Vancouver BC | Kale & Nori Culinary Arts is honoured to be recognized as the “Producer & Supplier of the Year” at the 24th annual Vancouver Magazine Restaurant Awards, for their “Bittered Sling Extracts” line-up. This award is governed by the Chef’s Table Society of British Columbia.

“It’s such an incredible achievement for Jonathan and I. We understand how many wonderful suppliers and producers there are out there, and we’re just so humbled and so grateful to proudly wear this accolade” says co-owner Lauren Mote. “We’ve created a product that chefs and bartenders alike are having so much fun with, and it’s because of them and their support we’re standing where we are today” remarks co-owner Jonathan Chovancek, “thank you Vancouver for all of your support; we are honoured to share space in the greatest food and beverage community in the world.”

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March 2013:
March 06 2013 “World of Whiskies” sponsored by Beam Global, with Jay Jones, Executive Bartender & Brand Ambassador, Donnelly Group Tickets
March 20 2013 “World of Whiskies” with Lauren Mote, Owner of Kale & Nori | Bittered Sling Extracts Tickets

Upcoming events:
April 2013 “When Tiki Attacks”
May 2013 “Coastal Mexican Experience”
June 2013 “Truly Canadian Terroir”
July 2013 “Global Cocktail Colonialism”
August 2013 “Carnival vs. Mardi-Gras”
September 2013 “Coloured-Collar; Upper Middle Class”
October 2013 “Heavy Metal Monks”

Format:
- Passed Hors d’Oeuvres paired with opening reception cocktail by Lauren Mote;
- Sit-down three course dinner, menu presented by Chef Jonathan Chovancek of Kale & Nori to both engage and challenge the guest bartender’s perspective on their cocktail pairings;
- Each guest receives a scorecard, and rates each pairing through several categories, such as taste, balance, appearance, level of pairing;
- Interactive presentation style – fun and business-casual
- $60/tickets (this is inclusive of HST and service charge) – tickets will not be available to purchase at the door, guests must purchase tickets online or in person at Legacy Liquor Store ahead of time

This season will boast several new bartenders and brands, so perhaps you can expect to see your favourites!

Friday, 28 January, 2013

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Vancouver BC | Kale & Nori owners Lauren Mote and Jonathan Chovancek, are thrilled to announce the next-leg of their Canadian Bittered Sling tour. After a successful trip to Calgary this week, Mote & Chovancek are heading to Calgary, Toronto and Montreal.

With over 20 retailers across Canada and several bartenders and chefs using the Bittered Sling line already, Mote and Chovancek will offer Bitters 101 style seminars for retailers, consumers and the food and beverage industry. Through educated tastings, scientific approach, easy recipes and cocktail demos, Kale & Nori aims to bring the information to the masses, using fun and innovative techniques. See the listing below for an event near you. All events are free, but an RSVP is required. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1FheYjRGEYJXBf9aAPnAYG31bDtw1I-5xpKEBFcKypMY/viewform?sid=1e4667d068c1477d&token=wIM9lzwBAAA.DoPGqZixdAWC7KKqhYoi-w.oIi-VxaYkXTklJKiTu1KDg

Please note, we have a maximum capacity at each event of 10-15 people, start promptly at the time listed, and last 45 minutes.

Calgary, (CONSUMER) Vine Arts, 1310 1 St SW, Wednesday January 30 10:00am

Calgary, (BAR INDUSTRY-TRADE ONLY) Milk Tiger Lounge, 1410 4 St SW, Wednesday January 30 4:00pm

Toronto, (CONSUMER) BYOB Cocktail Emporium, 972 Queen West, Wednesday February 06 2:30pm

Toronto, (BAR INDUSTRY-TRADE ONLY) Le Marche, BCE Place, Monday February 04, 6:00pm

Toronto, (CONSUMER) Mercantile, 297 Roncesvalles Ave, Wednesday February 06, 5:30pm

Montreal, (BAR INDUSTRY-TRADE ONLY) Le LAB, 1351 Rachel, Est, Thursday February 07 4:00pm

Montreal, (CONSUMER) Alambika Bar & Beverage Shoppe, 1515 Avenue Van Horne, Outremont, Friday February 08 5:00pm

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About Kale & Nori

KALE & NORI celebrates the collaboration of celebrated industry professionals, Chef Jonathan Chovancek and Mixologist/Sommelier Lauren Mote, with a combined 30 years of professional experience.

