Craft Cocktail Mixologist Laura Shortt Joins Valentine As Cocktail Lounge Manager

Ferndale, MI – With 14 years of experience in the restaurant hospitality industry, Laura Shortt has spent six of them bartending and the past two and a half years mastering the art of the craft cocktail. In her new role with Valentine Distilling Co. as Cocktail Lounge Manager, she looks forward to the opportunity to create more cocktail offerings for guests including fresh infusions and in-house made syrups.

Shortt is known for her recent award in Detroit art event Plexus, hosted by Jagermeister, where she won the mixology competition with her cocktail “Sheep’s Clothing.” She won this award while working as a bartender at Antietam in Detroit.

Laura enjoys cooking and uses the culinary landscape to inspire her liquid creations behind the bar. She is quite the enthusiast of the book Liquid Intelligence: The Art and Science of the Perfect Cocktail by Dave Arnold and looks to it often for new concepts and the science behind the craft. Classic cocktails root back to the basics of the craft and Shortt enjoys turning to those classics and adding a modern twist to them for today’s cocktail scene.

“Often times people don’t believe in what they are doing and/or what they are selling, but with Valentine products, it’s easy,” says Laura Shortt, Cocktail Lounge Manager at the Valentine Distilling Co. Cocktail Lounge in Ferndale. “It’s quality within the business as well as the product that one can stand behind.”

Shortt adds that founder, Rifino Valentine’s passion for the product is that of quality and consistency. “It makes him a great owner and businessman and one whose values are equally aligned with his product.”

Shortt loves to experiment and devise new cocktail creations as part of her passion for bartending. Her newest addition to the lounge cocktail menu includes egg whites. And for the upcoming Valentine’s Day holiday, the Valentine Cocktail Lounge has a special treat for patrons to try. Laura has whipped up a mashup of a Ramos Fizz cocktail with elements of strawberry cheesecake. The cocktail consists of strawberry infused White Blossom Vodka, lemon, honey, mascarpone cream, egg white, and soda served in a Collins glass.

For those of you intimidated by the egg white cocktail concept, Valentine has a few options being served up for you as well this coming month. The “Sweetheart” made with strawberry infused White Blossom Vodka, Sweet Vermouth, lemon, and vanilla. As well as the “Black Heart” created with blackberry Infused Valentine Vodka, lemon, beet juice, a dash of balsamic, and ginger beer served in Collins glass. Featured cocktails range from $10-$12 and can be enjoyed exclusively at the Valentine Distilling Co. Cocktail Lounge located at 161 Vester Street in Ferndale.

Her outlook to the spirits industry on a national level includes vodka making a comeback as the spirits drink of choice in the next year or so. For a while vodka became less popular and the world revolved around whisky, gin, and rum. But vodka is making a return to the craft cocktail scene; and Shortt is excited to see its comeback.