The Hacienda Patron Experience (Part 1)
If any of you know the Cocktail Bandits, you know that our first love is tequila. It is the reason why we created the brand. For the last 3 years, we have been studying/tasting different tequilas, learning about the tequila culture and making our own fun tequila cocktails. We were praying for a way to get down there to learn more and were so thrilled that our prayers were answered when the USBG- Charleston as well as the Hacienda Patron Academy gave us the opportunity of a lifetime! They invited us to Mexico!
For 2016, the #HaciendaPatron and USBG partnered up and are inviting top USBG bartenders from around the U.S. to visit their distillery. The mission: to learn the whole tequila process, and show why Patron is a great tequila company in Mexico.
Day 1
When we first landed in Guadalajara, we were greeted by Chris Spake, the Director of Brand Education at Patron. We then traveled to the Westin Hotel, which was fabulous and our view of Guadalajara was amazing. Once everyone was settled we all loaded back on the bus, and went to this popular market area called Tlaquepaque Centro. There were shops, outside vendors, restaurants, and other tourist-like attractions. It’s was beautiful. 
We were excited to find a pulqueria, (tavern that sells pulque) so we all stopped in to get a drink. Pulque is a milky, foamy, alcoholic beverage native to Mexico that is made from agave sap; very similar to tequila and mezcal, but lower in alcohol content. It tasted like a sour beer and came in different favors like strawberry and even mascarpone.
Later, we went to this beautiful restaurant, Casa Luna, and they prepared an 8 course dinner for us! They showered us with wonderful live music, delicious food, and great Patron cocktails. The highlight of the evening was when they opened the top of the restaurant and we could see the stars. It was unbelievable! After dinner, we all returned to the hotel, to get rest and prepare for the next morning.
DAY 2
The next morning, we woke up to a decked out, Patron Charter Bus that took us 2 hours away to Atotonilco el Alto, the home of Hacienda Patron. As soon we were getting closer to Patron, we saw these huge fields of agave plants. There were also other tequila distilleries in the area.
Jose Antonio Rodriguez Castillo from Patron was there to greet us and inform us on what we would should expect before we went to see the distillery. He was extremely knowledgeable about the full Patron tequila making process.
He explained that tequila is made from 100% blue agave. Agave is a succulent plant, that takes about 6-8 years to grow and be used in tequila production. Its extremely important in Mexico because it is the base and most important ingredient in tequila, and tequila production is essential for their economy.
Jose also talked about Master Distiller, Francisco Alcaraz, who has been in the tequila industry for decades. He created the first batch of Patron in 1989. Francisco’s handcrafted method for tequila has always used 100% agave. The unique thing about Patron was that the distiller used a centuries old method called the “Tahona”, and blended it with the more modern tequila making method called “Roller Mill.” We were excited to see both methods and tour the distillery.
Tea Time with Cocktail Bandits
Take a tour from eastern China all the way to Wadmalaw, South Carolina in this afternoon session on tea and Charleston culture. Learn about the history of tea and how it ended up a staple in Charleston homes. Taste craft cocktails from the Cocktail Bandits and find out new ways to enjoy an old favorite. Plus local Tea Time treats will transport you to England and back! #CharlestonTea
Satisfy Your Thirst SC -Lowcountry
Our last region for that Satisfy Your Thirst tour was the Lowcountry. The Lowcountry consists of Bluffton, Hilton Head Island, and Ridgeland. The area is so beautiful, and historic; it really makes you appreciate this beautiful state as well as this amazing tour. We were able to find some really cool spots to check out on the app.
SOUTHERN BARRELL BREW CO.
Our first stop i
n the Lowcountry for the SYT SC tour was at Southern Barrel Brew Co. It is Bluffton’s first brewery, beer garden, and Tavern. Their menu is always seasonal and local, and most of it includes their fresh beer that’s brewed every day. They say that their “food is crafted with beer in mind”, and we have to agree. Their bar food was amazing and have a great selection of beer. We had a few flights and realized that most of their beers we IPAs: light, and hoppy.
Southern Barrel got its name from the region (Southern), and the process where beer is aged in wine, or whiskey (barrels) to get a unique flavor. All of their beers are brewed and canned in-house. They have only been open for a year so it will be exciting to see how they evolve. They conduct tours daily, so check out their cool new brewery and all they do at www.southernbarrelbrewingco.com.
