Dear Friends + Supporters of Sip Better,
Happy International Women's Day!
Raised as an only child by a strong, independent, hardworking female entrepreneur, I can't tell you how much I value the support of my strong female community today. I am constantly in awe of the women in my life who work full-time jobs, raise strong, intelligent + independent children, nurture a household of many and seem to flawlessly manage their friendships and more while doing it. To my lady friends who have charged forward with their careers—I am astonished by your power, magnetism, brilliance + strength. You ALL inspire me to no end.
With each year, I listen + lean harder into the relationships of my lady friends, colleagues and supporters as you all continue to teach me the lessons of patience and resilience. My strength now as a 20 year business owner—and just a month short of my 50th birthday—seems to be unstoppable. Still wide-eyed and open to the possibilities of business + life, I am a bit...
Photo: Left to right: Leslee, Addy, Emily
In honor of Women's History Month, we're highlighting the creative team at Sip Better, composed entirely of WOMEN.
First, a note from Leslee:
Meet the ladies of The Sip Better Wine Club's 'force'.
When I think of the energy and the force it takes to run a small business, well...I'm already exhausted. But they say: if you surround yourself with positive, supportive + smart people, anything is possible. In reality, it makes EVERTHING possible.
Enter Emily + Addy. Emily has literally been with my businesses, Amusée + Sip Better, for a decade (omg, that's half of Amusée's existence!!) and Addy—who's been with us for over a year + a half—in reality, it feels like we've known her forever.
Without this amazing dynamic duo full of creativity, energizing enthusiasm, jam-packed hilarity and brilliance, Sip Better would just not be the team we are today.
I raise my glass to these two beauties who keep me centered, focused, creative + best of all, keep me current. They remind me that I'm...
So, how does Sip Better work behind the scenes?
Our founder and sommelier, Leslee Miller, spends hours tasting (sometimes 30-40 wines a week) with distributors who focus on small, family-owned, responsibly farmed, additive-free wines. Leslee also travels extensively (she's in New Zealand right now!), seeking out new, international wineries with the same mindset to introduce to U.S. importers and distributors who will represent them. Once a wine meets Sip Better's standards for quality, affordable price point, and our *better-for-all* philosophy, Leslee begins the process of entering it into the Sip Better wine club.
Between writing her own notes on each wine and combining them with the winemakers’ notes, Leslee formulates a description that includes winery information, tasting notes, winemaking attributes, vintage information and more. From there, she tacks on her best tips for enjoying that wine: which glass to serve it in, serving temperature, cellar recommendations and pairing...
Photo: Emily Rentsch
Adding winter twists to cocktails is a fun way to keep the drink rotation unique and fresh, whether it's for your home bar or your next cocktail party.
By following these simple recipes based on tried-and-true classics, you'll enjoy drinks with loads of layers, complexitity, and notable winter flavors like cinnamon, allspice, and coffee, that will surely delight you and your guests. All ingredients are available at Sip Better's flagship shop in Minneapolis!
BITTER, SWEET COFFEE
A coffee cocktail is perfect in the winter to not only stave off the early sunsets but to add roasted notes of chocolate and vanilla bean to stirred cocktails. Bitter, Sweet Coffee is a cocktail that uses the structure of an Old Pal cocktail with the added twist of Two James Coffee Liqueur and St. Agrestis Brooklyn Amaro for an additional layer of complexity.
1.5 oz Dampfwerk London Dry Gin
0.75 oz Bordiga Apertivo
0.75 oz St. Agrestis Amaro
1 oz Two James Coffee Liqueur
Directions: Combine all ingredients in a...
Our flagship wine shop in Minneapolis is one year old today!
We've come a long way from our IndieGoGo fundraiser in 2022 and we wanted to share a quick update on how The Sip Better Wine Club has grown:
— Club membership has grown by 25%
— Overall sales have grown by 30%
— We have expanded our portfolio with 140 new wines
— We introduced our members to 30 new family owned international wineries
— We have hosted over 50 events + wine tastings in our private event space at Sip Better and inside of our shop with winemakers + wine representatives worldwide
— We have been introduced to countless new enthusiastic neighbors + friends -- thank you!!
As ever, we are so grateful to our club members, local patrons, and to our
IndieGoGo fundraiser supporters for galvanizing the work we do. We are so happy to continue sharing healthy, international, family-owned wine growers with YOU!
