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I N V E N T OR Y Happy Hour Time to give your home bar a little refresh. Here's the ultimate drink- focused toolkit from B.C.-based companies, whether you're enjoying zero-proof or the real deal By Alyssa Hirose NEVER BEEN BITTER Sure, 2020 was not the ideal year to start a bar/catering company, but as events shut down, Born to Shake founders Shayne Labis and Nicole Barron stirred up something else. The Kelowna-based brand started manufacturing DIY cocktail kits, bitters and syrups in a variety of unique flavours (for example, the "Cherry Bomb" syrup is made with local cherry juice, allspice and cinnamon, while the "Mountain Man" bitters are crafted with cedarwood, wintergreen, chamomile and blackcurrant). borntoshake.ca BORN TO SHAKE: CORY RANSOM; FROSTBITES SYRUP CO.: ANASTASIA CHOMLACK; MIXERS AND ELIXIRS: DANIKA SEA ( quality time ) 112 BCBUSINESS.CA JULY/AUGUST 2023 IN THE MIX Vancouverite Heidi Kuhn rescues rejected produce and turns it into shrubs—vinegar- based concentrated syrups—which she's been selling at farmers markets since 2014. Her company Mixers and Elixirs offers flavours like nectarine ginger, blackcurrant, quince and rhubarb. The "drinking vinegars" can be used to give cocktails an extra wow factor (or to spice up regular old sparkling water). mixersandelixirs.ca SWEET SIPPERS Products from Frostbites Syrup Co. go excellently with spirits and soda, but founders Peggy Speir and Martyn Meek started making all-natural syrups for a much more kid-friendly purpose: Hawaiian-style shaved ice. The Squamish- based wife-husband duo officially became syrup manufacturers in 2013 (after many requests from customers at their shaved ice stand) and their small-batch bottles of cordial now come in 30 flavours (think elderflower, hibiscus lemon and key lime and mint). frostbitesfun.com READING ON THE ROCKS You likely know Jessica Schacht as the co-founder of Ampersand Distilling Co., the Cowichan Valley-based distillery (founded in 2014) that makes awesome gin. But she's also a writer, and her new book The Five-Bottle Bar: A Simple Guide to Stylish Cocktails is a super-accessible blueprint for creating a great home bar without breaking the booze bank. ampersanddistilling.com