holly + flora

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The Storm Cellar

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// hello //

I’m Jayme, a sommelier-turned-farmer, and I live in a small town out on Colorado’s Western Slope. My husband and I own and work on a vineyard together, where we make high-elevation white wine and rosé, under our label, The Storm Cellar. I share my cocktail explorations, travel stories, vineyard life, and wine musings here at holly & flora.

You can read a little more about me here.

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I’m thrilled that spirit-free cocktails are havi I’m thrilled that spirit-free cocktails are having their well-deserved moment in restaurants, home bars, and publications. It’s long overdue but very much appreciated. • I get excited when my friend Stephen (@stephenroehler 👋🏼) stops by the tasting room. I get to be creative, since he doesn’t drink. Non-alcoholic cocktails have come a long way since the basic (and cloyingly sweet 😝), syrupy, fruit-and-soda concoctions. • How can you make a better spirit-free drink? • Here are my five favorite tips - - - • 1️⃣ Bring the bitter and tannic. 🤩 Don’t shy away from making a strong-brewed tea or using a bitter amaro-like non-alcoholic spirit. Just like a regular, boozy cocktail, the bitter brings the flavor-and-texture backbone. • 2️⃣ Don’t 86 the sugar. 🤩 Make a few simple syrups and infuse them with seasonal fruits and herbs. Just a 1/2 ounce or so will bring texture, flavor, and depth to your NA drink. • 3️⃣ Remember the acid balance. 🤩 Citrus is your friend. Keep fresh lemons and limes on hand and use them to bring a bright kick of flavor and brightness. • 4️⃣ Think — TEXTURE. 🤩 Alcohol imbues weight and texture to cocktails, so to make a complex and compelling cocktail, sans spirits, you have to make up that weight, somehow. Strong-brewed tea, kombucha, or a well-made spirit-free distillate is your friend. • 5️⃣ Find some solid NA spirits with which to experiment. 🤩 My top three spirit-free distillates are @wilderton_free (innovative, complex), @seedlipdrinks (the OG, fresh and lively), and @lyresspiritco (insanely close to the real deal — thanks for the intro, @_valcohol — post coming soon!). • 6️⃣ The garnish is EVERYTHING!! 🤩 Bring out the edible flowers and herbs, unabashedly. • What’s your favorite go-to spirit-free cocktail? What are your favorite spirit-free distillates or accompaniments? • Big thanks to @riedel_official for these perfect G+T glasses and to @peaandposy for the crazy-gorgeous edible flower garnishes. • • • • #HollyAndFlora #ImbibeGram #SpiritFree #NonalcoholicDrink #LANADrinks #SoberCurious #DrinkNoLow #WildertonFree #SeedlipDrinks #CraftCocktails #ZeroProof #LiqPic #GrapeVarietalSpecific #MyRiedel
I’m sending out a vineyard update tonight. 🌱 I’m sending out a vineyard update tonight. 🌱 It’s not the full rundown, but it’s a glimpse at what’s happening here. As many of you know, we are seeing a 100% loss of crop for the 2021 harvest season. As in, *zero* grapes. • As a small business, under five years old, we can’t attempt to survive without making wine this year. • That topic, in its entirety, is for another post, but in this little “IG news square”, I’m sharing about the positives we’ve had this late-spring and early-summer season. • We planted over 1,600 dormant, grafted Chardonnay and Pinot Noir vines in early June. The temperatures were unseasonably hot, but we had ample water, so we watered the $&%# out of those vines. At times, we hand-watered them, listening to drum-and-bass, with a hose in hand, for hours. 🤪 • In a year that is filled with so many losses and challenges for us, we are celebrating the victories that come to us on a daily basis. 