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!

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.

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?

• The Ol' Ron Collins

What's your favorite way to enjoy 504Rum at home?

• Drinking it straight while editing [videos].

Favorite thing to show people on a tour?

• Definitely the fermentation. The little enzymes doing their work, the Yeastie Boys fighting for our right to rum.

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

• Something with orange and vanilla, like an orange creamsicle.

Favorite restaurant to recommend to guests?

• I really enjoy GW Fins - their scallops are pretty amazing.

Hometown:

• I've been in New Orleans for 29 years - born & raised.

Top three hobbies?

• Playing Magic the Gathering, making YouTube Videos, and playing RPGs (Role Playing Games).

Did you have a quarantine project?

• I started Gnome's Tavern, my YouTube & Twitch channel where I make and review drinks and cocktails. [​Editor's note: Richard was a tasting room regular before joining the team at Happy Raptor, and we were obsessed with his reviews of 504Rum drinks long before hiring him!]

What's on your tasting room playlist?

• Lake Street Dive, Broken Bells, and definitely Call me Alice starts the day off.

Currently Binge-watching:

• Star Wars Bad Batch.

What he's drinking when he's not drinking 504Rum:

• "Gin. I mean water. Nothing. I don't drink anything other than 504Rum." [Editor's note: We all love 504Rum, but do acknowledge that it's not the only good alcoholic beverage... We pressured Richard with this question on his second week working.]

Favorite Holiday:

• Thanksgiving, because I like free food that'll last through the weekend.

Anything else you want the followers to know?

• I am a booze-nerd, and if they come by they will hear not only how to make rum but an entire history of Rum itself. I believe in drinking smarter so tomorrow's not harder.