Fall is in the air, which means pumpkin spice everything, including cocktails like a spiced pumpkin and ginger cordial. The recipe comes from Hatchery, a monthly tasting box subscription service that favors artisanal products.
It’s something we could see Gwyneth Paltrow raving about on Goop (or Blake Lively, on her erstwhile lifestyle site, Preserve). Each month, subscribers get a box with mini bottles of chipotle hot sauce, little jars of white truffle mayonnaise, and tubes full of spice rub. It’s like going to the farmer’s market without actually leaving your house. Or having to talk to the people peddling their wares: The box comes with each supplier’s backstory and recipe ideas for how to use that lavender extract.
The suppliers come from all over the country and have names like Two Snooty Chefs (Seattle), Potlicker (Vermont), and Better Off Spread (you know someone had to come from Brooklyn). If you want the element of surprise, you can sign up for the monthly box for $20. If you’re just really curious to try Michigan apple pie drinking vinegar or granulated honey, you can simply purchase it through Hatchery’s marketplace. Next week, the company plans to debut its revamped gifting program.
“Our hope is that we’re able to help you ‘hatch’ new traditions in your kitchen, by bringing life and excitement back into the heart of your home,” says Max Friedman, Hatchery’s founder. “At the same time, we’re also incubating these young brands by giving them the resources, strength, and support to find success in the retail world.”
Friedman used to help launch brands and try to get them into retail stores. “After five years of watching incredible people (with amazing products) fail in traditional retail, I set out to build a platform that really celebrates the independent maker,” he says. Hatchery launched in January 2014 and now has 10 employees.
To make it into the Hatchery box, the Hatchery team does a taste test, then interviews the makers to find out more about them and their products. “We only pick products we truly believe in, which allows us to put the necessary time, support, and resources into each product that we carry,” says Friedman.
