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In a week when it was named a semifinalist for a DISCUS innovation award and its Red Cabin bourbon earned 93 points to nab a gold medal at the Los Angeles Invitational Wine and Spirits Challenges, Milwaukee's Central Standard Craft Distillery has released two new ready-to-pour cocktails.
The Red Cabin Lemon Honey Bourbon Smash and Red Cabin Peach Bourbon Smash join a lineup that already includes Pour Ready Door County Cherry Vodka Lemonade and the Pour Ready Door County Cherry Vodka Mule, both of which were unveiled last spring.
“Our Red Cabin Lemon Honey Bourbon Smash and Peach Bourbon Smash are craft cocktails without all the hassle of mixing the drinks yourself,” said co-owner Pat McQuillan.
“There’s no peeling, measuring or shaking required, simply pour our Pour Ready Premium Cocktails over ice for the perfect cocktail every pour.”
"It’s like having a bartender in each bottle,” quipped co-owner Jim Kanter.
The two new quaffs, which are 15 percent ABV/30 proof each, will begin appearing at retail in April in unbreakable 750ml and 1.75L bottles.
They'll be perfect for celebrating, which is something Central Standard is doing right now.
“Scoring a gold medal with a 93-point score and launching our new Pour Ready Premium Cocktails featuring our now gold-medal-winning Red Cabin Bourbon are huge wins for us," said co-owner Evan Hughes.
"It’s one thing if we say our bourbon is great. It’s another when the top judges in our industry rate it as gold-medal caliber.”
Central Standard is among nine semifinalists in the DISCUS (Distilled Spirits Council of the United States) “Innovation Showcase” competition for its limited-edition beer brandy collaboration with Germany's historic Hofbräu München.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