🥂 And we are celebrating them on a daily basis. • I’ll post a proper vineyard update. It’s been quite the ride. I’m happy to say that despite the grave loss, within our vineyard here in Colorado and within our Colorado grape contracts, that we’ll still be able to pull in 40 tons of fruit this harvest season, with grapes sourced from stellar plots from around the country and within our home state. • Steve and I are super stoked to get our hands on some #FLXwine Riesling, Washington Pinot Gris, Bien Nacido (🤯!!!) Chardonnay, and some funky cold-hardy Colorado grapes, among others!! • Keep fighting. • Honestly, it’s a choice — either keep pushing and enjoy the ride or give up and die with remorse. We are choosing the FORMER. 💥💥💥 • • • • 📷: @1331kreative 💗💗💗 #HollyAndFlora #StormCellarWine #WinemakersLife #VineyardLife #TheFutureIsGrafted #Vintage2021 #Vintage2021🍇 #HighElevationVineyards #HighElevationWine #DrinkColoradoWine #ColoradoWine #CoWine #SommelierWinemaker #SommLife #FIVEColorado #KeepPushing @big_zen is my #RideOrDie 🤩 #ColoradoWinery #ColoradoWineCountry
Okay, question - - - how does hospitality play int Okay, question - - - how does hospitality play into your daily life? I posted this a couple of days ago and then had a tech difficulty. So, here we are again because I love this topic! 🤩 • How do you “wow” the people you come into contact with? 💫 Do you see everyone as a potential customer or lasting relationship, even if you don’t—at that moment—see the transaction happening? • Every. Person. Deserves. HOSPITALITY. • What does that mean to you? • Tell me - - - > • How do YOU show hospitality to your followers, your visitors, your clients, your friends, or your first-time exposures? • H E R E - - - > • Before we were able to share our newly bottled 2020 wines, we wowed our guests with Riesling-soaked sorbet, drizzled with sparkling wine, and garnished with edible flowers. • That is HOSPITALITY. 💫 • This was our favorite part of our pre-season tastings. Last weekend, we kicked off the holiday with THREE versions of #SommPops, our frozen, wine-drenched, adult “otter pops,” fresh and fruity, dry and sessionable. • I hope you enjoyed a celebratory holiday weekend. I flew out to Florida to visit my sister and her two kids, and we sneaked in a beach visit, lots of coloring sessions, and two pizza nights. They’re moving to Germany next week, and I’m so glad I slowed down enough to get some quality niece-and-nephew (and sister!!) time. • And Monday night’s visit to Fort Walton Beach was pure medicine for me. It had been four years, since I’d taken a dip in saltwater. 🤩 • • • • • #StormCellarWine #WestElksAVA #ColoradoWine #DrinkColoradoWine #WineSorbet #WineCocktail #SommLife #SommelierWinemaker #HighElevationWine #DrinkColoradoWine #HollyAndFlora #ImbibeGram #ImbibeGram #FIVEcolorado #liqpic #FrozenWineCocktails #WineSlushy #TTCcocktails #ABMHappyHour #Kitchn #FeedFeed @thefeedfeed.cocktails
Pro tip of the day — don’t fall asleep with th Pro tip of the day — don’t fall asleep with three chickens in your lap. I woke up after a super-quick doze and freaked out Brix, who quickly decided it was a good idea to give a hard peck on my right eye. 🙄 Chicken brains. • I’m okay, but my eye is a little red and sore. Not the best moment of the day. 😛 I decided to treat myself to a frozen wine cocktail and a 30-minute soak in the outdoor stock-tank tub. • Feeling better already. 🛁 • We serve these frozen, boozy “Somm Pops” here at our tasting room. We source local fruit and combine ingredients that complement our wine. • H E R E — > • 📍 @stormcellarwine 2020 Rosé of St. Vincent 📍 Strawberry 📍 Rhubarb 📍 Lavender 📍 Honey • How’d your Monday go? Hey, it was a good one, if a chicken didn’t peck your eye after a much-needed nap!! • Tuesday, I’m ready for you!!! 💥💥💥 • • • • #hollyandflora #stormcellarwine #sommpops #winecocktails #seasonalwinecocktails #northforkvalley #westelksava #drinkcoloradowine #coloradowine #cowine #sommlife #sommelierwinemaker #wineotterpops #frozenwinecocktails #imbibegram #liqpic #rosécocktail #rhubarbcocktail #feedfeed @thefeedfeed.cocktails #kitchn #BHGstylemaker #bhgcocktails #ABMhappyhour