ISLAND WINERY
In Hilton head, we found this cute winery and had to include it on our tour. It is called Island Winery, and it’s been in the lowcountry for over 10 years. The owners have a vineyard in New York and decided to bring to concept to Hilton Head because there were no wineries there.
They use a variety of grapes for their wines. They get grapes from 12 different states, crush them, and then bottle the finished product here in South Carolina. We appreciate the fact that they are also experimenting with other fruit; making wines with blueberries, peaches, and, of course, muscadines. They even have a margarita wine, (don’t ask us how), but it is one of their best sellers, and it tasted great. Their tasting room was beautiful and the staff and owners were very hospitable and knowledgeable. Please visit this little gem at www.islandwinery.com, and let them Satisfy your thirst, SC.
DAUFAUSKI ISLAND RUM COMPANY
The The last, and most memorable location of our satisfy your thirst tour was Daufauski Island Rum Company, on Daufauski Island. This island is 20 minutes away from Hilton Head Island. We had to take a ferry to get there and it was so worth it.
The island was beautiful. We were greeted by Mrs. Chase, (wife of owner) and she walked us up to her golf cart. That’s right. They only drove golf carts on this island, there are no cars. We love how everyone greeted each other as they passed driving down the road, the Island is only 5 miles long , and 2 miles wide.
When we got to the distillery we saw that it was a massive space. We later found out that Tony Chase (owner), along with others on the Island, built the distillery themselves. We thought that was incredible! Tony told us about how all of the ladies on the island got together and would cook lunch for them everyday until they completed finished the project. We loved that teamwork. He proudly states that every piece of material he used to build his distillery is from USA. You can also say that about his rum. Tony was an army kid and wanted everything to come from the States, so he made sure EVERYTHING, the equipment, ingredients, and all of his products come from U.S.A. and we appreciate that.
Tony is a purist. His rum only uses natural products. He uses Demerara Sugar because it’s brown and produces a rich rum flavor. His spiced rum uses actual cinnamon and isn’t super sweet. The favorite of the day was a vanilla rum that was steeped with a real vanilla bean from Florida.
We were in awe of the history of Daufuskie Island. It was on of the first Islands that slaves inhabited, and they still have remnants of the old slave homes made out of oyster shells and paste. Because it’s so far away from the mainland, the Gullah culture is still very prominent there. It’s a beautiful place and we learned about much more than rum. It was the perfect way to end the Satisfy Your Thirst tour. We recommend everyone check out the island and the distillery at www.daufuskierum.com.
This tour was an amazing, eye opening experience. We learned so much in the 10 days we traveled around the state. We saw juiceries, wineries, breweries, and distilleries that are SC made. Now to get ready to apply what we learned to our own cocktails for ATL Food and Wine.
Satisfy Your Thirst SC Tour – Columbia
Columbia was the next stop of our SYT SC tour. Columbia has fewer places on the app but they have a growing beverage community that will be as big as Charleston or Greenville very soon! Their up and coming beer scene is something the we are excited about!
OLD MILL BREW PUB
The SYT SC app led us to Lexington, SC to a distillery that was washed away last year from the horrible flooding from Hurricane Joaquin. We were so lucky to go there because we found a great pub nearby called Old Mill Brew Pub. It is an awesome micro brewery that made a few beers in house, but also carried an enormous local and regional beer selection.
Their master brewer Matt Rodgers, who calls himself, the “Beerded Farmer”, has the largest hops farm in SC. He has had it for 10 years and told us that he gives his hops to local brewers in SC, most times, for free. Matt will be opening his own brewery later this year and we can’t wait to go back to Columbia and try out his beer. This location was not on the app, but they create and support SC made beer. It was a perfect alternative and was very close to the distillery that had washed away. They even had some Moonshine from the distillery. We appreciated all of their hospitality.
RIVER RAT BREWING
The next stop on the Satisfy Your Thirst app was River Rat Brewing. River Rat Brewing got its name from the three rivers that run through Columbia, and “river rats” were the blue collar workers that work in the canal, over 100 years ago. In 2013, with those workers in mind, River Rat wanted to create a brewery that made “craft beers that would satisfy anyone after a long day’s work.” That’s exactly what they did.
They have some very delicious beer and we loved their story. We were allowed to tour the brewery to see behind the scenes as well. River Rat has a great outside area, and it’s really close to the University of South Carolina. There were a few students out back with their dogs. We loved this place and think that it’s a great stop if you’re ever In the area. Tour the brewery at info@riverratbrewing.com.
