Cocktail Artist® Launches Seven New Mixologist-Crafted Cocktail Mixes and Bar Ingredients

PHOENIX, Ariz., March 13, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Cocktail Artist®, an innovative brand of premium cocktail mixes and bar ingredients, celebrates its one-year anniversary this month with the release of seven new products, crafted by award-winning mixologists from across America and the Bahamas. After a year of driving growth in the cocktail mix category at one of the nation's largest retailers, the Cocktail Artist family now touts 15 products, including category mainstays Margarita Mix and Bloody Mary Mix, available nationwide.

Cocktail Artist has invigorated the cocktail mix category with its high-quality standards: eliminating high fructose corn syrup and unnecessary artificial ingredients; using natural cane sugar and fruit juices; and developing perfectly balanced flavor profiles in collaboration with renowned mixologists and cocktail tastemakers. The mixes and ingredients are packaged in artfully designed bottles that elevate the aesthetic of any home bar, and are available at an accessible price point.

The seven new Cocktail Artists and their curated mixes and bar ingredients include:

1. Skyy John (Los Angeles, CA; Host and Creator of Tipsy Bartender, top cocktail social media influencer with 27 million followers): Margarita Mix
2. Carla Rivera (Miami, FL; Secretary of Miami's Chapter of the United States Bartenders' Guild; Top 15 Finalist at the Diageo World Class Cocktail Competition, 2014): Piña Colada Mix
3. Chris McMillian (New Orleans, LA; Co-founder of The Museum of the American Cocktail; Thrillist's America's Greatest Bartenders, 2015; Imbibe Magazine's Top 25 Most Influential Cocktail Personalities of the Last Century, 2010): Bloody Mary Mix
4. Stephanie Sanchez (Santa Cruz, CA; Good Times' Best Bartender in Santa Cruz, 2014): Strawberry Daiquiri / Margarita Mix
5. Darnell Holguin (New York, NY; United States Bartenders' Guild National Finalist of Legacy Cocktail Showcase, 2017; Time Out New York's Top 10 Finalist Best Bartender in New York City, 2015): Sweet & Sour Mix
6. Jen Ackrill (Honolulu, HI; Modern Luxury's Top Six Hawaiian Bartenders, 2016): Triple Sec Syrup Bar Ingredient
7. Marv Cunningham (Nassau, Bahamas; Stolichnaya Regional Mix Master Champion, 2017; Taste of the Caribbean Bartender of the Year, 2015 & 2016): Blue Curacao Syrup Bar Ingredient

"Cocktail Artist started with the simple mission to empower home bartenders to confidently make craft cocktails with ease, and the line has surpassed expectations in its first year on the market," says Jay Whitney, president of FoodStory Brands, the company behind Cocktail Artist. "Our seven new mixes and bar ingredients are hitting stores across the country just in time for St. Patrick's Day, Cinco de Mayo, Kentucky Derby, and the summer beach season. Now, with a total of 15 mixes and ingredients, all developed with the nation's leading mixologists and bartenders, Cocktail Artist is changing the game in the cocktail mix category and transforming the way people entertain and mix cocktails at home."

"I want to help people make delicious cocktails easily—and have fun with it," said Skyy John, host and creator of Tipsy Bartender. "My Cocktail Artist Margarita Mix is made with the very best ingredients, meaning there's no high fructose corn syrup, just pure cane sugar and natural fruit juices. It's so smooth that you can enjoy it on its own or with spirits, from tequila to rum or vodka. It is so versatile and perfectly balanced, you can't beat it!"

"Piña Colada was invented in Puerto Rico, and I like to tell people that while my ethnicity is Puerto Rican, my blood type is Piña Colada," explained mixologist Carla Rivera of Miami, Florida. "My Cocktail Artist Piña Colada Mix is a great substitute for the classic recipe used at the Caribe Hilton Hotel in San Juan."

"After 25 years of mixing cocktails in New Orleans, I still love knowing that people enjoy what they drink," said Chris McMillian, legendary New Orleans bartender and owner of Revel. "I chose Bloody Mary as my Cocktail Artist mix because it's not only a staple in New Orleans, but when made with quality ingredients and savory spices, there is nothing better."

