Everyday Creation

A Toast to Summer, with a North Shore Crafted Cocktail

Kate Jones Season 1 Episode 56

I like products that are elevated by a higher mission and better-than-usual ingredients. That is definitely true of a line of canned cocktails made with fresh juice and no artificial sugar or preservatives. They've got a great taste and a kick too, with 12% alcohol by volume.

Created by siblings Alison and Steven Cravens, North Shore Crafted Cocktails launched in summer 2023 with the able assistance of their parents, Katie and Cliff Cravens, who own a gastropub in Hudson, Ohio.

I interviewed the younger Cravens a couple of months after the launch last year, but since this is the first full summer that their product line has been in a growing number of stores and even some restaurants, and because a cocktail on ice is such a perfect summer beverage for those who imbibe, I thought I'd revisit the interview.

I'm glad I did because it was great fun hearing again about their creative process and how much they learned and grew from it.

Right now, North Shore Crafted Cocktails come in two flavors and are sold only in Northeast Ohio and Columbus. The Cravens have plans to expand both the product line and the places where it's available. They're already looking into Florida and the East Coast, along with other parts of Ohio.

To find out more, you can go to the North Shore Crafted Cocktails website, which has a list of the places that sell four-packs of the Pomegranate Martini or the El Diablo Margatini canned cocktails.

And here's a link to an interview that aired Aug. 2, 2023 on the New Day Cleveland morning show on Fox 8. It's enjoyable, and the host gave the drinks a rave review.

Finally, here's a link to Lager & Vine, the restaurant owned by the Cravens family.

This is Kate Jones. Thank you for listening to Everyday Creation, available on YouTube and in podcast directories including Apple, Spotify and Audible.

[introduction]
Kate:
00:00:19.360 --> 00:00:22.020
Hello, and welcome to Everyday Creation,

00:00:22.560 --> 00:00:24.580
a show about living our purpose,

00:00:25.155 --> 00:00:26.215
lifting our vibes,

00:00:26.595 --> 00:00:28.215
and expressing our creativity

00:00:28.755 --> 00:00:30.215
for the highest good.

00:00:30.755 --> 00:00:31.895
I'm Kate Jones,

00:00:32.430 --> 00:00:35.170
here to talk about the business of canned

00:00:35.230 --> 00:00:35.730
cocktails

00:00:36.350 --> 00:00:38.930
with Alison and Steven Cravens.

00:00:40.705 --> 00:00:42.485
They are the sibling creators

00:00:42.865 --> 00:00:45.665
of an adult beverage line, now in its

00:00:45.665 --> 00:00:47.525
first full summer of existence.

00:00:49.100 --> 00:00:51.900
Many canned drinks, whether they've got alcohol in

00:00:51.900 --> 00:00:53.900
them or not, are full of sugar and

00:00:53.900 --> 00:00:54.960
artificial ingredients.

00:00:55.875 --> 00:00:58.435
Not so for the Cravens' line of North

00:00:58.435 --> 00:00:59.895
Shore Crafted Cocktails.

00:01:00.595 --> 00:01:03.095
This was a joint project with their parents,

00:01:03.710 --> 00:01:04.210
longtime

00:01:04.510 --> 00:01:05.010
restaurateurs

00:01:05.390 --> 00:01:08.030
Katie and Cliff Cravens, who own Lager &

00:01:08.030 --> 00:01:10.770
Vine, a gastropub in Hudson, Ohio.

00:01:12.335 --> 00:01:14.355
Let's hear from Alison and Steven

00:01:14.735 --> 00:01:17.455
about what makes their canned cocktails different and

00:01:17.455 --> 00:01:19.795
what they learned from creating this brand.

[interview begins]
00:01:20.330 --> 00:01:22.910
Welcome to the show, Alison and Steven!

00:01:23.370 --> 00:01:25.390
Please talk about what distinguishes

00:01:25.850 --> 00:01:28.350
these beverages from other canned cocktails.

Steven:
00:01:29.605 --> 00:01:31.125
We wanted to make sure we had a

00:01:31.125 --> 00:01:32.745
drink that was flavor-forward

00:01:33.285 --> 00:01:34.805
in a world full of seltzers, which is what

00:01:34.805 --> 00:01:36.830
we kept calling it over Covid. So we

00:01:36.830 --> 00:01:38.510
wanted to make, you know, something that really

00:01:38.510 --> 00:01:40.270
just tasted good, like you got one

00:01:40.270 --> 00:01:41.870
from one of our bartenders

00:01:41.870 --> 00:01:43.890
at Lager & Vine, not straight from the can.

00:01:44.075 --> 00:01:46.095
And it also has 100%

00:01:46.155 --> 00:01:47.535
fresh juice, no preservatives,

00:01:47.915 --> 00:01:50.795
gluten free, 12% alcohol by volume. So it's

00:01:50.795 --> 00:01:52.200
got a little kick to it, you know.