CONQUEST BREWING
A few miles down the street, we stumbled in to another craft brewery that was on the SYT SC app, called Conquest Brewing. Conquest Brewing is focused on making really great craft beer. If Game of Thrones had its own brewery; it would be Conquest. The names of all of the beer are “mid evil-ish”, and all of their taps are swords. So cool.
The evening that we went there, Conquest was having their weekly trivia night. It was very communal setting, the “brew tender”, named Wilson, was a classmate of ours and the host of trivia. He ordered pizza for everyone, and we had a few flights to sample. After everyone was fed, Wilson gave us tour around the back and got the chance to see the area where all of the brewery magic happens. It’s a cool place, that is owned by locals, drank by locals, and loved by locals. For more info on Conquest Brewing: www.conquestbrewing.com.
SOUTHERN SQUEEZED JUICERY
Before leaving Columbia, and after enjoying all the delicious beer, we had to find a juicery. We found one that was very close to our hotel called Southern Squeezed Juicery. Southern Squeezed is owned by a husband and wife team and located downtown. They were the first juicery in Columbia, and their mission is to “encourage a clean, healthy lifestyle by providing great tasting, nutrient-rich juices that nourish the body.” Their juice is amazing.
Katie, the owner, told us that they give all of their fruit and veggie pulp to farmers to feed their chickens; and the farmers give them fresh eggs to sell in the store. We love that type of community support. Check out more about Southern Squeezed Juicery at www.southernsqueezedjuicery.com
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Satisfy Your Thirst SC Tour – Greenville
The upstate was a pleasant surprise for us on this tour. We did not know that so many cool and innovative things were happening there, in the food and beverage scene. There were a plethora of locations on that Satisfy Your Thirst app, but in the small time we had were only able to go to eight different places. Let's get started!
DISTILLERIES
DARK CORNER DISTILLERY
The first location that the app led us to once we got to Greenville, was Dark Corner Distillery. Dark Corner got their name from the corners of the four states; Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina and Georgia it was notorious for illegal moonshining back in the day. Roxy and her husband started this distillery to create moonshine.
They also distill the first bourbon that was ever created in South Carolina, and currently have a new whiskey line exclusively marketed to women called Whiskey Girl. It is the lightly flavored whiskey made with the female palate in mind. They also makes few flavored white whiskeys, which are unique because they are not aged in oak barrels to get that dark brown color. They are currently building another facility in Hilton Head that should be opening soon. You can check out more about Dark Corner at their website at www.darkcornerdistillery.com.
SIX AND TWENTY DISTILLERY
The next up on the Satisfy Your Thirst Tour was Six & Twenty Distillery in Powdersville, South Carolina. Farmer and David, are some amazing guys who pride themselves in being a “grain to glass” production. That basically means that everything that is used in their spirits, is grown in our beautiful state. They make whiskey, gin, vodka, and bourbon. They actually have a bourbon that has 5 grains from the upstate, Midlands, and the Lowcountry.
Their entire distillation process is done at their distillery… Even the bottling. We even had the privilege of tasting some of the mash, which is the fermented grains juice that is made before distillation. These guys are fun, smart, and really enjoy but they are doing. And that’s what it’s all about! Please visit them on their website at www.sixandtwentydistillery.com.
BREWERIES
UPSTATE CRAFT BREW CO.
Upstate Craft Beer Co. was an amazing microbrewery and an even better experience. Their concept is pretty cool too and it’s the only establishment of its kind in South Carolina. They are “Greenville’s unique brewpub combining a nano brewery, taproom, home brew shop and U-Brew on premise.” Customers can come in, consult with a brewmaster, make their own craft beer recipe, let it ferment for a few weeks, then keg their beer and take it home. Home brewers can purchase materials for their own beer projects at home.
They are also doing some really cool things with the beer, using unconventional ingredients like beets! We tried a beet beer and it was a beautiful color and a very interesting taste. We can’t wait to go back and make our own beer recipe. They experiment often and change their taps on a regular basis. Their bar food was pretty tasty as well. Those guys are doing some great things there and we love their story. They were just some young guys that wanted to work for themselves and provide opportunities for others in the process. We are inspired and excited to see what else they come up with! Visit their place and check out their website. www.upstatecraftbeer.com.