"Working with Cocktail Artist over the last year and watching it grow, has been an honor," said mixologist Juyoung Kang of Las Vegas, NV, who designed the Mint Syrup Bar Ingredient. "As part of the initial class of mixologists, I knew Cocktail Artist was exactly what people are looking for — mixes and ingredients that help them to feel like expert mixologists in their homes that taste amazing and are affordable."

Cocktail Artist launched nationwide in March 2017 in Walmart stores, and will soon be available in supermarket chains across the country. Shortly after hitting shelves, Cocktail Artist contributed more dollar sales growth to the cocktail mix category than any other existing brand sold at Walmart (Nielsen Answers POS, December 2017).

The seven new flavors join these eight original Cocktail Artist mixologists and their inspired mixes and bar ingredients:

1. Juyoung Kang, (Las Vegas, NV; Wine Enthusiast's Top 40 Under 40 Tastemakers, 2017; Thrillist's Best Bartenders in Las Vegas Bars, 2016): Mint Syrup Bar Ingredient
2. Tenzin Samdo, (Boston, MA; National Restaurant Association's "Star of the Bar" Northeast Regional Winner, 2016 & 2017; Thrillist's America's Greatest Bartenders, 2015): Lemon Juice Bar Ingredient
3. Sadiyyah Iddeen (Atlanta, GA; Tales of the Cocktail's Top 5 African-American Female Bartenders in Atlanta, 2015): Simple Syrup Bar Ingredient
4. Matthew Biancaniello (Los Angeles, CA; Thrillist's America's Greatest Bartenders, 2015; Author of Eat Your Drink and host of Good Spirits on A&E): Old Fashioned Mix
5. Bonnie Wilson (Dallas, TX; Anchor Distilling Co.'s Rising Anchor, 2016; GQ's Most Imaginative Bartender in Dallas, 2014): Grenadine Bar Ingredient
6. Luke Andrews (Chicago, IL; Time Out Chicago "Bar of the Year," The Whistler as the Beverage Director and Bartender, 2016): Lime Juice Bar Ingredient
7. Vincent Stipo (Philadelphia, PA; The Daily Meal's Top 25 Bartenders in America, 2014; Zagat's '30 under 30' in Philadelphia, 2014): Mule Mix
8. Robert Porter (Phoenix, AZ; Arizona Culinary Hall of Fame: Mixologist of the Year Nominee, 2016; Devour Arizona Star Bartender, 2016): Manhattan Mix

About Cocktail Artist
Cocktail Artist® is shaking up the cocktail mix category with fifteen essential mixes and bar ingredients that are designed in collaboration with award-winning mixologists. The premium products help demystify the art of mixology, so anyone can mix perfectly balanced craft cocktails at home. Cocktail Artist holds itself to a higher quality standard by eliminating high fructose corn syrup and artificial colors, instead using natural fruit juices and flavors along with pure cane sugar and organic blue agave nectar. Starting in March 2018, all fifteen Cocktail Artist mixes and bar ingredients, including seven new ones, will be available nationwide in Walmart stores, and shortly thereafter, in supermarket chains across the country. Cocktail Artist is made in the USA and is part of FoodStory Brands, which searches the world to bring thoughtfully curated and accessibly priced food and beverage products to American tables. For a full list of Cocktail Artist beverages and for more information on the mixologists, visit www.cocktail-artist.com.

About FoodStory Brands
FoodStory Brands brings authentic food stories to Americans' table. We specialize in branding, prime sourcing, product development and speed-to-market solutions. We are passionate about finding and developing new food and beverage products with compelling brand ideas that bring the best food stories to life—from real people and real places. We search around the world and in our own backyard to uncover foods and flavors from culinary pioneers, up-and-coming food entrepreneurs, and longtime favorite brands connected to inspiring new food ideas. FoodStory Brands is the umbrella company of Cocktail Artist™, Fresh Cravings® Salsa, and Sweet Offerings™ Bake Shop. Visit www.foodstorybrands.com.

SOURCE Cocktail Artist

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