Kate:
00:01:52.200 --> 00:01:54.920
No kidding. And, actually, each can has

00:01:54.920 --> 00:01:56.620
two drinks.

Steven:
It does. Yes.

Kate:
00:01:57.000 --> 00:02:00.360
And I understand you recommend having it over

00:02:00.360 --> 00:02:02.565
plenty of ice because it

00:02:02.565 --> 00:02:04.565
could go down

00:02:04.565 --> 00:02:07.925
too fast maybe, otherwise.

Alison:
Yes.

Steven:
100%, yeah.

Alison:
00:02:07.925 --> 00:02:10.810
And you definitely should pour half the can,

00:02:10.890 --> 00:02:12.810
drink it, let it sit in for a

00:02:12.810 --> 00:02:14.890
second and then keep drinking if you feel

00:02:14.890 --> 00:02:16.410
the need to because it'll catch up

00:02:16.410 --> 00:02:18.990
with you.

Kate:
00:02:19.050 --> 00:02:19.550
Yes, I imagine so.

00:02:20.575 --> 00:02:23.215
So anyway, you don't

00:02:23.215 --> 00:02:24.435
put preservatives in.

00:02:24.895 --> 00:02:27.455
So how do you ... how does it work

00:02:27.455 --> 00:02:29.320
not to have preservatives?

Alison:
00:02:29.320 --> 00:02:30.860
Mainly the one that we had to worry about was the pomegranate

00:02:31.080 --> 00:02:33.560
with it being no preservatives just because in

00:02:33.560 --> 00:02:35.740
the restaurant, we make it with orange juice.

00:02:36.455 --> 00:02:38.215
Obviously, you'll see in the recipe that it's

00:02:38.215 --> 00:02:40.375
orange wine that we use in the canned

00:02:40.375 --> 00:02:40.875
version.

00:02:41.495 --> 00:02:43.675
This is solely just so there's no acidity,

00:02:43.735 --> 00:02:46.350
and, obviously, orange juice is not shelf-stable

00:02:46.350 --> 00:02:48.590
for years and years. It's something you've got to use

00:02:48.590 --> 00:02:49.330
pretty quickly.

00:02:50.030 --> 00:02:51.890
And then also the 12% ABV

00:02:52.350 --> 00:02:54.475
was the level we needed to get to

00:02:54.475 --> 00:02:56.795
in order for all the ingredients to stay

00:02:56.795 --> 00:02:57.535
shelf-stable.

Kate:
00:02:57.915 --> 00:03:00.875
So it's not solely

00:03:00.875 --> 00:03:03.950
for the kick. It's really for preserving.

Steven:
Yeah.

Alison:
00:03:03.950 --> 00:03:06.510
And our cocktails are shelf-stable for about

00:03:06.510 --> 00:03:09.785
two years. 

Kate:
00:03:09.845 --> 00:03:13.365
That's terrific. Well, the benefits of alcohol!

Alison:
Right.

Steven:
Exactly. Exactly.

Kate:
00:03:13.365 --> 00:03:14.585
You mentioned the pomegranate.

00:03:15.045 --> 00:03:16.105
That's a Pomegranate

00:03:16.565 --> 00:03:17.065
Martini.

Alison:
Yes.

Kate:
00:03:17.365 --> 00:03:20.060
And then you also have the other

00:03:20.200 --> 00:03:21.580
flavor, the

00:03:21.880 --> 00:03:22.380
Diablo

00:03:22.920 --> 00:03:23.420
Margatini.

Alison:
00:03:23.960 --> 00:03:25.020
Yes. And that's

00:03:25.905 --> 00:03:28.385
actual trademarked or a registered name now. Right?

Steven:
00:03:28.385 --> 00:03:29.605
It is. Yes. Yes. Yes.

Kate:
00:03:29.905 --> 00:03:31.205
The labels are great,

00:03:31.665 --> 00:03:33.045
and they are distinctive.

00:03:33.345 --> 00:03:34.820
So

00:03:35.200 --> 00:03:36.560
how did you work on those? I mean,

00:03:36.560 --> 00:03:38.580
how did that all come about?

Alison:
00:03:38.880 --> 00:03:41.205
So, it was just we used

00:03:41.205 --> 00:03:42.405
Canva a lot. I don't know if you've

00:03:42.405 --> 00:03:43.845
heard of Canva.

Kate:
00:03:43.845 --> 00:03:46.325
Oh, yes, I have a membership to Canva. I don't use it much,

00:03:46.325 --> 00:03:48.930
but I have a membership.

Alison
00:03:48.930 --> 00:03:50.610
So we bought, you know, the premium to that and

00:03:50.610 --> 00:03:52.290
it opened up a lot of stuff. We

00:03:52.290 --> 00:03:54.050
just kind of played around with stuff. Obviously,

00:03:54.050 --> 00:03:56.050
the government makes you have certain things on

00:03:56.050 --> 00:03:57.270
your labels and

00:03:57.595 --> 00:03:59.035
a lot of that, so we obviously hit

00:03:59.035 --> 00:04:01.355
those marks and then from there it was

00:04:01.355 --> 00:04:03.295
just trying to make it something that both

00:04:03.515 --> 00:04:05.595
men and women would like and catch your

00:04:05.595 --> 00:04:06.095
eye.

