When temperatures rise, many people start reaching for the summer cocktail recipe books to create cold and refreshing adult beverages to quench their thirsts at parties and gatherings. While locally-made spirits have become all the rage in recent years, Root 23 wants customers to think local when it comes to the mixers too.
The company launched last summer (you can reach all about it in this profile at TheMetropreneur.com) when locals Barb Stauffer and Leah Monaghan noticed that their simple syrup flavors designed for popsicles actually tasted pretty good when mixed into cocktail recipes. The original launch lineup of four flavors (Sea Salt Caramel, Cucumber Habanero, Grapefruit Basil and Vanilla Ginger) has now been expanded to include three more: Pear Rosemary, Cherry Almond and Blueberry Mint.
While bottles of Root 23 can be found all around Columbus in stores including Weiland’s Market and The Market Italian Village, the owners will be mixing up “mocktail” samples in person at the upcoming Healthy Bites event on Friday, July 29th from 6pm to 9pm at The Columbus Museum of Art.
“We’ll be making a mocktail using our Pear Rosemary Syrup,” said Stauffer. “It will be a refreshing summer mocktail including our syrup, lemonade and club soda. If people want to replicate it as a cocktail at home they can simply add vodka or gin, and garnish with lemon slice and rosemary sprig.”
Healthy Bites will take place from 6pm-9pm at the newly renovated Columbus Museum of Art. Advanced tickets are $30 and will include food samples, live entertainment, participatory yoga demos by Art of Yoga, admission to the current exhibits at The Columbus Museum of Art and a cash bar.
Featured food vendors include Fusian, Root 23, Pocket Produce, Gluten & Grain Free Gourmet, CoffeeFit Bar, Banana Leaf, Krazy Kraut, Zest Juice Co., Food for Good Thought, Snowville Creamery, Darista Dips, Native Cold Press, Acre and more to be announced before the event!
A portion of the proceeds from all ticket sales will be donated to The Godman Guild. The Columbus Underground Best Bites event series have collectively raised over $16,000 for local charities since August 2014, with a goal of raising $20,000 for local charities in 2016.