Episode description
I had seen the label for Slow Luck begin showing up in feeds from some bartender friends but didn't know much about this new n/a spirit launched in Austin. I was excited to chat with owner Tacy Rowland to understand more about how this no-proof product borne of Austin with a bartender's flavor profile came to be. It's always exciting to see new products join the already delicious and inventive n/a space, and I can't wait to see what Slow Luck does next.
Tacy Rowland has been a part of the Austin bar community since 2009. Inspired by the talented bar and restaurant community-based in Austin, she fell in love with the world of bartending and hasn’t looked back since. She has been awarded Austin’s Best Cocktail Bartender, traveled nationally and internationally representing her community in various cocktail competitions, was the winner of Speed Rack Denver, and has been mentioned in Forbes, StarChefs, Imbibe, Southwest Airlines Magazine, Beverage Media Group, and GQ in addition to local publications. Rowland served as the General Manager of the lauded speakeasy Midnight Cowboy in Austin from 2016-2018, and then as the Creative Bar Director for Alamo Drafthouse. While being furloughed due to Covid-19, Rowland and fellow bartender Sam Abdelfattah saw opportunities in the non-alcoholic beverage space and founded Slow Luck. Partnering with a local distiller, Mike Groener, after months of distilling, experimenting, and blending, Slow Luck became a reality.
Slow Luck is Austin’s first distilled non-alcoholic spirit alternative. With notes of citrus, ginger, coriander, and a slightly spicy finish of Texas chilies, Slow Luck is easily substituted 1:1 for any clear spirit in traditional cocktails and provides the perfect starting palate for new cocktail creations.
Follow them on Instagram @slowluckbev to see the latest, or check out their website https://slowluckbev.com/
Founded in 2016, the mission of Ben's Friends is to offer hope, fellowship, and a path forward to anyone who struggles with substance abuse or addiction. By coming together, starting a dialogue, and acknowledging that substance abuse cannot be overcome by isolation and willpower alone, Ben's Friends hopes to write a new chapter in the lives of food and beverage professionals across the country.
To order my n/a enamel pin from Mover & Shaker, head to tinyurl.com/4fm6r9v6