00:04:06.440 --> 00:04:08.520
And a lot of cans are, like,

00:04:08.520 --> 00:04:10.360
shinier. We were like, the matte would

00:04:10.360 --> 00:04:12.620
probably make it more sophisticated.

Kate:
00:04:13.835 --> 00:04:15.835
It seems to me, and I don't have

00:04:15.835 --> 00:04:17.835
vast experience in this, but it seems like

00:04:17.835 --> 00:04:20.735
a lot of young adults prefer cocktails.

00:04:21.275 --> 00:04:22.095
Is that true?

Alison:
00:04:22.530 --> 00:04:25.250
I mean, speaking personally, I would so much

00:04:25.250 --> 00:04:27.570
rather have this than go and get a

00:04:27.570 --> 00:04:29.570
seltzer of some kind. And I definitely don't

00:04:29.570 --> 00:04:30.230
drink beer.

00:04:30.825 --> 00:04:33.065
So, I think it's definitely, I mean it's

00:04:33.065 --> 00:04:35.005
easy because you're not buying all the ingredients.

00:04:35.145 --> 00:04:37.065
You're just pouring this. No one would even

00:04:37.065 --> 00:04:38.800
know if you took this, poured it on

00:04:38.800 --> 00:04:40.160
ice, and gave it to your friend and

00:04:40.160 --> 00:04:41.520
if they never saw the can, they would assume

00:04:41.520 --> 00:04:44.260
you just made it. We tasted a few

00:04:44.560 --> 00:04:47.380
of other similar canned cocktails, similar recipes,

00:04:48.025 --> 00:04:50.045
and they just weren't ... they were way more

00:04:50.825 --> 00:04:53.165
alcohol-focused and less on flavor.

00:04:53.625 --> 00:04:55.145
So then it was just kind of like

00:04:55.145 --> 00:04:56.820
we could do something better than that.

Steven:
00:04:56.820 --> 00:04:59.220
You taste fake sugars in a lot

00:04:59.220 --> 00:05:00.900
of them as well. Just like the certain

00:05:00.900 --> 00:05:03.185
fake aspects you would see where we

00:05:03.185 --> 00:05:04.865
try to deliver against that.

Alison:
00:05:04.865 --> 00:05:06.465
We tasted one as a family one time, and it was

00:05:06.465 --> 00:05:08.485
so hard to drink. I don't even remember

00:05:08.945 --> 00:05:11.345
what it was, but it was something ... it

00:05:11.345 --> 00:05:12.165
was a Cosmo

00:05:12.490 --> 00:05:13.310
in a can,

00:05:13.690 --> 00:05:16.410
and it was just so strong. Like, you

00:05:16.410 --> 00:05:18.490
couldn't ... it was just pure vodka. I was

00:05:18.490 --> 00:05:19.870
like, this isn't enjoyable.

Steven:
00:05:20.330 --> 00:05:20.830
Yeah.

Kate:
00:05:21.325 --> 00:05:23.985
That's very interesting. So when you say

00:05:24.365 --> 00:05:27.725
flavor forward, that's what you mean by that, just

00:05:27.725 --> 00:05:31.600
making or having the focus on, well, fresh, and

00:05:31.660 --> 00:05:34.560
so it's so like the real thing. 

Steven:
00:05:34.700 --> 00:05:37.180
Exactly. Where no preservatives like, you know, you

00:05:37.180 --> 00:05:38.240
were just saying, and

00:05:38.795 --> 00:05:40.335
instead of it being

00:05:40.875 --> 00:05:43.035
something that's just super alcoholy and just

00:05:43.035 --> 00:05:44.635
has a punch, we try to hide it

00:05:44.635 --> 00:05:46.075
like you would in a restaurant with, like,

00:05:46.075 --> 00:05:48.310
you know, your garnishes, stuff like that. So

00:05:48.310 --> 00:05:49.990
that it does have that little taste of

00:05:49.990 --> 00:05:51.670
alcohol because you want that in a

00:05:51.670 --> 00:05:54.150
cocktail, but it doesn't overpower by any means.

Kate:
00:05:54.150 --> 00:05:55.530
Right. I wondered

00:05:55.955 --> 00:05:58.435
about the process. You know, what was

00:05:58.435 --> 00:06:01.155
the process anyway? Lots of trial and error.

00:06:01.155 --> 00:06:03.815
What exactly happened? What occurred?

Alison:
00:06:05.360 --> 00:06:07.520
Yes. So we use a brand called

00:06:07.520 --> 00:06:09.520
Meta Brands out of New Jersey. They're the

00:06:09.520 --> 00:06:11.920
ones that create the recipe, put it in

00:06:11.920 --> 00:06:14.080
the can, pack it, and ship it our

00:06:14.080 --> 00:06:15.905
way. We would taste it,

00:06:16.285 --> 00:06:18.685
we'd be like, something's not right. We'd taste

00:06:18.685 --> 00:06:20.445
it compared to ours, like, we'd have one

00:06:20.445 --> 00:06:22.465
of our bartenders make us one real quick.