1,600 new vines in the dirt and SO thrilled for a 1,600 new vines in the dirt and SO thrilled for a tiny happy hour at sunset this gorgeous, Colorado summer evening. I went tiki tonight with a guava-forward cocktail, garnished with the tiniest edible orchid flowers from @gourmetsweetbotanicals. • Y o u G u a v a G o W i t h I t • 1 1/2 ounces @plantation.rum 2003 Trinidad rum 1/2 ounce @plantation.rum Stiggins’ Fancy pineapple rum 1/4 ounce @giffardusa Banane du Brésil liqueur 1/2 ounce guava purée 3/4 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice 2 dashes @angosturahouse bitters edible micro orchids, for garnish • 1. In a cocktail glass, build a mound of crushed ice, filling to the top. 2. In a mixing tin, combine both rums, banana liqueur, guava purée, lime juice, and bitters. 3. Add ice and shake well. 4. Strain into the prepped cocktail glass, adding additional crushed ice, if needed. 5. Garnish with edible flowers. I used micro orchids from @gourmetsweetbotanicals. • Steve and I are both fried, but we are looking forward to dinner with our friends @lawnsharson and @chelseabookout on Wednesday. So ready for some adult levity, good cooking, and solid beverages. • After squatting up-and-down over — dang — maybe 3,000 times, I’ve discovered new and slightly under-used muscles that are in dire need of a hot tub-soak. Making that happen tomorrow night in the good-old, outdoor, stock-tank bathtub. • About the cocktail, though — it’s tropical, pleasantly bitter, fruit-forward, and so rummy. That pop of banana brings those tropical notes into submission and into a “bouquet” of aromas reminiscent of laid-back, Hawaiian vacation vibes, circa 2009, for me. 😎 • Cue the lap steel guitar. • Feel that breeze. • In with the chill, out with the stress. • 💗💗💗 • • • • #hollyandflora #namastebitches #tiki #tikicocktails #craftcocktails #drinkstagram #imbibegram #rumcocktails #edibleflowers #flowersandcocktails #tropicaldrinks #vacationinaglass #cocktailphotography #cocktailblogger #womeninwine #sommlife #liqpic #ttcocktails #driiiiinks #draaaaanks #ABMhappyhour #BHGstylemaker #BHGdrinks
I might have celebrated #NationalRoséDay a little I might have celebrated #NationalRoséDay a little early this year. 💞 Along with 11 other wineries, our winery shared its newly released rosé at the inaugural #RoséLaLaLa event at @carboywinery in Denver this past Friday. • This day was one for the books!! • We debuted one of our two rosés, The Alpenglow, which is a dry, Chambourcin-forward rosé, which boasts notes of alpine strawberry, bright citrus, orchard flowers, and ripe watermelon. • It’s already my summertime staple. • Big thanks to my friends Gene and Jen at @1331kreative for producing this fantastic capture of the day’s festivities last Friday. Denver, it was SO much fun seeing you out and celebrating in the sunshine with you! • And now it’s time for labeling our final, four late-spring wines, just in time to release them to our club members. 🥂 And finishing up our raised garden beds. 🌿 And planning out the chicken coop. 🐣 • This week is a crazy one. 🤪 • Tell me - - - > what are you planning on sipping for #NationalRoséDay this upcoming Saturday? • • • • 🎥: @1331kreative #stormcellarwine #rosélalala #coloradowine #coloradorosé #chambourcinrosé #hybridwine #highaltitudewine #highaltitudevineyards #5280drinks #303drinks #sommlife #sommelierwinemaker #sommjournal #wineenthusiast #winespectator #drinkpink #drinkcolorado #drinkpinkwine #visitcolorado #coloRADical #BHGstylemaker #driiiiinks #imbibegram #liqpic #winestagram #wineblogger #femalewinemaker #foodwinewomen
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