Eve's Wine 101

Sidewalk Side Spirits Wants a Bite of the Flavored Whiskey Market

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NEW ORLEANS /PRNewswire/ — Spirits Brand Incubator company, Sidewalk Side Spirits, on the heels of their highly successful launch of their Gambino’s King Cake Rum Cream, announces the creation of Hardhide Ponchatoula Strawberry Whiskey.

Sidewalk Side Spirits to take a bite out of the flavored whiskey market with Hardhide Ponchatoula Strawberry Whiskey

Hardhide Ponchatoula Strawberry Whiskey is a blend of 3-year wheat bourbon, American light whiskey, Cocktail & Son’s Lemon Strawberry Syrup, and fresh Ponchatoula Strawberries. It’s blended at 86 Proof in New Orleans at the Porchjam Distillery. Not an underproof, sugar bomb of artificial flavors like so many others, Hardhide is a flavored whiskey for whiskey lovers. Delicious in Lemonade, on the rocks, or in a Strawberry Old Fashioned, Hardhide makes for a tasty, smooth cocktail. Perfect for home entertaining or any bartender’s tool kit.

“Ponchatoula is known as the Strawberry Capital of the World,” said John Eason, CEO of Sidewalk Side Spirits. “Through our whiskey, we hope to tell the story of this beautiful town known for strawberry farms, the World-Famous Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival, and its beloved Alligator named Hardhide, who lives smack dab in the middle of downtown Ponchatoula”.

Hardhide’s beautiful packaging was inspired by a commissioned original painting by renowned New Orleans artist, Frenchy. Frenchy is a fixture in and around New Orleans and famous for his artwork and philanthropy.

Hardhide Ponchatoula Strawberry Whiskey will be distributed by RNDC in Louisiana, Texas, Florida, and Georgia. Best Brands will distribute the brand in Tennessee. More states to come online after the next strawberry harvest in Q1 of 2023.

In the spirit of giving back, Sidewalk Side Spirits will form “Friends of Hardhide”, a charity that will donate 2% of the profits to the care and improvement of Hardhide’s quality of life. Artist Frenchy will be selling replicas of the original Hardhide art and be donating a portion of those proceeds to the “Friends of Hardhide” as well.

ABOUT SIDEWALK SIDE SPIRITS

Sidewalk Side Spirits is a spirit’s brand incubator company founded in 2020 by spirits industry veteran John Eason and the owners of Cocktail & Son’s, Lauren Myerscough, and Max Messier. It’s 1st brand was a collaboration with Gambino’s Bakery, the King of King Cakes to create award winning, Gambino’s King Cake Rum Cream. To know more go to www.sidewalksidespirits.com

NEW ORLEANS WINE AND FOOD EXPERIENCE CELEBRATES 30TH ANNIVERSARY

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NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – In honor of the 30th anniversary of the New Orleans Wine & Food Experience, the Board of Directors has announced a special pre-sale Grand Tasting ticket price of $99, more than 30% off the full ticket price. NOWFE 2022 is a six-day event scheduled for June 7 – 12. The two Grand Tastings will take place Friday, June 10 and Saturday, June 11. Individual tickets will be available at www.nowfe.com from January 20 through February 28, 2022.

“We are proud to have been a part of the New Orleans hospitality community for the last 30 years,” said Aimee Brown, NOWFE Executive Director. “Honoring and celebrating wines from around the world and the food of this great city is what we live for and overcoming challenges of the last year has made us stronger as a community. We look forward to hosting another great event and supporting our hospitality industry for another 30 years.”

Tickets to NOWFE’s wine dinner series, Vinola, Labs and Experiences, Tournament of Rosés, and Burlesque, Bubbly & Brunch will go on sale after Mardi Gras. In addition, the recipient of the Ella Brennan Lifetime Achievement Award and details for the Gala event will be announced at that time.

NOWFE has committed to two beneficiaries for the 2022 event— the New Orleans Culinary & Hospitality Institute (NOCHI) and Café Reconcile. Over NOWFE’s 30-year history, the organization has donated more than $1.5 Million to local non-profit organizations.

For more information or to purchase tickets visit nowfe.com.

