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!

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.

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?

• Hibiscus Old Fashioned  is one of my go-to favorites. I will say that the All Hands on Deck was probably one of my top favorites that we've released thus far. 
  

What is your favorite way to enjoy 504Rum at home?

• Rum and soda. Yeah it's that good.

What is your favorite thing to show people on a tour?

• How much I love my job and bosses.

What flavor do you most want to make as the next 504Rum?

• Already in the works *wink wink*

What is your favorite restaurant in New Orleans to recommend to guests?

• Mais Arepas and Margie's Bar and Grill 

Where are you from, and how long have you been in New Orleans?

• I'm a Pennsylvania girl born and raised (shout out Cranesville!). I've been in New Orleans almost 7 years now. I don't regret a thing!

What are your top 3 hobbies?

• I am a photographer by trade so my spare time consists of inconsistently posting to my food instagram page, snuggling with my pirate pup Chai, and watching horror flicks.

Did you have a quarantine project?

• Ha! My quarantine project was bartending at this cool joint that was dinosaur themed and made rum....We all know how that ended. #happyhappygirl #foreverjob 

What's on your bar playlist?

• Depends on the day! I've gone from tropical beach reggae to the instrumental musings of the great John Williams. If you ask any of my co workers they'd say The Ting Tings, M.I.A, or SKA Essentials of the 90's. But my heart will forever belong to Nathaniel Rateliff, Lucius, and Sara Bareilles. 

What show are you currently binge-watching?

• Ash vs the Evil Dead, Stan Against Evil, Downton Abbey
  

What do you drink when you're not drinking 504rum?

• Gin and tonic

What's your favorite holiday?

• Halloween. This shouldn't be a surprise considering my favorite pastime is watching horror flicks.

Anything else you want our community to know?

• Great things are coming for Happy Raptor Distilling and I am so incredibly excited to be a part of this incredible journey.

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.