I absolutely adore snow cones. So much so that I made sure to have them for my son’s first birthday party…and topped with margaritas of course (for the adults).
From my first Snoopy Snow Cone Machine when I was five to the vintage-looking one I purchased for impromptu summer parties, they are a unique twist to dessert or cocktail time. My biggest issue, though, has always been finding syrups that TASTE good and aren’t filled with Red #40 and Yellow #5.
I recently hosted a segment on WCIU that focused on the One of a Kind Show, an event that offers the ultimate handcrafted shopping experience with over 600 vendors at their Holiday edition in Chicago. One of the items I presented was Jo Snow Syrups, a line of natural syrups and flavorings for snow cones, coffee, cocktails, sparkling water and more. I finally found my snow cone topping without exposing my guests to ingredients that miiiight glow in the dark.
Melissa Yen, the founder, invited me to her kitchen where she tests, creates and bottles her all-natural syrups and concoctions. We had a little Wednesday morning happy hour while creating some delicious drinks. Talk about a way to start the day! In addition to the syrups, she also creates flavor drops- no sugar, no calories, just pure flavor. I add it to my LaCroix and create new flavors. My fave is Strawberry Basil, but she also carries Mango Ginger, Pineapple Hop, Root Beer and Guava Coconut. This is a fantastic swap for calorie-heavy sodas.
Check out the concoctions we came up with for creating your own Snow Cone Happy Hour:
Rum Thai Coffee
Papa’s Pilar Dark Rum + squeeze fresh lime + Jo Snow Thai Coffee Syrup (Ginger, coriander and cardamom with red pepper, almond extract and natural coconut)
Strawberry Basil Bubbly (not a snow cone, but hey…I would pour it over ice in a hot second!)
La Marca Prosecco + squeeze fresh orange juice + Strawberry Basil Flavor Drops (mint and orange garnish)
Cranberry Ginger Snow Cone Martini
Deep Eddy Cranberry Vodka, Ginger Syrup, squeeze of fresh orange juice
Melissa also provides SNOW CONE CATERING (I mean…does that sound like the best party idea ever?). This fabulous set-up can be either for kids or adults (you provide the booze), and she comes ready to mix up the fun. Also- she can create mini syrup bottles for guests to take home featuring the custom cocktail flavor that she helps you create. Party Favor with flavor.
The cocktail combinations are endless! Here are all of the flavors Melissa currently stocks:
Kugel in a Cup
Christmas in a Cup
Blueberry Jasmine
Classic Coffee flavors- Vanilla, Caramel, Hazelnut, Almond
Woodruff
Sass! Rootbeer
Cardamom Rose Water
Pumpkin Coconut
Fig Vanilla Black Pepper- my personal favorite
Ginger Ginger
Grapefruit Rosemary
Tangerine Lavender Honey
Lumberjack
Cherry
Thai Coffee
Strawberry Mint Balsamic
Thank you Melissa for having me! I can’t wait to try them all!
Cheers!