00:06:22.560 --> 00:06:24.320
Taste the canned version, taste the restaurant's version, we're

00:06:24.320 --> 00:06:26.100
like, something's not right.

00:06:26.400 --> 00:06:29.280
Send it back and say try to change something,

00:06:29.280 --> 00:06:31.120
like, you know, more lime juice or more

00:06:31.120 --> 00:06:33.645
this, and then they'd send us another sample.

00:06:33.645 --> 00:06:35.485
We'd taste that and then we'd all sip

00:06:35.485 --> 00:06:37.885
it, and we're like, I don't know. And

00:06:37.885 --> 00:06:39.645
finally, we got to a point where we

00:06:39.645 --> 00:06:40.385
could pour

00:06:40.750 --> 00:06:43.170
the canned version against the handmade version,

00:06:43.550 --> 00:06:45.070
and no one could figure out the difference.

Kate:
00:06:45.070 --> 00:06:47.043
And you even did have people try it?

Alison:
00:06:47.150 --> 00:06:48.910
Yes. And they didn't know which was which.

00:06:48.910 --> 00:06:50.765
We had a lot of our staff because

00:06:50.765 --> 00:06:52.605
obviously they're used to either making it or

00:06:52.605 --> 00:06:54.525
drinking it or know what it's supposed to

00:06:54.525 --> 00:06:56.685
taste like, and they couldn't tell the difference.

Kate:
00:06:56.685 --> 00:06:57.825
Oh, that's terrific.

00:06:58.125 --> 00:07:01.500
So did the four

00:07:01.500 --> 00:07:03.900
of you tend to agree on things or

00:07:03.900 --> 00:07:04.640
were there

00:07:05.500 --> 00:07:06.000
disagreements?

Steven:
00:07:06.735 --> 00:07:08.575
When we're basing it off of our, like

00:07:08.575 --> 00:07:10.175
we said, the cocktails at Lager &

00:07:10.175 --> 00:07:12.175
Vine, and we all, I feel like, collectively

00:07:12.175 --> 00:07:13.935
agreed that that's what we wanted it to

00:07:13.935 --> 00:07:15.695
taste like. So it really was just trying

00:07:15.695 --> 00:07:17.120
to figure out how do we get it

00:07:17.120 --> 00:07:18.800
to taste like what we wanted it to,

00:07:18.800 --> 00:07:20.000
and we all had at least the same

00:07:20.000 --> 00:07:21.760
vision of what we wanted it to be.

Alison:
00:07:21.760 --> 00:07:23.440
Yeah. Yeah. I would say we're all

00:07:23.440 --> 00:07:25.835
pretty in agreement with the whole process. I

00:07:25.835 --> 00:07:27.435
mean, there are definitely times where I think

00:07:27.435 --> 00:07:28.095
some of

00:07:28.555 --> 00:07:29.695
us pinpointed different

00:07:30.075 --> 00:07:31.835
aspects of it, but none of us were

00:07:31.835 --> 00:07:33.130
really, like, yeah, no. Now that you

00:07:33.130 --> 00:07:34.690
brought that right to my attention, we need

00:07:34.690 --> 00:07:37.210
to change that. 

Kate:
00:07:37.210 --> 00:07:37.710
That is really excellent.

00:07:38.330 --> 00:07:40.490
So how long did all that take? 

00:07:40.490 --> 00:07:41.930
You said about a year and a half?

Alison:
00:07:41.930 --> 00:07:44.495
About, Yeah. 

Steven:
00:07:44.635 --> 00:07:47.115
And then about a year of getting licenses through Ohio, which was, you know,

00:07:47.115 --> 00:07:48.655
its own challenge in itself.

Kate:
00:07:49.035 --> 00:07:49.535
Right.

00:07:50.180 --> 00:07:52.980
Can you sell only in Ohio then? 

Steven:
00:07:52.980 --> 00:07:54.820
Yes. So you know, pretty much by state by

00:07:54.820 --> 00:07:57.515
state is who controls the liquor, especially with

00:07:57.515 --> 00:07:59.755
our type of beverage. Obviously, beer and wine

00:07:59.755 --> 00:08:01.755
are a little bit different, but with, you

00:08:01.755 --> 00:08:04.315
know, liquor and cocktails like that, it's state

00:08:04.315 --> 00:08:06.415
by state. 

Kate:
00:08:06.930 --> 00:08:09.170
So do you have plans to go to other states?

