Year One

What up Leisure Nation!!!

Today is a pretty special day for us...It's our 1st Birthday aka Official 1st Year Anniversary aka Launch Day aka Official LeisureDay!!!!! 

One year ago today we launched Leisuremann’s Cocktail Mixes, knowing wholeheartedly we had something special and all we needed were likeminded people to enjoy it. Fast forward to today, with 2500 samples served and 650+ tins distributed across the globe, we could not be any more proud of our brand, its recognition, and our products.

Thanks to everyone who sampled, bought, critiqued, laughed, shared, liked, and helped make Leisuremann’s Cocktail Mixes what it is today. 

To celebrate, we are extending our 2 for $20 deal all weekend long. SHARE this leisure log post and help grow our Leisure Nation – SHOP NOW - 

Since we’re one now the question remains, what’s in store for year two? Simple. Over the next few months, you will see NEW Flavors, crowdfunding campaigns, serious adventures, and some long-awaited Leisuremann’s merch. Yes… a Leisuremann’s Chest Protector (T-shirts) will be on sale soon. 

Till this time next year, Leisure on Dudes!

Cheers // Matt & Cliff

Callin' Baton Rouge

"Callin' Baton Rouge", for those who don't know,  is a 1993 smash single made famous by none other than the great, Chris Gaines. Wait... sorry, error on our part! We mean country superstar, Garth Brooks. LOL! 

Unlike Garth, who is brought back to Baton Rouge because of the lovely Samantha, we make the pilgrimage to our capital city each month because of an ever growing network of talented, creative, and enthusiastic makers. Every second Saturday you will find these makers gathering on the corner of Eugene and Govt. street at the MidCity Makers Market to show off their newest leather bag or their new jewelry line or in our case a new classic cocktail mix flavor.

Now pushing close to 50+ makers, our market is the must attend event for the MidCity area of Baton Rouge. Not only rejuvenating but boosting this area and its community as well.

You may be asking yourself "How can I get involved?" or more specifically "I'm a maker and how can I sell my product?". The answer is as simple as 5 easy steps. Honestly, there are more but we at Leisuremann's like to keep things simple. Capisce? 

1) Find a Market - For us Baton Rouge was a short drive and made the most sense. For you, start with a quick and thorough Google, Facebook, or Instagram search. Use key terms like, "market", "pop-up", "festival", "shop", "event" + "your area" to garner results. Finalize the search by reaching out via email or phone to your perspective event. Searching will pay off. Trust us!

2) Face to Face - It's true, people do buy product site unseen but our experience has shown that people also heavily buy you and your team. Live, love and enjoy the product you sell. Wear it, eat it, use it, flaunt it, post it, snap it, have your brand reflected in you.

3) Quality Product - Make sure your product is up to snuff. Natural ingredients, sustainable, handmade, unique, organic, playful, creative, are just a few traits off the top of our heads. People can see through the bull$h&% from a mile away. Don't skimp.

4) Be Yourself - Just be you. Don't be overly professional or pushy when selling your product or service. Keep it casual, keep it calm, keep it real, and for damn sure keep it business bohemian. Chillax baby!!

5) Transparent - Like a window, if someone doesn't like your product or has an issues with your service ask them why and how would they change it. Honesty is the best policy. Starting and ending each event with a positive customer centric attitude is key.

Not everyone is going to have a "Baton Rouge" but everyone sure can find a community of makers and like minded individuals they rally around and in our case have cocktails with on a monthly basis.

#midcitymakersgonnamake

Cheers // Cliff

For more information about our market visit MidCity Makers Market

To help grow your business get with Paul @ Southern Collaborative

For more information on how you can enjoy cocktail anywhere SHOP TODAY!!!!!

Why isn't Happy Hour every hour?

Happy Hour as defined by dictionary.com is "a cocktail hour or longer period at a bar, during which drinks are served at reduced prices..."

Simply put - Who doesn't need a drink after a hard day at the office?

Most sources point to "Happy Hour" originating in the early 1900's with it becoming more mainstream in the late 1950's. Through the decades, Happy Hour, as we know it today, exploded in popularity. Most if not all bars and even some restaurants have Happy Hour drink specials. Some places even have live music or entertainment to help ease the stress of being cooped up in the office all day. It's a true liberating experience. 

