Connecticut-based Quiver Spiced Honey Spirit and Fruitful Mixology Liqueurs, both distributed by Brescome Barton, were the showcased brands for a cocktail competition hosted at Roux Cajun Eatery in Simsbury on June 20. Three local bartenders created their best cocktails for judges in two rounds using Quiver Spiced Honey Spirit. Special guest Matthew James, Radio 104.1FM, hosted the competition and judged cocktail entries, along with Quiver Spiced Honey Spirit’s Tomas Nenortas, Co-founder, and Dan Rice, Director of Marketing and Design. The winners were Andrew Mendonca, Michelle Bee and Jesse Bellemare, GameCraft Arcade & Bar. Quiver Spiced Honey Spirit is a Krupnikas, a spirit that has been popular in Lithuania for centuries. The brand was founded by brothers Ed and Tomas Nenortas, whose recipe is rooted in their Lithuanian-American family history. Quiver Spiced Honey Spirit offers a complex flavor and is smooth enough to sip on its own, offering sweet honey flavors that build up to a warm and spicy finish. The Connecticut-founded brand is made at Central CT Distillers in East Hartford.
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- Connecticut-based brands Quiver Spiced Honey Spirit and Fruitful Mixology Liqueurs, both distributed by Brescome Barton, were showcased at Roux Cajun Eatery in Simsbury on June 20.
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- Quiver Spiced Honey Spirit is a Krupnikas, a traditional Lithuanian liqueur, distilled six times from sugar cane and charcoal-filtered, gluten-free, made with single-farm American Clover honey, spices and all-natural ingredients, with no artificial colors or flavors.
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- Tomas Nenortas, Co-founder, Quiver Spiced Honey Spirit, who, along with his brother Ed, created the Krupnikas brand using his grandparents, shared homemade recipes.
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- Fruitful Mixology Liqueurs, created by Connecticut-based Shyam Kulkarni, Josh Scavetta and Evan Beazley, is locally made in East Hartford, with each flavor crafted with fresh ingredients and no artificial flavors or colors.
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- Tomas Nenortas, Co-founder, Quiver Spiced Honey Spirit; Dan Rice, Director of Marketing and Design, Quiver Spiced Honey Spirit; Third-place winner Jesse Bellemare, GameCraft Arcade & Bar; Matthew James, Radio 104.1; First-place winner Andrew Mendonca; Second-place winner Michelle Bee; and Steph and Victor Civitillo, Owners, Roux Cajun Eatery.
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- First-place winner Andrew Mendonca.
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- Mendonca’s cocktail, Quiver Punch.
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- Mendonca’s second-round cocktail.
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- Second-place winner Michelle Bee.
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- Bee creating her cocktail, The Spring Sting.
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- Bee’s second-round cocktail.
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- Third-place winner Jesse Bellemare, GameCraft Arcade & Bar.
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- Bellemare’s cocktail, Quiver Me Timbers.
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- Bellemare’s second-round cocktail.
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- Victor Civitillo, Owner, Roux Cajun Eatery.
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- Civitillo’s cocktail, Quiver Berry.
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- Civitillo’s second-round cocktail.
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- Competition judge Matthew James, Radio 104.1 announcing the winners.
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- First-place winner Andrew Mendonca and Matthew James, Radio 104.1.
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- Dan Rice, Director of Marketing and Design, Quiver Spiced Honey Spirit; Tomas Nenortas, Co-founder, Quiver Spiced Honey Spirit; First-place winner Andrew Medonca; and Steph and Victor Civitillo, Owners, Roux Cajun Eatery.
Photos by Michael Leung.
