OAKSIDE BESPOKE BITTERS
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Oakside believes that bitters are to spirits as seasoning is to cooking; they not only add a new dimension, but they accentuate the flavors already in the cocktail. With this guiding principle in mind, Oakside began to develop its own bespoke bitters in 2024 and brought bitters production in-house. Oakside is immensely proud to formulate, macerate, and blend our own bitters for each of our cocktails..
BLACKLAND DISTILLERY
Fort Worth, Texas
Oakside uses Blackland's Rye and Bourbon in our Rye Old Fashioned and Manhattan, respectively.
The Blackland Prairie runs from the Red River to the north, down to San Antonio in the south. Lightning fires cleared the land for native tall grass to thrive in the rich, dark soil. Working through established practices and challenging convention at each turn, Blackland has remastered spirits – bringing new life into every sip.
Founder Markus Kypreos is a Fort Worth native, attorney, Culinary School of Fort Worth graduate, and certified sommelier. His curious epicurean outlook inspires the venture. Distiller Ezra Cox has 20 years of experience brewing and distilling, and a deep enthusiasm for creating premium spirits.
NORDEN SPIRITS
Detroit, Michigan
Norden Spirits creates a custom, small-batch aperitivo for Oakside's Negroni.
Norden Spirits was founded by Master Distiller Robyn Cleveland and Summer Ransom-Cleveland. Robyn spent much of his early 20s in the arts and bartending in Brooklyn, NY. Upon meeting Summer and moving to Michigan, he helped found the U.S. Bartenders’ Guild-Detroit Chapter and served as its first President. Over the course of 14 years behind the bar, he had the opportunity to visit and study at distilleries all over the world. These trips led to a deep respect for traditional spirits and a desire to share their
stories. Robyn's first taste of Aquavit came during a 3 week stay in Copenhagen, Denmark in 2003 – in part inspiring him to found Norden Spirits, specializing in Aquavit.
Norden's premiere spirit, Norden Original Aquavit, won Double Gold and Best in Class at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
LONE LIGHT SPIRITS
Ferndale, Michigan
Lone Light Spirits crafts a London Dry Gin for Oakside’s Negroni.
Born and raised in Southeast Michigan, Founder and Master Distiller Joe Lordon discovered his love for music at a young age - a passion that led him to work for the Kalamazoo, Michigan-born Gibson Guitars. This musical odyssey took him to Nashville, Tennessee, where he honed his skills building iconic guitars at Gibson's headquarters, ensuring each handmade instrument resonated with perfection. It was here that he learned the invaluable skill of maintaining an unwavering standard of quality - a principle that seamlessly translated into the art of distillation.
As he explored the rich tapestry of Tennessee's distilling landscape, from iconic institutions like Jack Daniels and George Dickel to Nashville’s craft distilleries such as Corsair Distillery, a new passion began to ferment. This journey of discovery led him back home to Michigan, where he joined Two James Spirits in Detroit's historic Corktown neighborhood. After 2+ years of learning the distillation process on the job, he started his 5-year tenure as the Head Distiller & Production Manager marked by innovation and excellence, overseeing the production a variety of spirits recognized as “best in class” and “double gold medal" worthy in international spirits competitions.
With over seven years of experience in Michigan’s craft distilling scene the concept of Lone Light Spirits truly took shape - a brand built on the foundation of quality, innovation, and the simple yet profound moments that spirits can encapsulate. Embracing this vision, Joe was compelled to create a brand that not only reflected his relentless pursuit of quality but also allowed him to explore the artistic horizons of new and experimental flavors while staying true to tradition. This quest for creative freedom and harmony in spirit flavors led to the birth of Lone Light Spirits, a distillery where every glass is meant capture that feeling of a comforting familiar light, whether a bonfire or full moon, porch light or flame of a candle, or anything which warms your soul like sipping great spirits.
At Lone Light Spirits, our story is more than a narrative of transition from music to distillation. It's a symphony of flavors in harmony with quality craftsmanship, and a testament to the indomitable spirit of Michigan.
NOVEL COFFEE ROASTERS
Fort Worth, Texas
Oakside uses Novel Coffee Roasters’ cold brew in its Espresso Martini.
Novel Coffee Roasters is a female-owned roastery accompanied by a female-led roasting team. It was founded in early 2013 from a desire to discover amazing coffees, fresh from the harvest, and roasted with care to create profound tasting experiences.
Since then, Novel has created a name for itself in producing high quality and unique coffees. It sources the coffee beans for its cold brew near São Paulo, Brazil, where Mogiana Eagle produces low acidity green coffees allowing for a lighter touch. Novel has partnered with the same producers in Brazil since 2018.
In its roasting, Novel optimizes for heat, airflow, and timing to execute flavor balance, enhance body, and extend sweetness. The resulting cold brew is a silky, medium roast with notes of chocolate and amaretto.
ROCKWELL VERMOUTH
Sonoma County, California
Oakside uses Novel Coffee Roasters’ cold brew in its Espresso Martini.
Novel Coffee Roasters is a female-owned roastery accompanied by a female-led roasting team. It was founded in early 2013 from a desire to discover amazing coffees, fresh from the harvest, and roasted with care to create profound tasting experiences.
Since then, Novel has created a name for itself in producing high quality and unique coffees. It sources the coffee beans for its cold brew near São Paulo, Brazil, where Mogiana Eagle produces low acidity green coffees allowing for a lighter touch. Novel has partnered with the same producers in Brazil since 2018.
In its roasting, Novel optimizes for heat, airflow, and timing to execute flavor balance, enhance body, and extend sweetness. The resulting cold brew is a silky, medium roast with notes of chocolate and amaretto.
NOVEL COFFEE ROASTERS
Fort Worth, Texas
Rockwell Vermouth offers a fresh American take on a classic European spirit. We’ve spent years on a quest to find the right ingredients, partners, and processes for the perfect American Vermouth. Along the way, we discovered golden cane sugar caramelized for the impeccable balance of bitter and sweet by experts in the Carolinas; California black mission figs sun-dried by a family with over ninety years’ experience; a UC Davis-developed grape clone to serve as our base; and supportive local ranchers who allowed us to forage Artemisia Californica herbs from their Carmel Valley hillsides.
We conducted more than three hundred herb extract trials across more than one hundred recipe batches. The result is an herbaceous and aromatic vermouth worthy of modern American cocktail culture. Handcrafted in California, each small-batch production of Rockwell Vermouth is a testament to what's possible when passionate artisans from around the country work together toward a shared vision.