Steven:
00:08:09.170 --> 00:08:11.490
We do. We first want to try to

00:08:11.490 --> 00:08:13.250
expand into, like, Columbus. Right now, we're

00:08:13.250 --> 00:08:15.490
just in the Northeast Ohio area. So Cleveland,

00:08:15.490 --> 00:08:17.205
kind of the Canton area. And we have one

00:08:17.205 --> 00:08:19.305
location that just picked up in Columbus as

00:08:19.605 --> 00:08:21.865
well. A nice market in Polaris. So,

00:08:22.565 --> 00:08:24.630
yeah, we're just trying to really take over

00:08:24.630 --> 00:08:26.310
kind of Ohio right now, and then I

00:08:26.310 --> 00:08:28.310
think we've been talking about maybe Florida being

00:08:28.310 --> 00:08:30.070
even the next one as the next jump.

Kate:
00:08:30.070 --> 00:08:32.555
Okay. Well, good luck with all that.

Steven:
00:08:32.555 --> 00:08:34.155
Thank you. 

Kate:
00:08:34.155 --> 00:08:36.315
And I heard something about, I think, from your dad

00:08:36.315 --> 00:08:36.815
about

00:08:37.355 --> 00:08:40.235
looking for distributors on the East Coast. 

Alison:
00:08:40.235 --> 00:08:42.740
Yes. We are using right now,

00:08:43.680 --> 00:08:45.440
a distributor that we've used at Lager &

00:08:45.440 --> 00:08:47.440
Vine for so long, Private Reserve out of

00:08:47.440 --> 00:08:48.340
Garfield Heights.

00:08:48.915 --> 00:08:51.255
Great people, but their main focus is wine.

00:08:51.795 --> 00:08:53.395
So we stuck with them 

00:08:53.395 --> 00:08:55.075
because we have a good relationship with them

00:08:55.075 --> 00:08:56.915
and then also this gave them a new

00:08:56.915 --> 00:08:58.135
opportunity, a new

00:08:58.660 --> 00:09:01.240
item to branch out to give to their

00:09:01.540 --> 00:09:03.700
clients and such like that. So we were

00:09:03.700 --> 00:09:05.940
like, oh, let's start there. But obviously as

00:09:05.940 --> 00:09:06.600
we grow

00:09:07.065 --> 00:09:08.985
we're probably going to have to look into something

00:09:08.985 --> 00:09:11.145
else, but that's way down the line for

00:09:11.145 --> 00:09:11.645
now.

Kate:
00:09:12.105 --> 00:09:15.085
So you're having fun? 

Steven:
Yes. 

Alison:
00:09:15.500 --> 00:09:18.300
Yes, it's stressful, but it's fun. 

Kate:
00:09:18.300 --> 00:09:20.400
I imagine that there are a lot of things

00:09:20.460 --> 00:09:22.480
that pop up that you really

00:09:22.805 --> 00:09:24.425
haven't thought about. 

Steven:
00:09:24.885 --> 00:09:27.045
Surprises and it's helped us, I feel like,

00:09:27.045 --> 00:09:29.365
become more adaptable people even. And 

00:09:29.525 --> 00:09:30.900
it will at least even help us going

00:09:30.900 --> 00:09:32.340
forward in our lives just to be able

00:09:32.340 --> 00:09:34.420
to pivot when we need to and 

00:09:34.420 --> 00:09:36.340
solve problems when they arise even though we

00:09:36.340 --> 00:09:38.280
might never even heard of the problem

00:09:38.420 --> 00:09:39.960
before starting this. 

Kate:
00:09:40.535 --> 00:09:42.215
So do you have one in

00:09:42.215 --> 00:09:45.095
particular, a problem that just took

00:09:45.095 --> 00:09:46.875
you by surprise? 

Steven:
00:09:47.175 --> 00:09:48.930
Yes. So we hired a lawyer out of Akron, and

00:09:48.930 --> 00:09:50.770
when we started the company,

00:09:50.770 --> 00:09:53.090
we were going for a distributor's license, which

00:09:53.090 --> 00:09:55.695
in reality isn't what we really needed. So

00:09:55.695 --> 00:09:57.415
it was a very complicated process to try

00:09:57.415 --> 00:09:59.575
and figure out how do we now pivot

00:09:59.575 --> 00:10:01.335
to a supplier license, which is really what

00:10:01.335 --> 00:10:03.250
we needed. So we were kind of steered in the

00:10:03.250 --> 00:10:05.090
wrong way, I would say. 

Alison:
00:10:05.090 --> 00:10:07.410
A lot of money down the drain. 

Kate:
00:10:07.410 --> 00:10:09.590
Well, I guess, I didn't ask you

00:10:10.065 --> 00:10:10.725
a general

00:10:11.105 --> 00:10:12.805
question that I always ask,

00:10:13.585 --> 00:10:16.225
and that is what have you learned and

00:10:16.225 --> 00:10:18.725
how have you grown from this endeavor?

Alison:
00:10:19.850 --> 00:10:22.350
Learned? Oh my God. Everything. 

00:10:23.130 --> 00:10:25.530
I feel like going to school and doing these

00:10:25.530 --> 00:10:27.450
projects are alike. I go

00:10:27.450 --> 00:10:29.310
to Miami University and I'm in Oxford.