Named USA Today’s 10Best for Best General Food Festival, and Best Wine Festival, the New Orleans Wine & Food Experience has showcased the culinary excellence in our community for 30 years alongside national and international wines at wine dinners in many of the city’s finest restaurants; at VINOLA, a premium tasting event; at dozens of culinary labs and experiences; and ultimately at the Grand Tastings. NOWFE is a non-profit organization with proceeds going to causes that support culinary education. It has raised more than $1.5 million for local non-profit organizations. www.nowfe.com.

EMERIL LAGASSE FOUNDATION’S CARNIVALE DU VIN BREAKS RECORDS FOR CHILDREN’S CHARITIES

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NEW ORLEANS, LA —The Emeril Lagasse Foundation celebrated its 19th annual fundraising weekend on November 5th and 6th in New Orleans, raising a Foundation record $3.75 million to support its mission to create opportunities to inspire, mentor, and enable youth to reach their full potential through culinary, nutrition, and arts education, with a focus on life skills development.                                  

“After missing our live event last year, we were happy to come back together in person and celebrate with an amazing lineup of chefs and auction items,” says Chef Emeril Lagasse. “Alden and I remain ever grateful for the generosity of our donors, sponsors, participating chefs, and the New Orleans community. Their continued support changes the lives of vulnerable children in our community.”
                  
The Emeril Lagasse Foundation’s annual fundraising weekend kicked off with events at the New Orleans Board of Trade and The Sazerac House. The Fillmore hosted Carnivale du Vin 2021, the foundation’s nationally recognized wine auction and gala dinner. Culinary greats Frank Brigtsen, Nina Compton, Ken Frank, Ken Lum, Ronnie Rainwater, and Frank Szymanski brought together the best in wine and food for a night of charitable giving. Four hundred guests experienced a four-course meal created by Chef Emeril’s team and culinary students from the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts.  Hospitality students from Café Hope, Café Reconcile, and Pro-Start received training from Emeril’s front-of-house staff, and together, they formed the service team for the special evening.
                  
The live auction highlight was a six-liter bottle of The Setting Wines 2019 Glass Slipper Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon that sold for $1 Million—shattering the World Record as the most expensive single bottle of wine ever sold at auction. “We are humbled to be able to offer $1 million to the Emeril Lagasse Foundation and its efforts to support youth, ” said Don Steiner, purchaser of the world record breaking lot.
                  
Co-founded by Jeff Cova and Noah McMahon, who both come from philanthropic backgrounds, and famed winemaker Jesse Katz, The Setting Wines first broke world records when a 750-ml bottle of their wine sold for $350,000 at Carnivale du Vin in 2017. “We are truly honored and amazed to make history again, especially as part of an event that means so much to us,” said McMahon, who serves on the Advisory Committee of the Emeril Lagasse Foundation. “Inspiring others in meaningful ways is a huge part of our brand ethos, so we couldn’t be more thrilled to know this record-breaking sale will have such a big impact on the Emeril Lagasse Foundation’s mission to create uplifting educational and developmental programs for children.” 
 
The Setting Wines 2019 Glass Slipper Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon is sourced from the prestigious Glass Slipper Vineyard, located in Napa’s renowned Coombsville AVA. Made of 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, this bottling is the first wine ever to be released from this vineyard, which is owned by long-time vintners, Paul and Suzie Frank. Marrying meticulous farming, of which the Franks are known for, with the world-class winemaking skills of Katz, the 2019 Glass Slipper Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon is an exquisite wine that showcases finesse and age-ability while perfectly encapsulating the elegant nuances of the region. Only 75 cases and one six-liter bottle were produced.
 
The Emeril Lagasse Foundation continually provides capital and programmatic support to eligible non-profit organizations across the nation through its Community Grants Program. Recent grant recipients include Covenant House New Orleans, Second Harvest Food Bank, Arc Broward, Food for Thought, and NOCCA. The signature program of the Emeril Lagasse Foundation is Emeril’s Culinary Garden & Teaching Kitchen. This program was created to make a direct, lasting impact on the lives of young people. It reflects the foundation’s mission to inspire, mentor, and enable youth while broadening its reach nationally. Currently, there are five garden & kitchen programs around the country.

