A Cleaner Cocktail
Former assistant GM at Cured Melanie Barrows and Coquetel Spirits Co. owner Chiyo Takemoto shared mutual friends and worked in similar industries while living in the same Chicago neighborhood, but it wasn’t until they moved to San Antonio that their paths first crossed. Now the two who describe themselves as “bad-ass bi hes” have combined their expertise to shake up the health and cocktail industry with Health Nut SATX, which they opened over the summer. Using whole food ingredients, including fruits, vegetables, botanicals, herbs and spices, the women offer a menu of fresh juices, tonics and plant-based milks that are delicious on their own or as the base for their “healthy-ish” cocktail kits. “Our kits combine our healthy beverages with natural spirits from small, independently owned craft distilleries,” Takemoto says.