Friends Nicole Craven and Alexis Smith were out to lunch one day when they decided to quench their thirsts with an espresso martini.
When the pandemic hit, and the pair started hosting more dinner parties, they found they could not recreate the drink. It just wasn't the same.
They started asking themselves why an espresso martini wasn't just readily available.
Inspired by a new dream, Craven and Smith quit their jobs in PR, traveled to California to visit a "flavor house," and in a year created their own espresso martini, called Après Hours.
While most espresso martinis are mixed up with espresso, Kahlua and vodka, Après Hours uses agave wine instead, which Craven and Smith tells Dallas News is for a smoother taste, and the agave wine also makes it eligible to be sold in grocery stores in Texas, not just in liquor stores.
Après Hours has cans for sale in about two-dozen Dallas-area retail stores like Pogo's Wine & Spirits, Lucky's Liquor, Buddy's Booze, and Uptown Liquor.
And while launching a canned cocktail has been fun, Smith and Craven say they also want more representation in the industry. "We want to encourage other women," Smith says.
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