Brooks Reitz is the co-founder of Jack Rudy Cocktail Co. and husband of Erin Reitz, Alabama Chanin’s Design Coordinator. Natalie first met Erin through Brooks, and the two have collaborated on Alabama Chanin collections since 2016.
Brooks created the “Backwoods Bourbon Punch” for a gathering that would be featured in Bon Appétit magazine’s October 2015 issue, hosted by Natalie and Cathy Bailey.
Backwoods Bourbon Punch
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients
6ounces bourbon
3ounces fresh grapefruit juice
2 ounces sweet vermouth
1⅓ ounces Jack Rudy grenadine
Lemon twists (for serving)
Maraschino cherries (for serving)
Preparation
Combine bourbon, grapefruit juice, vermouth, and grenadine in a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake vigorously until the outside of the shaker is frosty, about 20 seconds. Strain into ice-filled rocks glasses. Garnish each with a lemon twist and a cherry.
From Brooks:
“Alabama Chanin was one of the first "out of town" customers we had for Jack Rudy Cocktail Co. almost 10 years ago, and Natalie has remained one of our biggest fans since then.
We were introduced via a mutual friend who was showing a small selection of his photographs in an event at The Factory. He told Natalie about my burgeoning mixer brand, and she insisted she buy some to serve at the party for the show and to sell at the store afterward. For Natalie, there was no up front concern about what it cost or how she would get it. She knew that we were friends of hers now, and she wanted to support us.
Over the years her support never wavered; she welcomed us to The Factory for events, connected us with other friends, and continued to stock our growing product line as we developed it. She even invited us to be a part of a large magazine spread about her in Bon Appétit. She was gracious and always willing to lend a helping hand or share the spotlight. She included our projects in the Alabama Chanin Journal many times over the years.
With Natalie and Alabama Chanin, it was never about being a vendor and a stockist. It was about being friends, and celebrating what you were doing in a genuine way.
I paid her back by introducing her to Erin!”
—Brooks Reitz, co-founder, Jack Rudy Cocktail Co.
Shop the Jack Rudy Cocktail Co. collection here.
Subscribe to Brook’s newsletter here.
Read the full piece from Bon Appétit here.
Follow along @jackrudycocktailco, @leonsoystershop, @littlejackstavern, and @melfischarleston.
Meet Erin Reitz here.
Congratulations to Brooks Reitz, Taylor Huber, and all the team at Jack Rudy Cocktail Co. on 10 years in business. Bravo and cheers!
Slide 1: Brooks’ Backwoods Bourbon Punch served in etched Alabama Chanin glasses for “Alabama Getaway” by Andrew Knowlton, Bon Appétit magazine, October 2015,, photograph by Rinne Allen
Slide 2: Natalie’s daughter Maggie Chanin, playing before the gathering hosted by Natalie and Cathy Bailey that would be featured in “Alabama Getaway” by Andrew Knowlton, Bon Appétit magazine, October 2015, photograph by Rinne Allen; Birds Nest Etched Shallow Salad Bowl from the Alabama Chanin and Heath Ceramics collaboration, 2011, photograph courtesy of Heath Ceramics
Slide 3: Brooks preparing the Backwoods Bourbon Punch served at the gathering in Seale, Alabama; Stripe appliqué bar towel from the Alabama Chanin and Jack Rudy Cocktail Co. collaboration, 2015, photographs by Abraham Rowe
Slide 4: Bar towel from the Alabama Chanin and Jack Rudy Cocktail Co. collaboration, 2015; Bar essentials and Classic Tonic from Jack Rudy Cocktail Co., photographs by Abraham Rowe