Featured Spirit: El Dorado Rum

The El Dorado rum collection from Demerara Distillers is one of incomparable flavor and history. No other rum distillery in the world can boast more than three centuries of experience in the art of rum production.

"Each possesses its own unique character, achieved by blending true aged rums from two or more of our own traditional column and pot stills – a process that cannot be matched by any other distillery in the world. These rums have an enjoyable smoothness and depth of character – ideal for creating sensational cocktails with that little bit extra."

Today the company produces a range of 20 superb rums, and De Nux is thrilled to bring 6 of those specialty rums to Arkansas:

The El Dorado 3 Year Old and 5 Year Old Fine Cask Aged Rums

The El Dorado 12 Year Old, 15 Year Old Special Reserve, and 21 Year Old Special Reserve

and the 25 Year Old Vintage Luxury Cask Aged Rum.

You can currently find El Dorado in the Little Rock area at Big Orange, where it's being shaken in their fantastic Knickerbocker specialty cocktail. You can also ask for El Dorado at South on Main; try David Burnette's new and delicious rum Old Fashioned! El Dorado is now also available at Good Food by Ferneau, The Pizzeria at Terry's Finer Foods, and Ciao Baci. 

You can buy El Dorado at the following fine retail stores: O'Looney's Wine & Liquor, 107 Liquor, Springhill Wine & Spirits, Lake Liquor, and Sullivant's. 

Featured Winery: Screen Door Cellars

Screen Door Cellars is a fantastic Russian River Valley winery that produces small, handcrafted lots of ultra-premium Pinot Noir. Its first vintage, the 2012, was released this year, and only 100 cases were made. The grapes were sourced entirely from the Russian River Valley appellation in Sonoma County, California, an area renowned for growing premium pinot grapes. There will be 180 cases of 2013 Pinot Noir available for Christmas 2014. 

Screen Door Cellars is the dream of winemakers Bobby and Shannon Donnell. After ten years of working in the Texas restaurant business, Bobby moved his life to Northern California, where he planned on doing some sailing with a friend for the summer. It didn't take long for him to fall in love with the area, and a beautiful California blonde named Shannon! Given his longtime passion for wine and fermentation science, Bobby decided to stay a bit longer and work a harvest. As he always says, "It's been a long summer." 

After his first vintage at St. Clement, he was hooked. Over the last twelve years, Bobby has had the opportunity to work with some of Napa's most celebrated winemakers and has worked hands-on in all aspects of winery production. In 2008, while at Provenance Vineyard, Bobby completed the UC Davis Winemaking Certificate Program. He now works as a winemaker at Amici Cellars.  Shannon is an experienced viticulturist who previously worked for Duckhorn Winery and is now at Sonoma-Cutrer Vineyards. 

The Arkansas Connection

Little Rock residents David and Heather Raymond are longtime friends of the Donnells, dating back to David and Bobby's college days at Texas Tech University. When Bobby and Shannon Donnell launched Screen Door Cellars, they called on David to design the bottle's label art and write the back copy. (David's fabulous artwork is displayed in the image above!) An artist and musician big on the Little Rock scene, David is lead guitarist in local favorite Mulehead, and he released a solo album in 2010. He also has a passion for fermentation science and is a licensed Brew Master and former brewer at Vino's, Little Rock's legendary brewery and pizzeria. David now acts as Brand Ambassador for Screen Door Cellars, in addition to working full-time for the Federal Reserve Bank. 

David's wife, Heather Raymond, has twenty years of experience in marketing and sales, and worked as manager and co-buyer at Box Turtle, a Little Rock boutique, before becoming a stay-at-home mom to the Raymond boys, Marshall (5) and Rex (4 months). Heather is now the Director of Marketing and Sales for Screen Door Cellars. 

Tasting Notes from the Winemakers:

NOSE: cherry, nutmeg, allspice, dried strawberries, rhubarb, cinnamon spice, vanilla, earthy tones, long and rich, spicy finish, white pepper

MOUTH: cinnamon, candied dates, cocoa powder, clean and bright, long rich fruit, spicy finish

"This wine is drinking amazingly right now. After a year in a bottle, it has really come into its own. Ripe red fruits like cherry and strawberry lead the way to a full rich mid-palate and a spicy red finish."

(Bobby Donnell)

NOSE: cherry cola, red raspberry start, leads into spicy (rich, lush), nutmeg, anise, cinnamon, underlying earthiness that gives depth, mushrooms, leather

MOUTH: earthy, cocoa, rich, very good balance between tannin/structure and bright acidity, nice red fruit, red raspberries, spicy finish

(Shannon Donnell)

De Nux is thrilled to bring Screen Door Cellars' 2012 Pinot Noir to the following fine dining establishments: Ciao Baci, Cache, SO Restaurant Bar, Trio's, Yaya's Euro Bistro, and the Capital Hotel Bar & Grill. For retail, look for Screen Door Cellars by the bottle at O'Looney's Wine & Liquor, Lake Liquor, and Pop-a-Top. 

Featured Liqueur: Adelaide

This month marks a very exciting milestone for De Nux Distributors: we are thrilled to carry Adelaide, our very first liqueur! 

Concocted by Alan Kennedy and Matt Fuller in Nashville, Tennessee, Adelaide is proudly made by bartenders, for bartenders. 

By combining evocative floral notes of rose and honeysuckle with subtle hints of fresh roasting pecans, citrus, and spice, Adelaide infuses spirits with a bright note, while adding depth and dimension to cocktails. A neutral spirit base, Adelaide is blended with natural sweeteners, reduced to an alcohol content of 40 proof (20% ABV), and combined with the essences of only the finest ingredients, sourced from around the world. 

Give Adelaide a warm Little Rock welcome! It's currently being shaken at Big Orange and South on Main. 

Follow Adelaide on Twitter for more news, and check out the recipes below!