nest red sangria indie market deland
PHOTO COURTESY VISIT WEST VOLUSIA Nest's Red Sangria

All summer long, visitors and residents visited local breweries, coffee shops and other CoolCrafters in West Volusia for a taste of those businesses’ signature CoolCraft concoctions. They voted on their favorites, and the best summer beverages were revealed during a special edition of the popular “Jazz on the Alley” series in Artisan Alley on Sept. 20.

In the category of alcoholic beverages, the “Red Sangria” from Nest was voted No. 1, while Centro Tea Co. and Plant-Based Kitchen’s “Summer Peach Tea Spritzer” secured the top spot in the nonalcoholic-beverage category.

“We’re thrilled at how many people visited our crafters and voted during the competition,” said Georgia Turner, executive director of the West Volusia Tourism Advertising Authority. “The CoolCraft Beverage Trail is a great year-round attraction for West Volusia, but the summer promotion was definitely a hit.”

The inaugural CoolCraft Summer Beverage Competition kicked off on June 14, and ran through Sept. 5. Participating CoolCrafters were tasked with creating a summer-inspired beverage featuring fresh flavors and ingredients, with a West Volusia flair. Visitors and residents then spent the summer sipping their way across West Volusia in search of their favorites.

Other CoolCrafters included Trilogy Coffee Roasting Co., Wander Bar Cocktail Lounge, Central 28 Beer Co., HyderHead Brewery, Blue Springs Brewing and Riverwalk Pizzeria, Persimmon Hollow Brewing Co., Odd Elixir MeadWorks & Abbey Bar, MG Coffee Brews & Bites, The Lounge Tapas and Martini Bar, and Buddha Bowls.

Here are the top drinks in each category:

Top alcoholic beverages:

“Red Sangria” at Nest

“Camp Nowhere” at Wander Bar Cocktail Lounge

PHOTO COURTESY VISIT WEST VOLUSIA
Centro Tea Co.’s Summer Peach Tea Spritzer

“Hello Summer” at Central 28 Beer Co.

“Rainforest Açaí Berry Lemonade” at The Lounge Tapas and Martini Bar

Top nonalcoholic beverages:

“Summer Peach Tea Spritzer” at Centro Tea Co. and Plant-Based Kitchen

“Palmetto Highball” at Trilogy Coffee Roasting Co.

“Poolside Perfection” at Buddha Bowls

“MG’s Summer Lemonade” at MG Coffee Brews & Bites

A full list of this year’s CoolCraft Concoctions can be found at coolcrafttrail.com/summer.

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