Mountain Duo

Two former ski bums with a knack for mixing cocktails share three quick drinks and inspire three speedy hors d'oeuvres.

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"Captain Cuervo" doesn't sound like the nickname of a serious businessman. But it's just right for a ski bum, which is what Ian Gustin, one of the founders of Freshies, was until a few years ago. He and his partner, Colin Wells, met in Telluride, Colorado, in 1993. Gustin was cooking at Swede-Finn Hall; Wells was bartending there. After a night at the restaurant, the two would plant themselves at the empty bar to down some tequila. Their enthusiasm for tequila was surpassed only by their skill at creating cocktail mixes, and they decided to make it a business. As befits the company's name, their mixes contain only natural ingredients. (Freshies also refers to the first turns a skier makes on a powder day.) You'll find recipes for three Freshies mixes here, as well as three fast hors d'oeuvres made with them, from FOOD & WINE's Grace Parisi. These hors d'oeuvres pair beautifully with cocktails—après-ski or anytime.

Published April 2001