Sponsors for the weekend included Visit South Walton, Wicks Family Foundation, All Charities Ocean Reef, The Solomon Family,  Buffalo Trace, Abita, GHMumm, Center for Restorative Breast Surgery, Jones Walker, Shipt, Bradshaw, GoodCook, Sands Cares, Marquee Brands and James G. Fifield Family Trust. 
 
About Emeril Lagasse Foundation: Founded in 2002 by Chef Emeril Lagasse and his wife Alden, Emeril Lagasse Foundation is a 501c(3) public charity headquartered in New Orleans. The foundation’s mission is to inspire, mentor and enable youth to reach their full potential through culinary, nutrition, and arts education with a focus on life skills development. Since its inception, Emeril Lagasse Foundation has granted more than $15.5 million to children’s charities to support culinary, nutrition, and arts programs. The foundation was recognized as the 2016 Nonprofit of the Year by the Louisiana Association of Non-Profit Organizations. To learn more about the foundation and its beneficiaries, visit Emeril.org, or follow on Facebook, Twitter , or Instagram.
 
About The Setting Wines: The Setting Wines is a collection of luxury wines created by three friends: Jeff Cova, Noah McMahon and famed winemaker, Jesse Katz. Driven by their philanthropic backgrounds, Jeff and Noah partnered with Jesse to establish The Setting Wines in 2014, a brand that seeks to encourage the appreciation of the simple moments in life, embrace the transformative power of shared experiences, and give back in meaningful ways. Sourcing grapes from esteemed vineyards throughout Napa and Sonoma Valleys, The Setting produces high quality wines that express a delicate balance between purity of fruit and the unique characters of each vineyard site. Visit thesettingwines.com to learn more.

EMERIL LAGASSE FOUNDATION’S BOUDIN BOURBON AND BEER GOES “BACK-TO-THE-TABLE”

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NEW ORLEANS, LA—The Emeril Lagasse Foundation has announced that it will bring Boudin, Bourbon and Beer “Back-to-the-Table” in 2021. In response to the devastating impact the pandemic had on the hospitality industry, the organization has chosen to forego its traditional festival format and celebrate at individual restaurants during the month of November.

“While our industry is still struggling, we are excited to be able to encourage our loyal Boudin, Bourbon & Beer patrons to dine out during November to provide support to our restaurants and sponsors,” said Chef Emeril Lagasse. “We greatly appreciate the ongoing generosity the restaurant community has provided over the last ten years in raising awareness of our mission to inspire, mentor, and enable youth to reach their full potential.”

The “Back-to-the-Table” event will include restaurants across New Orleans that will craft special boudin dishes and feature Abita Beer and cocktails from Buffalo Trace and Sazerac brands. Chefs confirmed to date, include Frank Brigtsen, Adolfo Garcia, Donald Link, Susan Spicer, Stephen Stryjewski, as well as Atchafalaya Restaurant. Additional chef and restaurant participants will be announced as they are confirmed.

In addition to the “Back-to-the-Table” dining campaign, the Emeril Lagasse Foundation will continue the mentorship components of Boudin, Bourbon & Beer through a special internship program. Participating restaurants will welcome student mentees from program beneficiaries into the kitchen for an unmatched learning opportunity.

The Foundation has distributed $15.5 million to date, focusing on children’s education programs and funding to support basic childhood needs. As part of its mission, the Emeril Lagasse Foundation created a signature program, Emeril’s Culinary Garden & Teaching Kitchen. This national education initiative integrates gardening and cooking concepts in elementary and middle school curriculums. This one-of-a-kind program offers an engaging experience that connects kids to the world of food and nurtures skills that benefit them not only in the kitchen but also throughout life. Currently, there are three kitchens in operation, with one to be completed in September and a fifth in 2022.

About Emeril Lagasse Foundation: Founded in 2002 by Chef Emeril Lagasse and his wife Alden, Emeril Lagasse Foundation is a 501c(3) public charity headquartered in New Orleans. The Foundation’s mission is to create opportunities to inspire, mentor and enable youth to reach their full potential through culinary, nutrition, and arts education. For more information visit emeril.org.