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This May, we took to the streets in our neighborhood to clear storm drain catch basins as part of Pontchartrain Conservancy's #StormSweep2021 efforts! We learned from Pontchartrain Conservancy's work that as litter accumulates in our streets and sewer systems, it prevents Lake Pontchartrain from draining properly, threatening homes, businesses and roadways with flooding. We know that our tasting room takes on water FAST if the storm drains on our street aren't properly cleaned, so as a local business and as a community partner of this year's Storm Sweep, we knew it was up to us to clean our streets and protect our building from flooding.
Through May 31, you can stop into the tasting room for a free 8oz. cocktail with proof of Storm Sweep volunteer registration - after cleaning drains this week, we definitely needed a drink. We cleaned nearly 20 storm drains in our neighborhood, and y'all, it was no easy thing. Our team was armed with shovels, trowels, a rake, gardening and work gloves, and trash bags, and it still felt like it wasn't enough. Among the trash we found clogging our drains were:
If you want to be part of the solution, head on over to the Storm Sweep website. Hurricane season officially starts June 1, but as we New Orleanians know, street flooding has no respect for the Gregorian calendar and causes the destruction of many a car and home year-round.
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 THE RECIPE 2oz. 504Gold .25oz. Simple Syrup 5 shakes Chili Bitters (or more if you're feelin' extra spicy) Pour all ingredients in a rocks glass, either neat or over ice. Stir and enjoy. HOW TO MAKE CHILI BITTERS Ingredients 2 cups clear rum (we recommend 504Silver) 16 habanero peppers, quartered and dried (seeds in) 2 limes, sliced and dried 8 allspice berries, crushed 6 espresso beans 4 whole cloves, crushed 2 tablespoons molasses 1 cinnamon stick, crushed Infuse all ingredients in rum for two weeks. Strain and bottle. THE STORY We love spicy drinks. On our back patio, we're always growing some variety of hot peppers. Currently, habaneros are beginning to ripen. (Many of our staff members have green thumbs and successfully grow cayennes, jalapeños, poblanos, and various other peppers and herbs successfully - remember that post we did earlier this spring about planting a cocktail garden?) Our menu has previously featured spicy daquiris and other spicy cocktails, but we wanted something simple to highlight the flavor of our rum with just a small kick - an Old Fashioned seemed like the right opportunity. We use smoked chilis in the bitters we make, which complements the oaky flavor of 504Gold so well. This twist on the old fashioned is our new favorite - if the thought of making bitters on your own terrifies you, stop in to try our version in the tasting room!
 THE RECIPE
6 tablespoons butter 6 tablespoons 504Bananas Foster Rum 3/4 cup sugar OPTIONAL- 1/2 cup chopped nuts toasted (suggested-pecans) 1) Mix first 3 ingredients in a small saucepan 2) Bring to a boil. Boil, whisking/stirring constantly until alcohol smell has evaporated. 3) Remove from heat. Optional -Stir in nuts after you remove from heat . 4) Glaze your cake of choice after removing from cake-tin. Let cool. THE STORY Obviously we love drinking our rum, but there’s so much more you can do with 504Rum than making cocktails. Our Guest Experience Coordinator Mel recently used 504Bananas Foster in the kitchen, making a rum glaze for cake. You can make a rum glaze with any of our rums, but we recommend the following pairings: 504Bananas Foster pairs well with: - Cinnamon cake - Chocolate cake - Coffee cake - Vanilla cake - Coconut cake - Nut-based cakes 504Hibiscus pairs well with: - Lemon cake - Vanilla cake - Fruit cake 504Silver pairs well with: - Any cake! (Especially our latest batch. It may be the best rum ever... Swap 504Silver in Mel’s recipe for a more traditional buttered rum glaze - an upgraded classic!) 504Gold pairs well with: - Chocolate cake - Coconut cake - Vanilla cake - Coffee cake - Nut-based cakes  THE RECIPE 1oz 504Silver 1oz 504Hibiscus 1oz passion fruit 1oz pineapple 1oz lime splash of orange blossom water 5 dashes house bitters Add ingredients to shaker with ice, shake and strain over ice. THE STORY Those weekends when the jasmine is in full bloom, the sun is warm but not scorching, and everyone seems to be headed across the city for one festival or another... we find ourselves craving something sweet, fruity, and boozy. The Spring in New Orleans combines some of our favorite spring flavors with aromatic orange blossom water and our floral 504Hibiscus rum. Every time we take a sip, we swear we can hear jazz playing.
 At Happy Raptor, uplifting the work of local nonprofits is central to our operations and mission. We're lucky to partner with nonprofits year round, and this May it's our main focus - that's why we're dubbing it the Month of Giving. Keep reading for a full list of this month's partnerships and how you can support these great New Orleans-based organizations!
Are you involved with a nonprofit organization? We offer our space as an event venue at no cost to nonprofits. Contact our Guest Experience Coordinator for more information: mel@happyraptor.com. |