- This year, keep it local with a gift of a Mississippi-made product – or a product made with Mississippians in mind.
When you’re stumped on what to buy for the person who has everything, consider giving a bottle of spirits. A bottle of wine, or perhaps a nice bourbon, or a unique specialty liqueur is usually a gift that is much appreciated.
This year, keep it local with a gift of a Mississippi-made product – or a product made with Mississippians in mind. Waters to Wine is a fine French Cabernet tied to Clinton watercolor artist Wyatt Waters.
“I often talked about wine with a local wine distributor who is a collector of Wyatt’s work, and one day he sent a text suggesting we all needed to do a wine together,” says Kristi Waters, Wyatt’s wife. “We were headed to Asheville to celebrate the publishing of The Watercolor Road and thought he was kidding. However, we played along as Wyatt riffed names and descriptors, including Waters to Wine.”
Now the Waters to Wine label is available for purchase statewide. The grapes for the wine are from the Languedoc-Roussillon region (part of the Occitanie) in southern France. The label for the bottle is a painting Wyatt did while in France in 2023 to scout for an upcoming workshop.
“I wanted to portray the quilting seen in European landscapes,” explains Wyatt. “Different patterns emerge with the things that are grown and one of the more interesting patterns are the vineyards.”
Coming in at around $20 a bottle, the wine has been a regional hit, probably initially due to the beautiful label painted by a respected local artist.
“We started selling it well right out of the gate,” says Sean Summers, owner of Calistoga Wine and Spirits in Ridgeland. Kristi says the response to the wine has been favorable. “We are hoping it will be available for the long term.”
To add to your gift of wine, visit the Wyatt Waters Gallery in historic Olde Towne Clinton, where you can purchase wine stoppers and tea towels with the same painting as the label, as well as other scenes from France. Gift items can be ordered online at here.
For something more exotic, Cathead Distillery has a new offering in its line-up that has created quite a buzz.
Cathead, founded in 2010 in Jackson, was the first legal distillery in the state. The brainchild of friends Richard Patrick and Austin Evans, Cathead produces award-winning small-batch spirits in the heart of downtown Jackson, including Cathead Original Vodka, Cathead Honeysuckle Vodka, Cathead Satsuma Mandarin Vodka, Cathead Raspberry Vodka, Bristow Gin, Hoodoo Chicory Liqueur, and Old Soul Bourbon. They also have a line of canned cocktails, called Cathead Sparkling.
New to the Cathead lineup is Hoodoo Espresso, a coffee-flavored vodka. A pre-batched bottled cocktail, Hoodoo Espresso has just three premium ingredients—Cathead Vodka, direct trade coffee, and Demerara sugar. Just shake over ice and strain into a chilled martini glass for a decadent espresso martini – one bottle will serve up eight perfectly crafted cocktails. Hoodoo Espresso is well balanced, with a long finish of fruity, dark chocolate and a touch of caramel sweetness. Not to mention a bit of a caffeine buzz. There is 50 mg of caffeine per ⅕ ounces.
Cathead rolled out Hoodoo Espresso in November. “It’s been a big hit,” says Summers. “I can’t keep it on my shelves. People love it.” Hoodoo Espresso was used in a featured cocktail earlier this month at the Chimneyville Art Festival preview party at the Waller Craft Center in Ridgeland. Made by mixing two parts Hoodoo Espresso and one part half-and-half and serving over ice, it was a rich and creamy cocktail with a punch.
You may also want to gift someone with a certificate for a private tour and tasting at Cathead. For $30, the tour (with no more than ten people) gives folks a look at the distillery, along with a distillery flight that includes Cathead Vodka, Old South Bourbon, Bristow Gin, Hoodoo Chicory Liqueur, plus one of your choice.
The tour without the tasting is $15. Check the website for days and times for tours.
Susan Marquez
