Fruity, inventive libations are welcome no matter the weather. But in the dead of winter, a trek to one’s local craft-cocktail watering hole can sometimes be a bridge too far. That’s where Wolf Moon mixers come in.
The fresh-fruit concoctions are the creation of husband-and-wife team Steve and Dorota Coy, in partnership with McClure’s Pickles. The all-natural mixers eschew syrupy additives and currently come in five distinctive flavors: Hibiscus Margarita, Watermelon Mint, Cucumber Basil, Citrus Margarita, and Carrot Ginger.
“Steve and I have been making fresh juice for the last 10 years — we just started putting alcohol in it,” Dorota Coy says. “No one’s really done drinking mixers, and people are asking for healthier, fresher stuff.”
The couple approached Joe McClure, McClure’s co-owner, about producing their mixers. It seemed like a good pairing: McClure’s had the space — in 2012 they moved into a 20,000-square-foot facility in Detroit — and the know-how. Its Bloody Mary mix is available in every major U.S. city, along with London, Toronto, and Australia.
“I though fresh-fruit juice mixers was an awesome idea, and fit perfectly,” McClure says. “We’re looking to branch out, to fill line time, and we have the infrastructure built for distribution and the supply chain.”
McClure says the company is producing about 30 cases of Wolf Moon mixers each week and is tweaking the labor-intensive production process to enable more. Shipping via mcclurespickles.com was slated to begin in January.
The reasonably priced mixers ($9.50 retail) started selling at Eastern Market and at Hugh in Midtown in the fall. Hugh’s owner, Joe Posch, says the mixers “have been flying out of here.
“One of the great things about the attention that’s being paid to cocktail craftsmanship is people are using better ingredients,” Posch says. “Wolf Moon is unique, it’s well considered, and it’s fun.”
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