Local Gift Idea: Eli Mason (+ a giveaway!)

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I looked at my calendar this morning and panicked a little when I realized that Christmas is only 4 weeks away- eek! I don’t love to shop, so I am currently full of anxiety. Anyone else with me? I’m determined to make the next few weeks as easy and anxiety-free as possible, so I’ve decided to go with a theme for pretty much everyone on my list. The theme? Buy Local.

Today marks the beginning of a series of posts on some of my favorite Nashville-made products that I’ll be gifting this holiday season. Hopefully I’ll share something new that you’ve never seen before, or at least remind you of some great items that are made right here in our area.

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Orange Crush Cocktail by Leah of So, How’s It Taste?

First up- Eli Mason Cocktail Mixers!

As I think you know, I love a good cocktail. I’m not usually one for pre-made syrups and mixers, but when I tried Eli Mason for the first time, I was thoroughly impressed. Their motto is “Spirit Forward”, which means they believe in creating cocktails that highlight the spirit used instead of trying to cover it up. As their website states: “We use only the finest ingredients like pure cane sugar, fresh mint, and organic gum arabic from the acacia tree to craft our products. It’s like having a bartender in a bottle.”

A couple of my food blogger friends have been just as impressed with Eli Mason syrups as I have been. My friend Leah over at So, How’s It Taste made a tasty Orange Crush Cocktail recently with their grenadine and declared it the best tasting grenadine she’s ever had!

amaretto-southern

 Amaretto Southern by Southern Fatty

Southern Fatty (aka Phillip) created an Amaretto Southern using Eli Mason’s Gomme Syrup. Phillip is one of my favorite food and drink bloggers, so I trust his opinion (probably because we seem to have similar tastes). When he says the gomme syrup was the perfect addition to keep his drink smooth, I believe it.

In addition to the Gomme Syrup and Classic Grenadine that I’ve mentioned, Eli Mason also makes a Mint Julep and Old Fashioned Mixer as well as Demerera and Rich Simple Syrups. For those of you here in Nashville, you can find locations to purchase on their website. For those that are not from around here, they sell online too!

 

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Before you go and make your purchase though, why not try to win this fabulous giveaway I’ve got for you?! Eli Mason is going to generously provide one of my lucky readers with the awesome gift box shown above. The box includes 1 bottle of Classic Grenadine, 1 bottle of Mint Julep Mixer, a stainless steel jigger, and a handmade ceramic “Spirit Forward” flask. The flask is one of only seven ever made! The flask alone would retail for $40, so the combined total value of this pack is around $68.

~Giveaway~

~ Contest Closed ~

And the winner is…..

#36 Brandon

To enter, all you have to do is this:

Mandatory

1. Leave a comment telling me what cocktail you’d mix up at home using one of Eli Mason’s fab syrups.

For up to 2 additional entries, you can do either or both of the following. Note: You must leave a separate comment for each optional entry.

2. Follow me on Twitter (@betheats) and tweet “Time to start mixing up cocktails for the holidays! Win an @EliMasonSyrups gift set from @betheats — enter here: http://bit.ly/1xUPSeS”, then leave a comment telling me you’ve done so.

3. Like Eli Mason on Facebook and come back and tell me you did so (or just tell me you already do if that’s the case!)

 

Contest ends on Sunday, November 30th at noon CST. Once the winner is chosen, I’ll make contact via email and post the name here on the blog. If they don’t respond within 48 hours, I’ll be forced to choose another, so be sure to check your email! Note: winner must provide an address to ship to within the contiguous United States.

 

Photo Credits: Orange Crush Cocktail by Leah Short and Amaretto Southern by Phillip Fryman