Posted by Natty Ice on 4/15/2011 to Know | Indie Brands & Style

Often times the best inventions are born from pure necessity. So when Chicago café owner Melissa Yen discovered making her favorite Mexican coffee drink, Café de Ollo, was just too damn time consuming she set out to create the solution. Using her knack for flavor and well-versed palette Yen whipped up a tasty syrup concoction that exactly mimicked her favorite coffee drink. With the success of her first attempt Yen soon realized it was within her power to replace the boring café syrup flavors [raspberry, mint, caramel, etc.] with her own delicious creations …and voila! Jo Snow Syrups was born.

But why “Jo Snow”? Because Yen’s scrumptious syrups can liven up your cup of Joe or turn your sno-cone into a gourmet dessert in an instant! They can also enhance your baked goods, dinner recipes and your cocktails. There are endless possibilities with these little bottles of flavor.

Now boasting 7 distinct flavors you can bet Yen will continue to create unique and dynamic combinations using only the best ingredients. Just like her product, Yen’s flavor concept is fabulous, she takes a flavor profile or cultural reference and twists it to create delicious, well-balanced flavors. Mixing evaporated cane juice, herbs, spices and natural extracts to round out the flavor, Yen’s creations are sure to keep your mouth happy.

Here are a couple of Melissa’s favorite Jo Snow recipes:

Savory Brussels Sprouts: In a cast iron skillet pan sear bacon to tastes, pan sear Brussels sprouts. Drizzle Jo Snow Vanilla Black Pepper syrup over sprouts so it caramelizes. Feel free to add nuts to create a bolder flavor. Enjoy!

Dutch 74 Cocktail: 1 oz. gin 1 ½ oz. prosecco ¾ oz. Jo Snow Tangerine-Lavender Honey syrup ¼ oz. lemon juice Serve in champagne flute and enjoy!