yes”! Due to the effect of alcohol on blood sugar, I personally prefer to stick with drinks that have a lower alcohol sugar content. However, this doesn’t mean that I can’t have those sugary drinks – it’s all about what’s right for my body at the time. Once I understand the ingredients in a drink, I adjust my insulin dosage as needed. Being a T1D, we are so appreciative of businesses that are transparent with their ingredients and flexible if we need any accommodations. During my first experience at Happy Raptor, I decided to go for a low carb drink. The bartender worked with me to create a cocktail from scratch that I knew would be more manageable for my blood sugars. That little bit of understanding and awareness has an impact. At the end of the day, T1D is exhausting and draining. Sitting back and enjoying a cocktail on vacation without having to obsess about managing my insulin – that’s a great moment for me. -- Alexa Moreland  THE RECIPE
2oz. 504Gold 1oz. Pineapple Habanero Syrup 1oz. Lemon Juice 1oz. Orange Juice Add ingredients to cocktail shaker with ice. Shake and strain over ice into a rocks glass. Garnish with lemon slice, if desired. THE STORY After shutting down the tasting room and securing their own homes, our incredible team scattered across the Gulf Coast, some staying in the city and some evacuating ahead of Hurricane Ida's landfall in New Orleans. Product Development Specialist Parker spent the week on the beach a few states over, which proved to be the perfect atmosphere for cocktail creation. (Seriously, he came back with a notebook full of new cocktails ideas - we can't wait to share them all with you!) The Surf Slap is brought to you by salty air, sandy toes, suntans, and the sensation of waves slapping against every step towards the sea. The Surf Slap, along with an endless list of upcoming cocktail releases, arrived with the inspiration of solace from the storm. It might not be the shoreside vacay you're craving, but we hope each sip of the Surf Slap offers some refreshing satisfaction, however momentary.  If you've hosted an event or pop-up in the tasting room, you're already familiar with the excellence that is our Events & Partnerships Manager Mel. Mel brings a wealth of knowledge and enthusiasm to her role, and creates incredible experiences for all our partners and guests in the tasting room and beyond! She won't brag on herself[though we definitely will], but Mel is also an incredible artist - she's pictured above with some of her original water color art inspired by the things that bring her joy. Keep an eye on our Facebook page to see when Mel might display her art at one of our Art Markets again! What is your favorite cocktail currently on the menu?
 THE RECIPE 2oz. 504Hibiscus Rum 1oz. Lime juice 1oz. Jalapeño syrup 2 sprigs fresh mint Add rum, lime juice, syrup and leaves from 1 sprig of mint to a shaker with ice. Shake vigorously. Strain over ice. Garnish with 1 sprig mint. TO MAKE JALAPEÑO SYRUP Dissolve 1 cup sugar into 1 cup water over the stove, and bring to a simmer. Add 1 jalapeño, sliced, into syrup mixture and steep for 20 minutes. (Include seeds for extra heat.) Strain. THE STORY
It's no secret that we love creating cocktails with ingredients grown right here on our patio. (Learn more about growing your own cocktail garden here!) The Hibiscus Jalapeño Mojito is a variation on one of our classics - the Hibiscus Mojito - and uses multiple ingredients from our distillery cocktail garden. We love the pairing of the sweet, sour, spicy and minty - it's an explosion of sensations with every sip, bursting with flavor and feeling. We bring this cocktail out on weekends when our jalapeño plants are providing an abundant harvest, or when the occasion requires a little bit of spice. We're welcoming Curried Away NOLA into the tasting room this Friday, August 13, and we think the balance of this cocktail will pair perfectly with the unique flavors coming to the tasting room from this popup.  If you've been on a distillery tour in the last few months, there's a high probability that it was with April - our tour manager-turned Director of Operations. April brings the best energy into the tasting room and creates a welcoming atmosphere for all of our guests - you can't help but smile in her presence, with her infectious laugh and never-ending supply of dad jokes. Keep reading to learn about some of April's favorites! What is your favorite cocktail currently on the menu?
 THE RECIPE 1oz 504Hibiscus 1oz 504Gold 1/2oz simple syrup 3 dashes lime bitters 3 dashes aromatic bitters Add ingredients to rocks glass, stir with ice, serve over a few cubes of ice. THE STORY
The first Hibiscus Old Fashioned we made was for one of our regulars during the holiday season. At the time, our only other versions of an old fashioned on the menu were the Traditional and Spiced Banana Old Fashioned. Adjusting our old fashioned recipe to let the 504Hibiscus shine was an easy task. Perfect for those whose usual drink is rum neat, the light addition of syrup and bitters complement and open up the flavor nuances of the 504Hibiscus.  THE RECIPE 2oz. 504Hibiscus 1oz. simple syrup 1oz. lime juice 2 sprigs mint Add rum, syrup and lime juice to a cocktail shaker with ice, along with leaves from 1 sprig of mint. Shake vigorously. Strain over ice. Add 1 sprig mint garnish. THE STORY
Who doesn't love a good mojito? Perfectly refreshing with the power to cool you down on the hottest of summer days, our Hibiscus Mojito reminds us of everything we love in our summer gardens. On the back patio at the Happy Raptor tasting room, we have several planters growing some of our favorite cocktail ingredients like habaneros, rosemary, hibiscus, and - you guessed it - mint! (Learn more about growing your own cocktail garden here!) It's no secret that we prioritize using local ingredients. The molasses base for our rum is sourced from Louisiana-grown sugar cane, and many of our herb garnishes are grown right on our back patio. The Hibiscus Mojito is the perfect example of marrying our passion for sustainability with premium cocktail creation.  Richard, the newest tour guide at Happy Raptor, is a self-described booze nerd and a native New Orleanian. Filled with facts not only about 504Rum but the history of Rum itself, Richard’s tours provide a historical overview of rum’s creation peppered with jokes and nerdy references. Keep reading for an overview of some of Richard's favorites! What is your favorite cocktail currently on the menu?
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