00:10:29.695 --> 00:10:31.135
I'll be a senior. [Alison graduated in 2024.] So I've done a

00:10:31.135 --> 00:10:33.855
lot of, like, you basically create your own

00:10:33.855 --> 00:10:36.355
product and market it or build it,

00:10:36.690 --> 00:10:38.450
but it's like a fake kind of thing.

00:10:38.450 --> 00:10:39.890
It's kind of like a test run.

00:10:39.890 --> 00:10:42.690
They want you to have experience doing

00:10:42.690 --> 00:10:44.710
it, create it and be passionate about something.

00:10:45.055 --> 00:10:46.655
Then obviously at the end of the class

00:10:46.655 --> 00:10:48.335
you're, like, I presented it, but it's not

00:10:48.335 --> 00:10:48.915
a real

00:10:49.295 --> 00:10:51.555
thing. So this [the canned cocktails project] was, like, a real-life

00:10:52.550 --> 00:10:53.050
marketing,

00:10:53.670 --> 00:10:56.550
like, pitch deck for me. And it actually

00:10:56.550 --> 00:10:59.510
came to fruition and we actually got

00:10:59.510 --> 00:11:00.950
it in the stores and on the

00:11:00.950 --> 00:11:01.930
the shelves and

00:11:02.265 --> 00:11:04.025
all that stuff. So I think 

00:11:04.025 --> 00:11:05.785
I learned a lot. 

Kate:
00:11:05.785 --> 00:11:07.625
Yeah. You should get an A. 

Steven:
That's what I was gonna say.

00:11:07.625 --> 00:11:08.985
When you make a mistake on one

00:11:08.985 --> 00:11:10.760
of those projects, it's like you

00:11:10.760 --> 00:11:12.360
get a B, you know. 

Alison:
00:11:12.360 --> 00:11:14.360
Yeah, my teacher said I could've done this better.

Steven:
00:11:14.360 --> 00:11:15.960
But with, like, you know, with a

00:11:15.960 --> 00:11:17.785
real product, the stakes are high

00:11:17.785 --> 00:11:19.385
and I guess we kind of learned to

00:11:19.385 --> 00:11:21.225
work under that pressure as well. And 

00:11:21.305 --> 00:11:23.065
it's more, like I said, one

00:11:23.065 --> 00:11:24.105
thing to do it in school. It's a

00:11:24.105 --> 00:11:25.305
whole other thing to do it in the

00:11:25.305 --> 00:11:27.230
real world. 

Alison:
So yeah. I never even thought

00:11:27.230 --> 00:11:28.510
about, like, when he brought up the lawyer.

00:11:28.510 --> 00:11:30.830
I never thought about the legal aspects, the

00:11:30.830 --> 00:11:31.330
licensing,

00:11:32.030 --> 00:11:34.275
how expensive license things can be. The lawyers

00:11:34.275 --> 00:11:36.635
are expensive, the time and effort that we

00:11:36.835 --> 00:11:38.035
put in. I think we were

00:11:38.035 --> 00:11:39.975
delayed about a year from all of that.

00:11:40.515 --> 00:11:41.655
And then like the

00:11:41.970 --> 00:11:44.150
original recipe we had a specific

00:11:44.850 --> 00:11:45.350
agave

00:11:46.450 --> 00:11:48.130
liqueur that we had to bring in for the

00:11:48.130 --> 00:11:50.635
El Diablo and then there wasn't enough of

00:11:50.635 --> 00:11:51.915
it. So we had to switch to a

00:11:51.915 --> 00:11:53.775
different one. Just things that we didn't

00:11:53.915 --> 00:11:54.355
expect, never thought about.

00:11:54.795 --> 00:11:57.195
Definitely not a

00:11:57.195 --> 00:12:00.370
smooth process, but we learned every step. 

Kate:
00:12:00.510 --> 00:12:01.010
How happy

00:12:02.030 --> 00:12:05.150
were you to have your parents,

00:12:05.150 --> 00:12:07.185
who have been in the restaurant business for

00:12:07.345 --> 00:12:08.325
so long and

00:12:08.705 --> 00:12:10.165
and beverages obviously

00:12:10.785 --> 00:12:12.305
are part of that. How,

00:12:13.265 --> 00:12:16.170
helpful were they to you? 

Alison:
00:12:16.230 --> 00:12:17.850
Helpful. Our mom, obviously, she's

00:12:18.310 --> 00:12:19.830
kind of more of the brains, I would

00:12:19.830 --> 00:12:22.250
say. She's more crunching the numbers.

00:12:23.505 --> 00:12:26.465
She thinks a lot more creatively and I

00:12:26.465 --> 00:12:28.305
don't know. And our dad, I mean, he's

00:12:28.305 --> 00:12:30.805
full-heartedly poured himself into this business.

Kate:
00:12:31.400 --> 00:12:33.100
Literally and figuratively. 

