Y’all come on down to Georgia for a little fun and refreshing libations
Story and Photography by Terry Check
From the hills of North Georgia, Belle Organics began as a small company with big ideas inspired by the creative genius of Jessica Flores, co-founder and CEO, along with her husband, Daniel. As happenstance would have it, like so many great ideas, Jessica and Daniel were attending a fourth of July party in 2011 when someone asked, “Where are the cocktails?” Instead of blending a store-bought, drink mix added to vodka, Jessica insisted on fresh, organic ingredients: lemons, oranges, peaches and of course, wheat vodka. Crafting cocktails with her original recipes, derived from years of having fun, the libations were an overwhelming success. While driving home that evening, Jessica decided to start a company constructing the best organic cocktails in a container, ready to serve, by just adding ice. Into the early morning Belle Organics was conceived, featuring five distinctive cocktails, each with a southern belle flair.
From left to right, let me introduce: “Miss Georgia Belle”, delightfully smooth cocktail of peaches, cream and whole wheat vodka with a jazzy kick of vanilla; “Miss Belle on the Beach”, a refreshing blend of cranberries, peaches and oranges combined with whole wheat vodka; “Miss Banana Belle”, a marriage of banana, coconut, white grapes and sugar cane rum; “Miss Beri Belle”, a blissful blend of lemonade, blueberries and wheat vodka; and finally, my personal favorite, “Miss Southern Belle”, a thirst-quenching balance of southern lemonade and whole wheat vodka. And yes, it is all 100% USDA organic, not just 95%, and winner of 21 awards for the best “Ready-to-Drink” cocktail on the market.
The five southern belle labels are much more than cocktail names. These ladies are actual employees of Belle Organics, all trained and very talented in dance, singing and acting. Just take a look at the music video, “Bathtub Shimmy”. Whenever Belle Organics has a promotional event, the five beautiful belles perform song and dance routines, and serve up their favorite cocktails; but during a “typical” workday, their jobs include: sales, marketing, website design and theatrical productions.
Ms. Flores fosters comradery, friendship and a strong work ethic amongst her employees, who to her, are like family members. Working relationships with other businesses, she calls “partners”, foster the company’s common goal of crafting the finest organic products without adding potentially hazardous additives to preserve taste and shelf life. Quite a task, but how does this Southern girl from Sumter, South Carolina accomplish this mission? Well, she said “It is not easy, but with planning, perseverance and a commitment to excellence Belle Organics has succeeded.” Yes, the upstart beverage company, only in business 2 or 3 years, is now distributed in several states following the roll out of their national marketing campaign with their network of committed “partners”. The keywords to keep in mind are fresh, truly organic (read the labels of other organics), no additives, no high temperature pasteurization and proprietary packaging from Tetra Pak to seal in the freshness for more than a year.
Customarily worn by the five belles, the southern belle costumes with thigh high slits and hosiery to match, were designed and sewn at the dining room table by Jessica Flores, Pat Rosenberg and Violet Davidson together with the help of Jessica’s daughter, Cicily. Add a few accessories like top hats with feathers and ribbons, bustier tops, corsets and high heels, the belles are always ready to display their musical talents wearing their authentic designs. When not performing the “Bathtub Shimmy”, the belles, dressed in fashionable street clothes of the era, may be seen driving around town in a 1938 Buick convertible having a little fun along the way.
Hats off to Jessica Flores for breaking through the glass ceiling for women, and advocating investor and retiree rights as she worked with Wall Street banks. Instead of placing her career on cruise control and driving toward her golden parachute, she followed a different path to create a company, quality products and jobs for Americans, while setting an example of superb corporate governance focused on the betterment of employees and the community.
Looking beyond Belle Organics, Jessica’s visionary perspective leans toward: American crafted luggage with a timeless design, luxurious but affordable handbags where quality trumps logos, and 1930’s bedroom furniture and accessories bringing back romance and “pillow talk” in the bedroom. Stylish by day and night, she explains, “The furniture line is about dressing for bed. This whole era of wearing yoga pants to bed should be illegal. Quite frankly, the minute you wear yoga pants to bed, you can go ahead and work on your divorce papers. You lose your femininity and then your chemistry (in the marriage).” If Ms. Flores had a time machine, she would certainly travel back to the 1930s, after the market crash, when families came together, romance flourished, and fashions were elegant. Since she cannot travel backward in time, she has decided to bring the 1930s into today with a jazz cabaret dinner theatre hosting outstanding fine dining, entertainment, and of course, Belle Organics cocktails.
Learn more Jessica and the five belles at www.bellesorganics.com, and if you want to purchase the cocktails online, then log onto www.caskers.com.
Masquerade Magazine wishes to thank Ms. Flores and her husband, Daniel, as well as the staff of Belle Organics allowing Terry Check, writer/photographer, to interview and photoshoot the event. Many thanks to the five models representing each of the five signature cocktails. The models are also administrative staff of Belle Organics.
Here the link to the “Bathtub Shimmy”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oy6LInlroY4
Photo Shoot Credits:
Photography: Terry Check at www.terrycheck.com
Models: Danielle Roundtree, Lauren Jordan, Lindsay Orr, Josette Pimenta and Gabriella Clemente
Fashion Designer: Jessica Flores, Pat Rosenberg, Violet Davidson, Cicily Flores
Makeup Artist: Michael McKeever
Hair Stylist: Analea Murray