THOMAS CREEK BREWING
The next brewery that the Satisfy Your Thirst app led us to in the upstate, was Thomas Creek brewery. Thomas Creek is the second oldest sustainable brewery in the Carolinas, it is 18 years old. Thomas Creek is also a home to smaller breweries. The product is made in warehouse with the brewmasters recipes. Thomas Creek brewing is an example of how an idea can become a huge production. This small business also shows us how to bring the family together, because the father/son duo has never been closer than they are now. They are a well know brand that continues to cultivate and innovate, not to mention make fantastic beer. Their flagship beer is their Red Ale, but they also have cool flavors like peanut butter. The facility is nice, but the people are even nicer. Please go check this awesome place at www.thomascreekbeer.com.
SWAMP RABBIT BREWERY
Swamp Rabbit Brewery is located in Travelers Rest, South Carolina. They pride themselves on creating craft beer that ” captures the local heart and soul of their community.” It’s a cool fun place, that serves delicious beer, has wonderful outside seating, and a food truck was on location if anyone is hungry. A fun fact about Swamp Rabbit is that they have LED lights that shine on the stills at night, they change colors too! They were so cool! We love that the Satisfy Your Thirst app led us to this laid back, chill, community gem. They don’t mind giving a tour of the space either. To visit, and/or learn more about their story at www.theswamprabbitbrewery.com.
JUICERIES
Thankfully, the SYT app showed more than places where one can get any creative. They have also told you about other places that way I can taste drinks that do not contain alcohol. In the upstate there are a number of creameries that supply milk and dairy to the rest of the state but, we didn’t have a chance to check them out we did however, get the check out two great juiceries: KUKA Juice, and Southern Pressed Juicery.
KUKA JUICE
KUKA Juice was such a cute place in the upstate. Samantha let a sample all of the juices and told us that they were the first cold pressed juicery in South Carolina. They got the name from the goddess of health and joy when they went to Colombia for an excursion a few years ago. Her name was KUKA mama. They saw how healthy and fresh everything was there and wanted to bring that type of juicing back to South Carolina. They started off selling juices at the Farmer’s market, and now they have their own store.
A fun fact about KUKA Juice is that Sam is also dating the master distiller from Dark Corner Distilling! We love that connection! To learn more about KUKA Juicery please check them out at www.kukajuice.com.
SOUTHERN PRESSED JUICERY
Southern Pressed Juicery, located in downtown Greenville, is a 100% organic, raw, coldpressed juice shop; with superfood smoothies,energy bowls, and plant-based foods. They offer a cleanses, smoothies, and health food options that will make you feel better from the inside out. SPJ makes pure juice; they don’t process or pasteurize and never add anything extra. We tried about five different juices, and everything was so fresh and clean. They also use a few of their juices for cocktails! We absolutely love that! It was the perfect way to Satisfy Our Thirst after a long day of “drink touring.” Lol!! Please check them out at www.southernpressedjuicery.com
Our time in Greenville with the SYT tour finally came to an end. Now we’re taking our talents, as well as our thirst off to Columbia!! Cheers Greenville! Until next time…..
Vintage + Vodka
Ex Voto Vintage paired our Cathead Vodka + Bittermilk cocktail with a gorgeous Rose necklace. Get the entire recipe and a little about The Southern C on their blog!
Satisfy Your Thirst SC Tour – Charleston (cont)
FIREFLY DISTILLERY
Our next stop, on the Satisfy Your Thirst Tour, was our beloved Firefly! Firefly Distillery was founded on Wadmalaw Island, 30 minutes away from Charleston, South Carolina. The owners and founders, Jim Irvine and Scott Newitt came up with the insane idea to build a distillery in the country. They lobbied in Columbia, SC and got laws changed so that distilling and production was affordable and legal in the state. They decided to name their distillery Firefly because fireflies are magical and they’re a nostalgic staple in the south.
Firefly became the world’s first sweet tea vodka, and South Carolina’s first distillery giving the state the opportunity to distill and curate more spirits. They even get their tea from Charleston Tea Plantation; the oldest and ONLY tea plantation in SC.
Firefly produces several types of spirits. They have vodka, rum, whiskey, moonshine, an array of cordials and now a bourbon. We were blessed to be able to sample the bourbon that will be coming out February 2017. Yumm! We also had an amazing time “working” on the production line; but we’ll leave that hard labor to the professionals!
When you visit Firefly Distillery, you will be able to learn about the distillation process and to meet Scott and Jim. They also have a number of tours available if you want to check out their fabulous operation. You can check it out at www.fireflyspirits.com.