Alison:
00:12:34.040 --> 00:12:35.720
Literally. And he likes to give us all the credit,

00:12:35.720 --> 00:12:37.975
but there is definitely way more credit that

00:12:38.055 --> 00:12:39.815
goes his way and he needs to accept

00:12:39.815 --> 00:12:42.375
it for sure. When I say

00:12:42.375 --> 00:12:44.135
family business, like, it might be

00:12:44.135 --> 00:12:46.135
under our names, but they're definitely there.

Steven:
00:12:46.690 --> 00:12:48.010
It's all four of us. 

Alison:
It's all four of us,

00:12:48.010 --> 00:12:50.450
very much an all-four effort.

Steven:
00:12:50.450 --> 00:12:52.450
And with their experience, you can't replace

00:12:52.450 --> 00:12:54.370
it. Like you said, 25-plus years. I

00:12:54.370 --> 00:12:56.055
mean, me and her grew up in the

00:12:56.055 --> 00:12:58.295
Chop House down in Cleveland in, like, the

00:12:58.295 --> 00:13:00.295
office, just in a playpen because that's just

00:13:00.295 --> 00:13:01.895
how it was up to that point. 

Alison:
00:13:01.895 --> 00:13:03.575
Yeah. I played hide and seek. We played hide

00:13:03.575 --> 00:13:05.700
and seek after hours at Fleming's Steakhouse on

00:13:05.700 --> 00:13:08.340
Chagrin Boulevard. 

Kate:
00:13:08.420 --> 00:13:11.380
Nice location. 

Alison:
00:13:11.380 --> 00:13:13.300
Exactly. And, you know, the white tablecloth made it really

00:13:13.300 --> 00:13:14.925
nice to hide under tables. 

00:13:15.465 --> 00:13:16.985
But, yeah. I mean, that was just ...

00:13:16.985 --> 00:13:19.085
I always called restaurants, like, our playground,

00:13:19.145 --> 00:13:20.845
our version of it. So I

00:13:21.200 --> 00:13:23.700
wouldn't ever change it for a second, obviously.

00:13:24.000 --> 00:13:26.000
Our parents do work really, really hard.

Kate:
00:13:26.000 --> 00:13:28.000
Yeah. And they're great at what they do.

Alison:
00:13:28.000 --> 00:13:31.345
Agreed. Agreed. 

Kate:
00:13:31.345 --> 00:13:32.945
So, Steven, what about you? How have you what have 

00:13:32.945 --> 00:13:34.625
you learned? How have you grown?

Steven:
00:13:34.625 --> 00:13:37.105
I think it was like I mentioned earlier, it was the adaptability, really. Like,

00:13:37.105 --> 00:13:39.110
you know, when a problem arised, there was

00:13:39.110 --> 00:13:40.710
no choice of just kind of backing away.

00:13:40.710 --> 00:13:43.110
We had so much time, especially, invested in

00:13:43.110 --> 00:13:45.830
this. So it was really about finding those

00:13:45.830 --> 00:13:47.050
solutions and

00:13:47.765 --> 00:13:49.605
things like she

00:13:49.605 --> 00:13:51.445
was saying, that we never would have thought of. Just

00:13:51.445 --> 00:13:53.045
you need to figure it out on your

00:13:53.045 --> 00:13:54.965
own and even get crafty with it and

00:13:54.965 --> 00:13:56.645
for what you need to figure out. Like,

00:13:56.645 --> 00:13:57.385
if it was

00:13:57.910 --> 00:13:59.750
talking to the lawyer for four hours one

00:13:59.750 --> 00:14:02.570
day or, you know, going to our distributor

00:14:02.710 --> 00:14:04.630
and setting aside a space for us so

00:14:04.630 --> 00:14:06.950
that the Ohio Liquor Control would come in

00:14:06.950 --> 00:14:10.025
and approve the space. Just things that we had

00:14:10.025 --> 00:14:11.465
to kind of think on the fly, and it

00:14:11.465 --> 00:14:13.385
really has helped me, I feel like, be

00:14:13.385 --> 00:14:16.880
an adaptable human being. 

Kate:
00:14:16.880 --> 00:14:19.440
And you're going to Kent? 

Steven:
I am. Yes. 

Ke:at
00:14:19.440 --> 00:14:21.680
And that's also in marketing.  So do

00:14:21.680 --> 00:14:23.860
you feel that that's also helped your

00:14:24.805 --> 00:14:27.045
your line of work, that you want to

00:14:27.045 --> 00:14:28.105
go into? 

Steven:
00:14:28.485 --> 00:14:30.325
100% I think it's kind of made me even more

00:14:30.325 --> 00:14:33.125
confident being in, you know, on camera or

00:14:33.125 --> 00:14:35.600
with my voice over the mic, just stuff

00:14:35.600 --> 00:14:37.280
like that, you know. It'll help me going

00:14:37.280 --> 00:14:39.680
forward, at least with confidence and strategies and

00:14:39.680 --> 00:14:41.700
all that stuff. 