KALE & NORI is a dynamic leader in the Vancouver food & beverage industry. We are a mission-driven company that aims to set the standards of excellence in retail food and beverage products at its highest. Through promotional catered events, KALE & NORI evokes a passionate and thoughtful presence in the community. KALE & NORI is a business built on integrity, thriving on the highest standard of customer service, and interpersonal relationships with our staff, suppliers and clients. KALE & NORI is also the creator of BITTERED SLING EXTRACTS, currently distributed across North America and select international markets.

KALE & NORI is building a business that thrives on the highest standard of customer service; highest level ethics in how we operate with our staff, suppliers and clients; and the integrity used with each ingredient and product with source and create, thrive equally throughout every branch of our company. Quality, respect and dignity, in everything we do.

For more information on Bittered Sling, visit www.bitteredsling.com and a full list of retailers can be found at the bottom of the page.

MENU

Hors d’Oeuvres 

Glenmorangie cured steelhead, apple & balsam fir puree, brown butter oat cakes

Heritage Angus beef tartar, pickled cipollini, smoked black pepper egg yolk and shaved pecorino

Plated Dinner

Cock-A- Leekie Soup 

Vancouver style-drunken chicken, caramelized barley, white soy and shiitake

Haggais, champit tatties and bashit neeps                                                                                                                                    

 Kale & Nori Haggis- completely non traditional, rutabaga, apple and aged Cheddar gratin,  foie gras, smashed leeks and new potatoes

Scottish Shortbreads

Sea buckthorn- burnt honey pudding, whiskey caramel

Tickets are available now through Legacy Liquor Store, or online here.

Details:
January 24 2013
7:00pm-9:30pm
$60/ticket (includes tax and service charge)
www.legacyliquorstore.com/events/current-events

You have never experience TEA like THIS before – a new event by Kale & Nori and O5 Tea Bar in Kitsilano, “2 Alchemists and 1 Tea Hunter”, featuring cocktails by Lauren Mote, and tapas by Chef Jonathan Chovancek.
This is a monthly event, specializing in a different tea region each time.
This month – TAIWAN. Tickets available $50.
Tickets:

http://o5tea.com/shop/events/kale-and-nori.html

Location: 2208 West 4th Avenue, Vancouver, BC.
Time: Wednesday October 17, 18:30 – 21:30.
Age Restrictions: 19+. www.o5tea.com/contact

Manuel Campos, Managing Partner at Onilikan said “It’s an honour to have Lauren, Jonathan and Marc visiting Mazatlan and to be able to share the full Onilikan experience with them. They are an important representation of the international community of cocktail and cuisine experts and are pioneers on the use of Onilikan products in their drinks and in their dishes. We can’t wait to taste their original Onilikan food & cocktail creations and to learn more about their experience in using our unique line of Mexican spirits”.

About Onilikan

Onilikan was founded in 2011, with deep Canadian and Mexican roots and the vision of creating a unique line of Mexican spirits using a blend of Mexican and European artisanal traditions to capture the true essence of locally grown agave and mango. Using produce sourced exclusively from Sinaloa province, every bottle of Onilikan is fermented, distilled, packaged and distributed at the brand’s distillery in the heart of the Zona Dorada, Mazatlán. Onilikan was the recipient of two medals at the 2012 World Spirits Competition in San Francisco, including a gold medal for its signature agave Aguardiente. Onilikan is proud Associate Member of the Canadian Professional Bartender’s Association (CPBA).

Vancouver, BC | Kale & Nori congratulates Gerry Jobe (Raudz Regional Table) on his recent victory at the Bittered Sling Bistro Season Two Finale, successfully defending his “champ”
title for the second straight season!

