Central Standard Hosts April 14 Release Party for New Line of Pour Ready Premium Cocktails

On this year’s 414 Day, Central Standard will honor Milwaukee and bring to life the distillery’s “Crafted to Gather” mantra when co-founders Evan Hughes and Pat McQuillan host a release party for their new Pour Ready Premium Cocktails, the first-ever line of craft, Midwest-made ready-to-pour cocktails.

“There’s no better way to honor and celebrate all that Milwaukee is than by raising a glass of a new locally-made product,” McQuillan said. “On 414, every Milwaukeean is a VIP and we can’t wait to unveil our first two Pour Ready Premium Cocktails to the world right here in our hometown.”

The release party will be at Central Standard’s Crafthouse & Kitchen, 320 E. Clybourn St. in downtown Milwaukee, on April 14 from 4 – 6 p.m. At the event, there will be a free toast of the first two cocktails in the new product line, the Pour Ready Door County Cherry Vodka Lemonade and the Pour Ready Door County Cherry Vodka Mule.

“For us, there is so much to celebrate this April 14 – Warmer weather, the return of baseball to Milwaukee, locally-crafted cocktails, and of course, finally being able to offer everyone in Milwaukee a taste of our new Pour Ready Premium Cocktails,” Hughes said.

With the launch of the Pour Ready Premium Cocktail line, Hughes and McQuillan are out to elevate the booming ready-to-drink category by adding a handmade, locally craft twist.

“Our new Pour Ready Premium Cocktails are true game-changing products,” McQuillan said. “We aren’t just unveiling a great tasting new beverage, we are introducing a whole new category to the industry: Ready to Pour Craft Cocktail. Think of our new Pour Ready Premium Cocktails as the convergence of ready-to-drink convenience with the handcrafted quality and elevated ingredients you’d receive from a veteran bartender at our Crafthouse here in Milwaukee.”

The Pour Ready products honor Central Standard’s commitment to support local Midwest organizations. Each bottle is handcrafted in Milwaukee with our famous Door County Cherry Vodka, sourced from cherries right in Door County, Wisconsin. The Pour Ready Door County Cherry Vodka Lemonade is made from 100% organic lemon juice and botanicals, and the Pour Ready Door County Cherry Vodka Mule combines Central Standard’s Door County Cherry Vodka with organic ginger juice and lime juice. It’s a perfect blend of ginger spiciness with the cool refreshment of cherries and lime.

Pour Ready Premium Cocktails from Central Standard Distillery are 15% ABV, 30 proof and will hit retail shelves starting in April. Each 750-ml bottle makes about four cocktails. We have also created 1.75L unbreakable bottles to ensure you don’t run out of Pour Ready at your tailgate, beach, or backyard party.

“They’re smooth, balanced and refreshing, no matter the weather or time of year,” Hughes added. “We can’t wait for folks to come out to the Crafthouse on Milwaukee Day for a free first taste.”

Back in August, Hughes and McQuillan opened their Central Standard Crafthouse & Kitchen, the Midwest’s first new urban distillery and restaurant.

The distillery’s new home, complete with a tasting room, tour operation, restaurant, private-events space and rooftop patio, replaced the formerly vacant Wisconsin Leather Building, which was built in 1874 and remains one of the oldest structures in downtown Milwaukee. In addition, the 11,700-square-foot, three-story Crafthouse & Kitchen houses a 100-gallon pot still that will produce all spirits served and sold on site.

Central Standard Craft Distillery, a small batch, craft distillery in Milwaukee and the fastest growing top-10 Wisconsin-based distiller, handcrafts award-winning, bourbon, whiskey, vodka and gin from locally sourced ingredients. Founded in 2014, Central Standard spirits have won 37 medals across multiple categories for their craft distilling.

Central Standard’s portfolio of premium spirits includes Red Cabin Bourbon, Door County Cherry Vodka and North Wisconsin Brandy*. Door County Cherry Vodka is a blend of Central Standard’s award-winning 100% handcrafted vodka infused with Door County cherries, which are mellowed with a touch of local-harvested, fresh honey. North Brandy, which is handmade in small batches and aged for a minimum of two years, is finished in Central Standard bourbon barrels. Red Cabin Bourbon is aged to perfection and then finished in California Cabernet wine barrels. Thanks to the red-wine-barrel-finishing, Red Cabin Bourbon – which won a Gold Medal at the Los Angeles International Wine and Spirits competition in 2019, delivers a complex-yet-approachable taste.

“When you think of our entire lineup – Door County Cherry Vodka, North Brandy and Red Cabin: They’re all perfectly handcrafted for enjoying here in the Midwest or wherever your travels take you,” McQuillan concluded.  

* You must be 21-years-of-age or older and a fan of great craft cocktails to enjoy. Please drink responsibly.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.