The ELIXIR mixology competition at the Asheville Wine & Food Festival was stiff, but Noah Hermanson from Sunny Point Café came through as Runner Up to 2015 winner, Kala Brooks from Top of the Monk. This is an impressive feat being that Sunny Point Café is only in their first year of offering cocktails in their café. Noah has been a driving force behind the creation of exceptional mixed drinks at Sunny Point since they acquired their mixed beverage license in February of this year.
Noah’s secret? Just as with the food offerings at Sunny Point Café, use top quality ingredients, combine creatively and add individual flair.
Below are the four drinks that Noah mixed up at ELIXIR.
Elixir
⁓ a magical or medicinal potion ⁓
⁓ concoction, brew, philter, decoction, mixture ⁓
⁓ extract, essence, concentrate, distillate ⁓
Presented in Four Courses
AMUSE-BOUCHE
Classic Carolina Daiquiri
Muddy River Carolina Rum, fresh lime, lime oleo saccharum, with local North Carolina vermillion snapper ceviche
SALAD COURSE
Gin & Cucumber Borage Tonic
Cardinal Gin, fresh lime juice, garden cucumber and borage tonic, with Mexican sour gherkins and borage flowers
ENTRéE COURSE
Ox Heart Bloody Mary
Top of the Hill Vodka, stewed local organic heirloom paste tomatoes, beef reduction, fresh juices, horseradish, and Sunny Point Flair (SPF) the café’s own spicy sauce, with carpaccio and garden pickles
DESSERT COURSE
Roasted Peach Soda & Bourbon Vanilla Float
Troy & Sons Blond Whiskey infused baked peach soda, with bourbon vanilla ice cream and shaved butter cookies
Photo credit: Gin & Cucumber Borage Tonic with Sunny Point Garden sour gherkins. Courtesy of Sunny Point Café.