Though liberating, Happy Hour, like all good things, has to comes to an end. Saddened by this proposition we asked ourselves the age old questions - Why isn't Happy Hour every hour?

With some quick thinking and ingenuity, we realized our mixes could solve the world Happy Hour conundrum, extending Happy Hour to every, any, and even ALL hours of the day!!!

Using our mixes there are no lines at a bar, no crowds, no complex mixing steps, no extra bar ingredients, just combine WATER + MIX + SPIRIT  and you have a COCKTAIL! 

It's just that simple. We promise.

Don't believe us? Try it for yourself - OUR MIX SHOP

To wrap it up, next time you find yourself in a bar or restaurant during Happy Hour think for a minute about how with Leisuremann's every hour is Happy Hour.

Cheers!

- Cliff #leisurehour

One hell of a year!

From its inception, we knew we had something big, not just a product but an authentically honest and no-nonsense brand that is truly experienced by its users. 

2016, in retrospect, has been one hell of a year! Filled with unique places, chance encounters, grand adventures, and even the occasional festival or 3.

To our patrons and supporters, thanks for an awesome 2016. We look forward to even greater things to come in 2017.

To those seeing us for the first time, welcome! Take a look around, let us know what you think, and maybe even order a tin or two. Shop here now!

Have a great NYE and till 2017 - Drink up, be safe and Cheers from the gents @ Leisuremann's!

Knowing Your Limits

A year or so back, I was invited to do a winter hike in one of my favorite outdoor spots, The Great Smoky Mountains National Park. As a self proclaimed outdoorsman, I quickly accepted the invitation, thus starting the tedious process of checking my gear, packing and preparing for what would be one hell of an adventure.

The trip started with an early 4a.m. departure from Lafayette and one solid clear directive - Make it to the Smoky Mountain Brewery in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee before night fall. After 12+ hours of driving, we eventually made it into town, a little past sunset, greeted by the promise of cold temperatures and delicious beer. The exact details of that night at the brewery live in legend, but can be summed up as followed: Beer - Pizza - Music! Shout out to Chad McWilliams - total Boss! 

The next morning we awoke feeling slightly hungover but ready to tackle whatever mother nature could throw at us. This year's hike started a little different, we had gathered knowledge earlier in the morning that the road leading to our usual trail, Alum Cave Trail, was closed due to a catastrophic event. Instead of turning away at this ominous sign we pressed on, taking the scenic, less hiked, Rainbow Falls Trail, instead. For those not familiar with the area, Rainbow Falls Trail is a beautiful 6.6 miles (total lie) of scenic overlooks and up hill hiking. Sort of a hikers dream, right?  

Hiking conditions that morning were sunny and calm but as the day and hike progressed temperatures started to plummet and an apocalyptic haze rolled in making the trail look more like an scene from The Bourne Identity and less like a beautiful portion of the Appalachian Trail.

With an ambient air temperature below 20° we trudged on, tackling frozen waterfalls, ice slicks, deep snow, and damn near treacherous uphill hiking for miles, breaking only to eat when we could. 

Around hours 3 of hiking, feeling somewhere between confused and out of my mind, my body started to shut down. The struggle was real, I literally hit limit.

I remember distinctly, every three or four steps I had to rest, covered in sweat, shivering, cold, breathing heavy, reaching for calories, water, literally standing in position thinking nothing but listening to the voice in my head telling me to "Sit down...take a break...close my eyes and rest."

I was experiencing what countless individuals whom have been in this situation experience, "The little voice in your head. I heard it clearer than any voice in my whole life. Those words were so real, so vivid. All I wanted to do was give in.

In that moment, if it wasn't for my mates, in front of and behind me, pushing through, encouraging, and enduring the same struggle I was enduring, I would probably would have turned into a popsicle. 

On the mountain that day, I admittedly hit my upper limit. The struggle of that accent, for me, was real but for others not so much. Unarguably, each person has their own limits and pushing oneself to those limits is the only way to discover what they truly are. 

- Cliff