DEEP WATER VINEYARDS
The next location on the Satisfy Your Thirst tour is Deep Water Vineyards… which used to be Irving House Wines, owned by Firefly Distillery. The new owners Andrea and Jesse told us that they always wanted to have a vineyard. When they moved to the south, a few friends saw that the property was for sale and dared them to purchase it from Irving House. So they decided to take that chance, moved their family to Wadmalaw Island, and actually have their own vineyard. They said that it’s an exciting, new, overwhelming experience…. And, sometimes, they feel like they’re in “Deep Water” with this new venture.
Deep Water also has a deeper meaning for the co owners/couple. They feel like the name embodies their view of life; jump in the deep waters and know that you have done something bigger than yourself.
Jesse and Andrea are currently in the process of re-branding all of their wine. We are excited to see what they do with the yummy muscadine wine that they produce. The muscadine grape is the only TRUE native grape in the U.S. and Deep Water is Charleston, South Carolina’s ONLY vineyard and winery.
The wines vary in color, flavor, and sweetness. We can’t wait to go back and see what else they have done with the space! They have daily tastings at the vineyard. Please check out their amazing story and schedule a take a look at their tour times at www.deepwatervinyard.com.
Now, on our way to Greenville…. Cheers and #satisfyyourthirstSC!
Satisfy Your Thirst SC Promo Tour – Charleston
STRIPED PIG DISTILLERY
Our first stop on the Satisfy Your Thirst PROMO tour, was Striped Pig Distillery located right here in North Charleston, South Carolina. We were excited about this location, because this was the first distillery the we visited when we became the Cocktail Bandits.
Striped Pig is about three years old, and they make several different spirits: rum, vodka, moonshine, whiskey, a spiced rum and our favorite, Gin! Johnny Pieper, one of the owners and master distiller, is our favorite person ever! He started because he saw a need in the Charleston market for local booze production and he wanted to fill that spirit void in the city. That’s when he partnered with a few other gentlemen, built the distillery, and named it Striped Pig. The striped pig was a false advertisement from a rum seller before prohibition period. It was painted on a flag to get customers interested into seeing it. They would pay a few coins in see the “striped pig” and would be rewarded with a glass of rum. Striped Pig Distillery was to engage its customers the same way and reward them with top notch spirits.
Striped Pig is now sold all over the country, as well as internationally. Striped Pig has a grain to glass process. They get their seeds from Myers Farm in Bowman SC, and the complete the mash creation, fermentation, distillation, and bottling in house. You can visit Striped Pig Distillery on Thursdays and Fridays; from 3 PM to 7 PM, and Saturdays from 12 PM to 5 PM. Please go check them out and tell them that the Bandits sent you! You can check out their website at www.stripedpigdistillery.com. Now on our way to the next stop on the SYT tour. Cheers!
HOLY CITY BREWING
Holy City Brewery was our next stop on the Satisfy Your Thirst SC promotional tour. Holy City was created by 4 young men who worked a rickshaw company. During the slower months of tourism, they decided to home brew beers. Eventually, they opened Holy City brewery in North Charleston and it has been a popular hub every since.
They have a lot of seasonal beers and they also have their staples which are a hoppy Pilsner and a Pluff Mud Porter that is a personal favorite. They have a kitchen now and the food is phenomenal “bar food”. They even have wings that are tossed in a Pluff Mud BBQ sauce. It’s AMAZING!! If you have never been to Holy City Brewing, please visit for a tour and check out their website at www.holycitybrewing.com. Now… Off to the next location. Cheers!
The Satisfy Your Thirst SC PROMO Tour
South Carolina is a state rich in history and culture. The Satisfy Your Thirst SC app was created by SC Parks Recreation and Tourism to show people how to travel around our beautiful state, and enjoy our delicious libations. By libations, we don’t only mean cocktails, beer, and things that place you under the influence; but anything that is produced in South Carolina, that we can drink.
The app showed us how to find creameries, juiceries, sodas, breweries, wineries, and of course, distilleries that produce products that are made and drank locally.
The Cocktail Bandits were more than excited to travel around the state, using the SYT app to find different cocktails and places to drink. Join us in the summary of our #satisfyyourthirstSC drink tour across state… Hope you’re thirsty!!
Bubbly enthusiast and food blogger @basilandbubbly photographed our experience filming #MoveableFeast for national PBS. Read her blog to learn more about our curator Charleston feast!
http://basilandbubbly.com/2016/05/moveable-feast-cocktail-bandits/
