Milwaukee-based Central Standard Craft Distillery owners Pat McQuillan, Evan Hughes and Jim Kanter have announced the expansion of their successful Pour Ready Premium Cocktail line with the addition of Red Cabin Lemon Honey Bourbon Smash and Red Cabin Peach Bourbon Smash Cocktails.
Additionally, Red Cabin earned a Gold Medal and received a 93-point score at the prestigious Los Angeles Invitational Wine and Spirits Challenges. Judges in the invite-only competition called the Wisconsin-made spirit, which is aged to perfection and then finished in Cabernet wine barrels from California, “rich, complex, with layer of oak and hints of caramel and cocoa.”
“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 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.”
The Red Cabin Lemon Honey Bourbon Smash and Red CabinPeach Bourbon Smash join the original premium cocktails in the lineup of Pour Ready Door County Cherry Vodka Lemonadeand the Pour Ready Door County Cherry Vodka Mule, which launched 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,” McQuillan said. “There’s no pealing, measuring or shaking required, simply pour our Pour Ready Premium Cocktails over ice for the perfect cocktail every pour.”
From a business perspective, Hughes, McQuillan and Kanter formulated the Pour Ready line specifically for consumers who crave craft quality and the convenience of ready to drink options.
“For us, it all boils down to our tagline of ‘craft, convenient and cooler ready,’” Kanter said. “With our new Pour Ready Premium Cocktails, you can turn your home, your backyard, the beach or anywhere – or any occasion – into your very own Crafthouse & Kitchen. It’s like having a bartender in each bottle.”
The two new Pour Ready Premium Cocktails, which are 15% ABV and 30 proof, hit retail shelves starting in April. All four cocktails come in unbreakable 750-ml and 1.75L bottles to fit any occasion.