Kate:
00:14:42.025 --> 00:14:43.705
That's terrific. Was there anything else you'd like to say

00:14:43.705 --> 00:14:46.205
besides, of course, go to the website

00:14:46.345 --> 00:14:47.945
and do all that, and I'll have links.

00:14:47.945 --> 00:14:50.045
I can put all that in the description

00:14:50.185 --> 00:14:52.680
and all that kind of stuff. 

Alison:
00:14:52.680 --> 00:14:54.520
Yeah. I mean, other than everyone just go give

00:14:54.520 --> 00:14:56.600
it a try. It's really good. Again,

00:14:56.600 --> 00:14:58.680
it'll sneak up on you. Be careful. 

Kate:
00:14:58.680 --> 00:15:00.775
Right. And all those people who aren't in Ohio,

00:15:00.915 --> 00:15:03.075
when they're visiting, they can get them. 

Alison:
00:15:03.075 --> 00:15:05.395
Grab some, for sure. Go to an ACME or

00:15:05.395 --> 00:15:07.155
any of the other locations.

Kate:
00:15:07.670 --> 00:15:09.430
And some restaurants. It's interesting you

00:15:09.430 --> 00:15:12.150
do have some restaurants. 

Alison:
00:15:12.150 --> 00:15:14.070
Yes. And if you do visit Lager & Vine, we do sell

00:15:14.070 --> 00:15:15.590
them by the four-pack as well to

00:15:15.590 --> 00:15:18.075
go. We just can't sell our canned version

00:15:18.075 --> 00:15:19.915
within the restaurant. We have to make the

00:15:19.915 --> 00:15:22.955
actual drink just because liquor licenses can't overlap.

00:15:23.035 --> 00:15:24.955
But, yeah, you can definitely take

00:15:24.955 --> 00:15:26.640
a four-pack of either. 

Kate:
Oh, you can take them home. 

Alison:
00:15:26.640 --> 00:15:29.040
Yep. 

Kate:
00:15:29.040 --> 00:15:31.380
Oh, cool. And are they, the four-pack, all the same flavor?

Alison:
00:15:32.480 --> 00:15:34.475
Yes. So right now you just have

00:15:34.475 --> 00:15:36.155
to buy a four-pack of El Diablo

00:15:36.155 --> 00:15:38.235
or four-pack of pomegranate. They are

00:15:38.235 --> 00:15:38.735
$19.99.

Kate:
00:15:39.275 --> 00:15:42.075
Okay. And which one would you

00:15:42.075 --> 00:15:42.575
buy?

Alison:
00:15:42.900 --> 00:15:45.060
I'm an El Diablo person, but I'm

00:15:45.060 --> 00:15:48.100
bigger on tequila, which you've

00:15:48.100 --> 00:15:50.195
gotta have a taste for that. 

Steven:
00:15:50.275 --> 00:15:52.035
Funny enough, mine would be

00:15:52.035 --> 00:15:54.195
the pomegranate. And we've been doing tastings,

00:15:54.195 --> 00:15:55.715
like I did a tasting at Heinen's

00:15:55.715 --> 00:15:57.635
in Twinsburg a few weeks ago. It was

00:15:57.635 --> 00:15:59.740
nice to see that people had a different

00:15:59.740 --> 00:16:01.120
favorite, you know.

00:16:01.980 --> 00:16:03.420
I'd have one where it's like,

00:16:03.420 --> 00:16:05.020
"Oh, that El Diablo's way better." And then

00:16:05.020 --> 00:16:06.300
the next person would be like, "Oh, the

00:16:06.300 --> 00:16:08.300
pomegranate. That's that really speaks to me." So

00:16:08.300 --> 00:16:10.175
it just really nice. 

Kate:
00:16:10.175 --> 00:16:11.695
Oh, I love that. Well, I mean, I'll try one of

00:16:11.695 --> 00:16:13.935
those. Well, thank you so much for

00:16:13.935 --> 00:16:16.415
being on. This has been a pleasure talking with you both.

Alison:
00:16:16.415 --> 00:16:18.170
Yeah. Thank you for having us.

Steven:
00:16:18.170 --> 00:16:18.910
Yes.

Kate:
00:16:19.770 --> 00:16:22.830
This is Kate again. For more information about

00:16:22.890 --> 00:16:24.270
North Shore's Pomegranate

00:16:24.650 --> 00:16:25.150
Martini

00:16:25.635 --> 00:16:26.775
and El Diablo

00:16:27.235 --> 00:16:27.735
Margatini,

00:16:28.515 --> 00:16:30.615
please go to this episode's description.

00:16:31.475 --> 00:16:34.110
And to all, I hope you're having a

00:16:34.110 --> 00:16:35.250
refreshing summer.

00:16:36.190 --> 00:16:38.530
Thank you for listening to Everyday Creation.

00:16:39.150 --> 00:16:41.870
Please share this episode with anyone who might

00:16:41.870 --> 00:16:42.485
enjoy it.

People on this episode