LYRA MAG.

Craft(y) cocktails that don't require special equipment (or engineering skills)-may not be Instagram bait -but refreshed classics, made easily enough with a holiday twist-are ideal drinks to serve with or without party nibbles. Think RUM One of five-Pensacola Florida's ' signature' cocktails =local Sandshaker's "The Bushwacker" aka a grown-up milkshake ... a tasty SWEET swirl of rum, crème de cacao, cream of coconut and vanilla ice cream. This worthy Eggnog sub- egg free- screams party on . THREESOMES: The foundation of any excellent cocktail...stirred or shaken...should be worthy of sipping solo too. Gift-able - Mad River Distillers 'trio -passes that test-with a splash, over a cube-or mixed with the extras. Retro Look-Modern Tastes Ever since we saw BITTERMILK 's retro packaged cocktail mixers-at a Fancy Food show a few years-back-we knew this privately owned company would DO REALLY WELL Try a hand crafted-real ingredient...

The numerical surge of Fall sporting events - gather fans with amped up appetites. Party foods/drinks  for nowadays crowds -please their palates are tasty, healthy (ish), and indulgent-BUT NOT your Y2K fare. NOW- fun/functional goodies -rule. 1) Less alcohol... and good-for-you liquids. Multi-functional-real ingredient -hand crafted BITTERMILK cocktail mixes work as the basis of shaken or stirred mocktails, too. Flavor sparkling water-soda-or alcohol. FYI-trio makes a great house gift. KOE Organic Kombucha -fuity-spice flavored -naturally-fermented Kombucha-naturally loaded with probiotics-and lightly sparkled. An acquired taste...made easier to drink with anti-oxidant and vitamin blessed- naturally sweet fruit. Our fav-the raspberry-dragonfruit. 80-90 calories per. USDA Organic, non-GMO, Vegan, Gluten-free, Kosher Unilever funded KOM BREW CHA -USDA Organic-lightly boozed up (4.4%ABV) Hard Kombucha ...gets its kick from fermenting process w/yeast. Gluten f...

NYC: TRENDS: MIXES, KITS, HEAT+EAT, SHAKE+DRINK, GRAB and GO... BetterBatter ,  Bittermilk ,  Boulart ,  Jen+Joe's ,  LeCoq Cuisine ,  Looka , CAFE  Macaron ,  Maroc Export ,  Mocktails , Red Rocker Candy,  Sable+Rosenfeld ,  Scratch+Grain ,  Silverland Bakery ,  SOPEXA , Brownie Points Aisles in the supermarket- we usually skipped in the past ---shelf stable cake/cookie boxed mixes and frozen products --- are popular -giving consumers a homemade-ish option that requires little more than lighting a oven, stirring/slicing up and washing up the pan... Nowadays -the mess free mixes are mix-ups of more 'natural' ingredients -that can be pronounced without a degree in (food) chemistry...and often come delivered in festive packaging for the holidays or gifting (a latter post). Scratch & Grain Baking Co.....just add butter+egg---portion control always a plus as is -non-GMO ingredients and natur...