From May-October 2012, 12 different bartenders from around BC stepped up to the plate, working with several different spirits and menus, judged by their guests and peers.

The culmination of their creative efforts presented a challenge for the five top-scoring bartenders to compete head-to-head in front of 90 guests and 4 judges at The Keefer Bar this past Sunday. The finale theme engaged bartenders to create cocktails inspired by Chicago during Roaring Twenties, proudly sponsored by a wide range of whiskies from the Beam Global portfolio.

The finalists included Robyn Gray (Four Seasons), Trevor Kallies (Donnelly Group), Jay Jones (Market/Shangri-La), Justin Taylor (Four Seasons) and Gerry Jobe (Raudz, Kelowna). 
Each bartender had a 7:00 minute shot to “wow” the judges, announcing 2 high-score bartenders who would compete in the sudden-death round.

Gerry Jobe edged out on top in the competition, and he will be joining Kale & Nori owners, Lauren Mote and Chef Jonathan Chovancek to Chicago (May 2013). 

Guests were entered into a draw for several prizes, including event tickets, Bittered Sling Extracts and a spot on the Chicago trip.

Kale & Nori thanks The Keefer Bar, Cascadia Tableware, PMA Canada, Beam Global, The Modern Bartender, CPBA, The Kirkwood Group, and Brown-Forman for a wonderful season, and all the guests and bartenders that continue to make this program such a success!

Bittered Sling Bistro Season Three will begin in February 2013.

Vancouver, BC | Back in July 2012, Kale & Nori presented a sold-out seminar at Tales of the Cocktail™ called “A Forager’s Pharmacy”. Here, attendees were introduced to the world of “lesser-known” hand-foraged ingredients and the effects they have on our wellbeing, with a variety of innovative uses. Leading the way with incredible high-quality product is the “Tea Hunter”, Pedro Villalon, owner of O5 Tea. Pedro was profiled as an important part of the plant-to-hand community during our Tales of the Cocktail presentation.

Now, Vancouver has the unique opportunity to experience first-hand how to source, carefor and use hand-foraged teas. This event is the ultimate how-to for using obsessively sourced teas and applying the properties of “terroir” to our food and beverage. All of these exceptional, origin specific and hand-sourced teas by the “Tea Hunter” will be available exclusively at each event.

You have never experience TEA like THIS before – a new event by Kale & Nori and O5 Tea Bar in Kitsilano. O5 Tea Cocktails & Tapas Workshop with Kale & Nori, featuring cocktails by Lauren Mote, and tapas by Chef Jonathan Chovancek. This is a monthly event, specializing in a different tea region each time. This month – YUNNAN PROVINCE. Tickets available $50.

Tickets:
http://o5tea.com/shop/teaware/x-factor/o5-tea-kale-nori-cocktails-tapas-and-tea-evening.html

Location: 2208 West 4th Avenue, Vancouver, BC.

Time: Wednesday October 17, 18:00 – 21:00.

Age Restrictions: 19+.

www.o5tea.com/contact
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Event Schedule:
October 17 2012: Yunnan
November 07 2012: Japan
December 19 2012: Korea
January 16 2013: the Americas
February 20 2013: Himalayas
March 20 2013: Eastern China

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About O5 Tea:

We believe in expressive earth.

O stands from our obsession with Origin. We travel the world learning about the soil on which our tea grows and the people who care for it; because healthier, better earth yields the teas that we want to share.

5 represents nature’s elements: Earth, Water, Fire, Wind and Void. In harmony, these elements express the best qualities that each terroir gives to tea.

Please don’t just take our word. Join us for a drink at our tea tasting bar in Kitsilano; we will let a cup speak for itself.

Our team spans 5 nationalities and includes a tea hunter, a master barista, a Japanese flower arrangement expert and a chef.

1.50 oz Rittenhouse Rye
0.50 oz Bols Genever
0.50 oz Cynar
4 drops Bittered Sling Moondog Bitters

Stir all ingredients with ice, and strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with a grapefruit twist.

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*Now available on the cocktail list at Hawksworth Restaurant @hawksworthrest